Pyramids and Pirates

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We woke up this morning at around 5am to meet our tour guide who was going to drive us over to Chichen-Itza to tour the ancient Mayan archaeological site. All of us went except for Bill who just wasn't interested in anything besides the beach and club scene. It was still dark outside when we began our 2 hour drive deep into the heart of the Yucatan. Tours to Chichen-Itza usually start very early in the morning due to the oppressive heat during the day. Arriving at Chichen-Itza, we were amongst the first people there this morning. Our guide walked us over to the Pyramid of Kukulcan which was every bit as impressive as I had imagined. It was a step-pyramid with staircases on all 4 sides leading to a temple at the top. Our guide gave us a quick 30 minutes to climb the pyramid. Upon which, Christina, Patrice, and I all made the ascent. Vern wasn't feeling too well so he decided to stay at the bottom with the guide. Because of the steepness of the climb, we had to take it slow as one wrong step would send us tumbling down the pyramid. To help us with the climb, a rope was provided for us to hold on to if needed. Once reaching the top of the pyramid, there were fantastic views of the surrounding jungle as well as some of the surrounding sites like the Temple of the Warriors.

After the pyramid, our guide took us over to the Great Ball Court, the largest in the Mayan world. The walls of the Great Ball Court were about 12 feet high with rings high up on each wall. The object of the game was to have the ball hit the ring high above. Usually the winner of the match would be given the honor of being decapitated for the gods as depicted in the relief carvings at the base of the walls. As the day worn on, the temperature started to soar and the humidity increased. By now, there were hundreds of other tourists visiting the site. Patrice and I got in line at the Pyramid of Kukulcan to enter a hidden temple inside the pyramid. It was extremely claustrophobic and hot inside but we were able to see a Chac Mool statue and a throne in the shape of a jaguar. Before leaving the site, our guide walked us over to one of the many cenotes. A cenote is basically a sinkhole containing groundwater. The cenote our guide took us to was the main cenote in Chichen-Itza called the Sacred Cenote. Offerings as well as human sacrifice were given to the gods here. When we exited the Chichen-Itza site, we were given a few minutes to shop at the many makeshift stalls put up by locals outside the main entrance. Christina and I power-shopped going from stall to stall looking for things to purchase. At almost every stall, the seller kept pressuring us into purchasing something. However, it was at the only stall where the woman just smiled and let us look without pressure that we made all of our purchases. Back on the van, we were all very sweaty and ready for lunch. Our driver and guide then drove us to lunch at Hacienda Xaybeh D'Camara where we enjoyed lunch as well as a traditional Mayan dance show along with hundreds of other tourists.

Back at the resort, we spent the remainder of the afternoon just relaxing at both the beach and the pool. That evening, we took a taxi over to Playa Linda where we boarded the Captain Hook pirate ship for a dinner cruise. Once we stepped aboard the ship along with hundreds of other tourists, the open bar commenced and the drinks were flowing. The party began with silly games and crazy pirate antics. In one of the games, Vern was one of the 3 guys called up for a beer drinking contest in which he easily won. Patrice was then called up for a silly shoe gathering contest where she had to collect as many shoes as she can from the crowd. After the silly games, dinner was served and by this point we were getting very drunk on the unlimited pina-coladas. We were having a good time dancing on the deck when all of a sudden another pirate ship pulled up next to us. A very realistic and entertaining sword fight then ensued between the pirates of both ships. After the cruise, we were all still pretty plastered from all the drinking. We all wanted to go out to a club and dance more but we just ended up back at the resort. We spent the rest of the night hanging out in the living room and having some pizzas delivered.

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Photos

Chichen-Itza
The Pyramid of Kukulcan

Chichen-Itza
The Pyramid of Kukulcan

Chichen-Itza
The Pyramid of Kukulcan

The Pyramid of Kukulcan
Patrice taking it one step at a time

The Pyramid of Kukulcan
Patrice celebrating her conquest of the pyramid

At the top of the pyramid
Temple of the Warriors in the background

Climbing down the pyramid
Trying to catch up with Christina

Climbing down the pyramid
About to pass up Christina

The Captain Hook Pirate Ship
Vern in the beer drinking contest

The Captain Hook Pirate Ship
Patrice in the shoe gathering contest