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Published: April 26th 2010
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Our final site on the Ruta Puuc was Uxmal, which many people say has the most detailed carvings of all the Mayan ruins in Mexico. The site is thought to have been founded in 500 AD with most of the visible structures being built between 700 and 1100 AD. This site is one of the reasons we wanted to visit Mexico after we read about it in a National Geographic Magazine!
We arrived with only an hour and a half till closing and due to the size of the site, we hired a guide to ensure we saw the most important structures and also gained a bit of knowledge in the process. The guide cut us a deal for a shortened tour but we still managed to see the key buildings and were shown details that we would have missed or not understood their meaning without him... money well spent.
One of the interesting sites was the ball court area. The Mayans played a ball game which involved trying to get a rubber ball through a stone hoop mounted to one side of the court, using various means depending on the historian’s belief. The captain, and sometimes the entire
Climbing
We were told by our guide that walking up at an angle is easier...losing side, would be sacrificed at the end to bring fertility to the land... and who said there was no shame in coming second!! There are apparently some stone murals depicting the act of the sacrifices in Chitzen Itza, a site we will visit later in our travels.
At the end of the tour we were hot and sweaty after a long day of sightseeing in the heat. Luckily there was a resort next to Uxmal with a lovely bar and swimming pool. In no rush to head back, we were easily persuaded with a cerveza and a swim to end a great day.
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