Grey Mesoamerican Ruins: Cahel Pech, Xunantunich and Tikal

---

The Egyptians built Pyramids, Christians/Muslims built daunting castles and Mayans built Temple/Pyramids… all of them, inevitably to influence and rule respective populations. Over the past week I visited three progressively bigger Mayan ruins. Staring with Cahel Pech, dating from 800 to 400 BC; it’s small but beautifully mossed over. Then Xunanunich bigger and taller built from 700 to 850 AD, impressive and dauntingly grey. Finally, giant Tikal which was occupied and progressively built from 400BC through 800AD – all six of Tikal’s massive temple/pyramids were built in the latter Classical Period – all six are higher than their surrounding jungle forest. Around 800AD Tikal spread over 10 square miles, had a population well over 100,000, a hieroglyphic historical script, big enemies and no horses, steel, nor wheels. Finally when the Spanish arrived they contributed European germs which wiped out 90% of the Mayans, over a couple of decades. Tikal was ‘rediscovered’ around 1880, covered with a millennium’s worth of jungle re-growth and soil. The story of these ruins is a bit depressing; after visiting Tikal I was thoroughly “ruined out”; on the positive side, the surrounding jungle forests are magical – full of crazy spider monkeys and noisy birds of all descriptions.







Weather in the Mesoamerican highlands was grey dull, Guatemalan bureaucracy was too depressingly evident and inefficient. Recrossing the border into Belize was uplifting, so was the weather, and the happy travelers and people you meet on the buses. Today on the sunny sandy Placencia seaside has been brilliant.. time in the shade to write my blog.

---

Comments

[Marianne Malaguti]

Happy for you!!
Thoroughly enjoy your blog and the places you are travelling to. Love the pics.

[Sofie]

Even your grey days uplift me
Thanks for your account of the ruins. It was really interesting and incredible to know how far they date back and how long some of them took to build. - Albeit for ill purpose. I'm glad to hear you're back basking in the sun. Soak it up! :) Love Sofie

[Ruben, Betty & Lisa]

dollars! Thanks for the pictures. Have fun. Best Wishes!