Last week right now, Jacy and I were sitting on a bus heading to Yucatan to go check out the Mayan Ruins. I was so hesitant about our trip to Mexico and one of the reasons I decided to go was to see the amazing community of ruins that are near Cancun. Our tour headed to Chichen Itza, a large group of Mayan Ruins in the state of Yucatan, Mexico. Chichen Itza was recently designated one of the new seven wonders of the world and I would agree that it is AMAZING. I was in constant awe the entire day looking at and touching stones that were carved by a culture so different from my own. The Mayans grasp of astronomy, math, architecture and science boggles my mind!
My favorite facts about the grounds of Chichen Itza have to do with the largest and main pyramid there, Kukulkan's Pyramid. The Mayans created it for astronomical purposes and twice a year at the beginning of Spring and Fall, the shadows from the pyramid form to create large triangles that edge the staircase and end at the Serpent's heads at the base of the stairs. The result is a large snake body that you can see in the picture above. Further, if you stand directly in front of the staircases (there are 4) and clap your hands, the echo is the call of a regional bird. And lastly, the Mayans constructed the pyramind to have 91 steps on each staircase which equals 364 total plus the platform equals 365. A step for every day of the year. Chichen Itza is so much more than those few little fun facts, it's big and detailed and the Mayan history is intense. I feel fortunate to have seen a glimpse of it.
Last week right now, Jacy and I were sitting on a bus heading to Yucatan to go check out the Mayan Ruins. I was so hesitant about our trip to Mexico and one of the reasons I decided to go was to see the amazing community of ruins that are near Cancun. Our tour headed to Chichen Itza, a large group of Mayan Ruins in the state of Yucatan, Mexico. Chichen Itza was recently designated one of the new seven wonders of the world and I would agree that it is AMAZING. I was in constant awe the entire day looking at and touching stones that were carved by a culture so different from my own. The Mayans grasp of astronomy, math, architecture and science boggles my mind! 
My favorite facts about the grounds of Chichen Itza have to do with the largest and main pyramid there, Kukulkan's Pyramid. The Mayans created it for astronomical purposes and twice a year at the beginning of Spring and Fall, the shadows from the pyramid form to create large triangles that edge the staircase and end at the Serpent's heads at the base of the stairs. The result is a large snake body that you can see in the picture above. Further, if you stand directly in front of the staircases (there are 4) and clap your hands, the echo is the call of a regional bird. And lastly, the Mayans constructed the pyramind to have 91 steps on each staircase which equals 364 total plus the platform equals 365. A step for every day of the year. Chichen Itza is so much more than those few little fun facts, it's big and detailed and the Mayan history is intense. I feel fortunate to have seen a glimpse of it.
2 comments:
Amazing and humbling.
You should write a book; thanks for sharing your story.
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