Mayan sluething

It is often said to just start at the beginning. I'm just not sure where this adventure began, or when. I can tell you that it took place on March 6th, 2019 in Chichen Itza, Mexico. I can tell you that I'm here because I have a lovely fellow adventurer friend named Laura LaBrie who has a Facebook page called Mysterious Mexico.

There is little in life that I do without the love and support of my husband, but I'm not sure if I should write "we" or "me". If I slip into the We, that's why. 

I could say it started with my announcement to Laura that I was renting a car to go see this famous Mayan Chichen Itza temple site that everyone talks about. She replied with "Did you read the article about the cave they found under the city? They found a cave back in 1966 and the archaeologist had it sealed and all records were lost until just recently they found it again. It had about 200 perfectly preserved artifacts that are over 1,000 years old!" This is Laura, so of course this is what came next: "It would be SO SUPER COOL if you could find out where the entrance to it is while you are there...(it's probably secret though).

This is me, so I said: challenge accepted!

Here is website with a detailed article about it. I advise reading several articles on this for the full effect.

https://www.theyucatantimes.com/2019/03/archaeologists-discover-cave-under-chichen-itza-with-hundreds-of-mayan-objects/

I think I found the way to the cave. How long should I make this story? First of all, if you ever go there, go first thing in the morning before all of the vendors and visitors show up. It's easier to take peaceful looking pictures. Not that the place is exactly peaceful like a Buddhist temple. There is a lot written about human sacrifices by the Mayan people. 

This is another link I like about the whole subject of Mayan people.

https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-americas/chichen-itza

We arrived nice and early and walked the whole thing first. It is now roped off and you are not allowed to go on the buildings or have access to some paths. These are roped off by thin flat plastic strands all over the site. However in one area it is blocked off by 2 layers of barbed wire and three signs saying you can't walk over there. These are found on the right side of the Sacred (Sagrado) Cenote, which is at the end of the Ceremonial Walkway. The cave was all about rituals and ceremonies. I'm a one day wonder, no expert at all, but I'm pretty good at common sense.

My first logical step was to ask a tour guide who spoke very good English. Laura had said it was all over the news for a few days. All of a sudden the guide didn't understand what I was asking, and then referred to something else that didn't relate to what I was asking. Surprise, surprise. I think I understand a little though, this is sacred stuff which by definition means you don't go around telling just anyone. The concept of things being sacred is not common, based on my own life experiences. People are not eager to respect the religious beliefs of others. How do I begin to understand how holy and precious and consecrated this all was to the people who fashioned it together? What do I know of how this was revered, and a spiritually devoted thing that deeply influenced their lives? And deaths.

I've been told that this is just a fraction of the actual civilization that has been recovered from the jungle eating it all up. I love the mysteries of Mexico.

I went down this way the first time and didn't even go to the right side of the cenote. It wasn't until I was frustrated and reminded by Laura to follow my feelings - then I went back down there a second time. I knew I was on the right track because the way was walled up like it was extra important. I didn't see the map until later that would have explained it to me. A lot of effort went into this road/path/walkway with all of the stones involved.

This is a picture of the cenote from the left side. Cenotes are sinkholes, which does not sound as magical as they look. The Yucatan peninsula is covered in them. Each one with it's own look and feel.

This is the cenote from the right side. It has different stone structures built around it, and it lets my imagination run wild about the people and their reasons and their relationships. This place was a significant center of political and economic activity in the Mayan culture by roughly 600 A.D. The little building in this picture is on the very edge of the cenote, you can see the white walls of the cenote to the right of the building in the picture.

One more angle of the building from the left side, hovering over the cenote pool of dark green water that leads to an underground river.

I don't know if I'm right about the entrance to a very long cave, but I'm right about how fun it is to study history and maybe even believe in magic.

The last 2 pictures are on site, I took a picture of just the right side so it would show up better. I think it shows the path that no one can go down.

This is why I travel. This world is such an interesting place. I may have missed my calling as an archaeologist. But everyone can travel and research and see for themselves. I took a hundred pictures and ended up with a thousand unanswerable questions far beyond what the lens can reveal.