Uaymitun 2013-Blog Post #16 “Mayapan”

After a great lunch at Na Lu’Um near Tekoh, we headed down the road to visit the Mayan ruins at Mayapan.

According to many sources, Mayapan was the political and cultural capital of the Maya in the Yucatán Peninsula during the Late Post-Classic period from the 1220s until the 1440s.

A short drive down a driveway to the parking lot and the ticket booth… unbelievably the vista of Mayapan is within view!

I’ve included a map of the site to help you picture where things are!

The Temple of the Crematorium is unmarked on this map, but it’s the one just above and to the left of the Templo Del Nichos Pintados.

There is also an unmarked cenote to the right of the Castillo De Kukulkan.

At the entrance with the ruins in sight!
Structure Q-62 just inside the site
The Observatory from the Temple of the Fisherman
The Crematorium Temple from the Temple of the Fisherman
Temple of the Niches
The crematorium
we were mostly totally alone on the site!
Kukulkan Castle
totally immersed and absorbed in the experience
that’d be me on the Temple of Niches
just inside one of the Niches was this enormous moth… wingspan ~8″
Dave and Deb beside the Crematorium
Kukulkan Castle
The Observatory…
… the only circular…
… structure we’ve seen!
Temple of the Warriors
an ant’s view
some of the unique carvings
one structure uncovered in front and one not… many more to be excavated
the shelter protecting the wall paintings
same shelter from the other approach
These wall paintings…
…are estimated to be…
… 600-800 years old!
Also to be found under the shelters…
…are three large stucco..
… pictograms
As with many of the major sites…
… their source of water was a cenote (now mostly dry)
At the one end of the Observatory was found…
… a complex with several masks dedicated to the God Chac (the rain god)
small carvings were also evident in certain walls
The Challenge: Kukulkan Castle stairs
Quiet contemplation!
Davey already atop… Doug almost there!
As Dora would say…
“We did it! We did it! I can’t believe we did it!
Davey surveying his domain!
Panorama showing the Crematorium…
… the Temple of the Niches…
… and the Observatory.
What goes up, must come down! Very carefully, I might add!
Safely back to the ground!
Not to be outdone, the Deb and Elaine made it…
… part way up the Crematorium!

We had a great time exploring Mayapan, but as it was getting late in the day, we left the remainder of the Convent Route for next year!

Watch this space for our next blog post on a visit to Merida and Progreso with Deb and Dave.

Love to all,

-doug and elaine
-mom and dad
-nana and papa