Iguanas in the Yucatan are probably as common as squirrels in the eastern USA. I am sure Mexican people think the gringos are all insane taking pictures of what they probably consider pests. This one was special though. This was taken at Chichén Itza which is a World Heritage site, so that makes him special…right?
To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.
UNESCO Iguana
I am sure our guide told us the significance of this pillar. However, I have no idea of what the significance is. I think it may be some sort of calendar but just can”t remember. I like the image because of the contrast between the pillar and the small pyramid behind it. The pyramid behind the pillar is about half the size of the larger and more famous structure at this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.
Pillar
Most people visiting Chichén Itzá are elated to see the large Pyramids and the Ball Court. As you are walking through you gain an appreciation for the wonderful Mayan culture that seemed so civilized and yet so brutal. It reminds me of our USA culture. However, the observatory really impressed me. To think that this ancient culture was also mapping stars and comets was a little surprising. Yet Mammoths and Saber Tooth Tigers still existed when the Mayan culture was flourishing.
This image is an edit of an earlier post using Google’s NIK editing tools.
To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.
The Observatory Redux
Original Image
We sat sipping margaritas waiting for the sunset on the Blue Docks in Cancun. I was amazed as we watch this speed boat. People were strapped into the back and the boat slowly went out into the center of the lagoon and then came full throttle at the pier. Before hitting the pier, the boat would do a sharp turn trying apparently to throw the idiot passengers from the boat. It was very loud and they would make a huge wave and then chug back out into the center of the lagoon and do it again. People pay to experience this and I am not quite sure why.
To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.
Power Trip
The Templo del Alacran is located adjacent to The Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort atop Cancún’s highest peak. It is not much of a peak but one of the few cliffs in Cancún that looks out toward the Caribbean Sea. It is also known as the Scorpion’s Temple. Scorpions are a special animal in the Mayan culture. It is believed that this ruin may have been a lighthouse for the city of Tulum although it may have predated the existence of Tulum. This picture was taken at sunrise.
To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.
Templo Del Alacrán
Tulum is the last Mayan city constructed before the Spanish invasion and conquest of Mexico. It was constructed on the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea in what is now the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The city was constructed along the cliffs overlooking the Caribbean and served as a port for other Mayan cities like Coba which was the de facto capital of the Mayan Empire. The ruins are fun to visit because afterwards you can swim in the mild Caribbean waters sheltered by a large reef providing gentle waves and pure white sand.
To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.
On The Cliffs
Upside Down Man
One of the most interesting things about visiting the ancient Mayan sites in the Yucatan was seeing their incredible attention to detail. Along the walls of the “ball court” there were incredible engravings like this which detailed the rules of the game.
To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.
Ball court rules
When touring Chichén Itzá in the Yucatan before visiting the pyramids you stop at a long field. This is known as The ball field . They would play a soccer type of game in which they would kick a small ball through this goal. The goal sits atop a stone wall that is easily 20 feet high.
I have tried to visualize how they did this and still can’t quite comprehend it. The rubber type ball is about the size of a softball and the goal is not much bigger!
To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.
Goal!
We own a time share at the Westin Lagunamar in Cancún. Most of the Mayan ruins are at least an hour away by car or bus. However adjacent to the resort is a small park maintained by the state of Quintana Roo. This ruin was a lighthouse for ships that were sailing towards Tulum around year 200 of the modern era. It was chosen because it is the highest spot in Cancún.
To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.
Mayan Light House
Depending on your location in Quintana Roo you will either get beautiful sunrises or sunsets. Our condo faces the East and I am sure at 5:30 there were beautiful sunrises. However, at sunset we would travel to the docks to catch an amazing colorful end to our day. This is just an average sunset but still better than none.
To see other images and buy apparel or prints, please visit my commercial gallery.
Mexican Sunset
Imagery Photography 