For the last few years we have traveled to warm places in the winter. Mexico, Florida and California have been our winter destinations. This year travel is not possible due to COVID-19 and the snow today has got me thinking about Mexican sunsets/
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Yet another sunset
Mexican Sunset
Sunset Silhouette
Sunset at the Blue Deck
I have been to only two of the wonders of the modern world. Unlike The Roman Coliseum, Chichen Itza is really a collection of wonders. Of course the the famous pyramid is the centerpiece. However, the ball field, observatory and smaller pyramids are all fascinating and worth seeing in their own right. Truly a remarkable experience.
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Chichen Itza
The observatory
Mayan Perspective
Last week Dale Schmitt and I opened our photo exhibition, Moments and Souls at the Percolate Gallery in Pittsburgh. I realize that many of you can not make it in to the gallery so over the next few weeks I will be publishing “the moments” that were my contribution to the show.
This image was taken in 2014 on a beach near Tulum Mexico and is another example of the misdirection I use to tell a story.
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Dos Sombreros
Before I visited Chichén Itzá for the first time I thought there was just the one giant pyramid. I didn’t realize that there was a whole city of ruins. Since then I have visited other Mayan ruins in the Yucatan and Qunintana Roo. In fact there are many archaeological sites all through Mexico and they are not all Mayan. The Mayan people live primarily in The Yucatan and contrary to popular beliefs they are still here.
This ruin is a smaller pyramid in the jungle near the great pyramid of Chichen Itsa. The great pyramid is considered to be one of the seven wonders of the modern world. This one, not so much but it is still amazing to see it standing almost 2000 years after its construction.
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A Lesser Pyramid
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?
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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.
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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.
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The Observatory Redux
Original Image
When I travel it is easy to take sunset pictures. I am out and about, alert, in the zone and ready for the light show. However, it has always been difficult for me to take sunrise pictures. I could blame it on my age but that would not be true. To take a sunrise picture you have to get up and to your location before the sun rises.
I love to walk (I use to run) in the morning after I have had my morning coffee. The morning is one of my favorite times of day. But then there is this guy. What time did he get up and start running? Who are the people that can do this? Are they human? It was dark when I got to the beach and I saw him run down the beach. This was taken about a half hour later as he ran back up the beach. He must be and A type!
Photographed at sunrise on a beach near Cancún.
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Running at Dawn
Isla Mujeres is a small island in the Caribbean Sea, about 13 kilometers off the Yucatán Peninsula coast. The island is only 7 kilometers long. To the east is the Caribbean Sea and the skyline of Cancún. There are only about 12,000 permanent residents but it is very popular with visitors from the resorts of Quintana Roo. We rented a gulf cart and toured the entire island in a day. At one end of the island we found this cemetery.
It was beautiful and quiet and the most colorful and unusual cemetery we have ever seen. I have never seen a burial ground quite like this and it had made me want to research other modern Mexican cemeteries.Most cemeteries are drab and grey places. This place was alive with color and a celebration of the life of the deceased rather than a grey reminder of their death.
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Mexican Cemetary
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.
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Ball court rules
Imagery Photography 