Checking Out Chichén Itzá

Several thousand years ago, men grunted, groaned, and sweated in the hot Yucatan sun, hauling loads of stone from quarries to be cut. Overseers urged the men on while planners examined drawings and mathematics. Above all, the high priest and emperor gazed approvingly at the work. Chichén Itzá, the crowning jewel of Mayan civilization, was being constructed. 

Dad on the Ferry from Isla Mujerés

I looked out of the window of the double-decker car ferry towards Cancún, wondering what would happen on our trip. Even before we left the States, I made my parents promise we would check out Chichén Itzá when we came to Mexico, just as they had twenty years before. However, life happened and two weeks after arriving in Mexico our Chichén Itzá trip was still on the back burner in my mind. So it came as a big surprise when dad announced one night that we would set out for Chichén Itzá the next morning.

Got a glimpse into Mexican life
on the bus ride through Yucatán

(Below) The quiet streets of Pisté

That’s how I found myself sitting next to my dad on a car ferry at 7 that morning, carrying our shared knapsack, practicing my Spanish in my head. When we reached the dock, we caught a local “bus” (really a van with benches along the inside) to the center of Cancún. After a late breakfast of tacos and a McGyver experience with the bathroom (which I might write about another time), we began the 5 hour bus ride to Chichén Itzá.

The nachos were more than
I bargained for!

At about 4 we pulled into Pisté and began to look around for a place to spend the night. After settling in at the beautiful 'Case de las Lunes', we strolled the peaceful streets, admiring the Spanish-era mission church and munching the local eats. Pisté, a small village about 5 km outside of Chichén Itzá, is a backpacker’s ideal: quiet, has fewer day tourists through than the surrounding areas, and has a local, humble flavor. My favorite part was that morning and evening, parrot, songbird, and cicada voices fill the air like an orchestra; the only other place I have heard wildlife so magnificent is in the Queensland rainforest (Australia). Their symphony made it feel like I was home. 

The next morning, after a breakfast of leftover ‘nachos especial’, delicious local mangos, and free green tea, dad and I started marching towards the ruins. ….Or so we thought. We made almost made it out of Pisté before finding out we were hiking back to Valladolid! Slightly humbled, we turned around and soon walked through the Chichén Itzá gates* with the morning vendors who were coming to set up for the day.

I think I will forever remember the moment I first saw El Castillo, the icon of Chichén Itzá. My jaw literally dropped and I stopped in my tracks. It is one thing to read about a ancient marvel; it is quite another to stand in its shadow and realize that thousands of years before another person, part of a vastly different civilization, trod the same ground underfoot. I couldn’t help wondering what life was like for them. Then, as any photography freak would, I pulled out my camera and took about ten times too many photos.

The Observatory

Messing around at
the Ball Court

As my tired feet soon discovered, Chichén Itzá is much much more than El Castillo. Dad and I traipsed all over the park, eyes wide open at temples, monuments, a ball court, sacrificial sites over sinkholes, and an observatory. What amazed me was that, not only did the Mayans create such enormous buildings without power tools, but their work was also seamless and completely covered with intricate carvings. No detail had been too small to escape their notice. For instance, if you stand at the base of several of the pyramids and clap, you can hear a higher pitched echo bounce back from the room at the crown of the pyramid. Another example would be the serpent-shaped shadow that ascends and descends the steps of the pyramids, depending on the sun’s position. My favorite part of Chichén Itzá was the ball court. I can’t imagine anyone being able to even throw a football through its impossible hoop, much less bounce a rubber ball through without using hands or feet! 

Found an inguana perched on one of
the pyramids like it was Pride Rock!

Dad talking with some vendors

When my watch struck ten, it was like a scene from Cinderella. The magic was over and buses pulled up to the gates as tourists flooded the park. The vendors began to advertise their wares more loudly, some shouting after you, “It’s only one dollar!” However, once they have you hooked, they say “Oh no, TWENTY one dollar” or such. All over the park jaguar and parrot calls can be heard as vendors blow into the handmade calling instruments. As dad said, Duck Dynasty would be impressed; the jaguar calls are especially convincing!  But even the peddlers have become a part of Chichén Itzá’s atmosphere. Dad and I talked to one elderly Mayan man and his son after buying a jaguar call from them. The man pointed to the very large, beautiful blankets he had displayed, “My father make these. My son and I make the jaguar and other things; but my father, it take he tres mesas (three months) to make (blanket).” He explained how the whole family was involved in the business and told us they were all pure Mayan - something they were very proud of. He told us Mayan was his first language, but he also spoke Spanish and a little English; he then taught us how to say “thank you” (Ni'bo 'olal) and “goodbye” (Ma'alob xi teech yeetel utsil) in Mayan.

All too soon we had to say "Ma'alob xi teech yeetel utsil” to spectacular Chichén Itzá, and catch a bus home. The trip had been an adventure, especially for me. Organizing our travel there and back, meeting new people, encountering a new culture, and exploring the ancient city made for an unforgettable experience. Chichen Itza truly is a “Wonder of the New World”!

*Travel Info: 

• Getting there: We were advised to take at least two days to get to Chichen Itza: One day for travel, spend the night in Pisté, explore Chichen Itza the next morning, and catch the noon bus home. That way you avoid most of the rush hour at the park and  have plenty of time to travel. Take small “bus” to the “ADO” (central bus station in Cancun), bus from Cancun to Valladolid, then Valladolid to Pisté. 

• Casa de las Lunes: You can get a room for about $50 USD. They have hot showers, clean sheets (something you need to check with local hotels!), WiFi, a pool, and complimentary coffee and tea. 

• Chicken Itza Gates: Open at 8 AM. Entrance fee is $232 pesos or $13 USD. They only accept pesos, but there is a cambio (money change) by the front desk; however the exchange rate they offer isn’t very good. Please note the ticket you get includes entrance to the museum, something dad and I didn’t realize until after we got home!