Chichén Itzá’s La Iglesia

September 22nd, 2020 After yesterday’s thoughts on the Temple of Kukulcan, today we’re taking our first look at La Iglesia (church) which is one of the structures of Chichén Itzá’s Grupo de las Monjas (the group of structures around and including the Nunnery). La Iglesia is striking for its contrast with the Temple of Kukulcan — the former being rectangular

Equinox at the Temple of Kukulcan

September 21st, 2020 Tomorrow is the autumnal equinox, or first day of fall. Here in the U.S., the moment will happen in the early morning and marks one of two days (the other being the vernal equinox) on our 365-day calendar when day and night occur in approximate equal measure. This happens because the sun — on these two days

Vamos a Valladolid

September 19th, 2020 Today we’re in Valladolid, Mexico for a quick photo collage from around town. Valladolid was formally established by the Spanish in the 1540s, built on the former Mayan town called Zaci centered between Ek Balam, Cobá and Chichen Itzá. Until that time, Maya civilization had developed on the Yucatán Peninsula from as early as 2,000-1,000 B.C. Today,

Captivating Cobá

September 17th, 2020 Though not far from one another on the Yucatán Peninsula, Ek Balam and Cobá leave very different impressions. The angular perfection of Ek Balam stands in contrast to the aged and overgrown nature of Cobá. Ek Balam is more recent (700-1100 AD) while Cobá spans the entire Pre-Classic to Post-Classic range of Maya civilization, potentially inhabited for

Angelic Ek Balam

September 15th, 2020 A hand-carved sign welcomes us to Ek Balam, above an open gate to a wide dirt path leading into this Mayan site from the Pre-Classic and Classic periods (700-1100 AD). Mayan sites were often developed over centuries, with one structure built on top of another, extending their timeline beyond one period. The path we’re on seems simple

Mayan Mastery

September 14th, 2020 After yesterday’s stop in Tulum, we’re on our way inland to explore some of the major sites of Mayan civilization. Before we start climbing stairs tomorrow, I have a couple maps for context and some interesting facts about Mayan civilization. In this week’s posts, we’re focusing on the tip of the Yucatán Peninsula. Mayan civilization reached from

Repost of the Day: Tulum

September 13th, 2020 After swinging into the Yucatán yesterday, we’re on the east coast of the peninsula in Tulum. J and I spent a month here in 2018. I found Tulum to be a town of dualities — historic sites and new developments, locals and influencers, dreams and realities. It was hard to tell if residents were happy with the

Monolith Mystery of Stonehenge

September 3rd, 2020 Here it is … Stonehenge. This is an interesting post to write because what can I add? With so much speculation, this wonder of world history may be better left to the imagination. Will we ever really know the origin, purpose or meaning of this anomaly in the English countryside? Certainly, it was significant to life and