Chichén boring Itzá

Between The Oceans 2011-2012 (Central America),Mexico | November 27, 2011 / by:

Mexico: The Maya Temple in Chichen Itza (Yucatan Peninsula)

I’m seriously wondering how did Chichen Itza make it to be between new seven wonders of the world. More tourists and souvenirs than wonders!

“El Castillo” (the building we all know from the ‘wonders of the world’ albums) and all the rest of the ruins are for sure the most famous and seems like the best restored of all the Maya ruins in Yucatan. But the feeling of visiting something special is taken away first: on the entrance (when you suddenly have to pay twice in 30 metres), secondly: when you realise how small the Castillo is (25m), thirdly: by all the guys running around and selling kitschy souvenirs.

Chichen Itza’s most important thing is the Maya astronomical calendar put on the El Castillo. This time temple is not an easy thing to understand (especially if the guide costs around 50-60 euros and reading the book is disturbed by all the sellers with magnets, carpets and all the other bullshit). In two moments of the year (vernal and autumnal equinoxes (meaning: 20/21st March and 21/22nd September) the sun produces illusion made of light and shadow of the side of the temple’s staircase. The funny thing that they repeat the illusion, with artificial light.. every day!

What we found out is that the total amount of the stairs on the pyramid is 365, like amount of days in the year (91 on each side) and that there is 52 panels (like 52 years in Maya calendar).

Another interesting part of visiting the Chichen Itza is clapping. Every single minute there is a group of tourists with a guide, who stands in front of the temple and claps their hands: first the guide claps and then all the group is repeating it. There is a strong echo effect but all of it, with this intensity, looks and sounds ridiculous.

All in all, all of us was disappointed. Hanna the most, that it was not allowed to climb the stairs (right now her favourite activity).

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2 Kommentare

  1. joe // Chichen Itza is beautiful and not boring.

    February 18, 2013, 07:24

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  2. Em Rudy // kind of sad and superficial. You did no research or have any understanding of what it is to be cultured. The "clap" mathematically matches a sacred bird chirp when echoed and standing in the right place. It's mathematical, acoustical and physical genius. You should rename your site to "a family of 'idiots abroad' "

    April 7, 2013, 17:33

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