After Chichen Itza our next stop was Cenote Zahamal. It was magnificent! On the way to the cenote, Ta Chao explained the significance of cenotes. I had refreshed my memory on the cenote’s, knowing I would experience one on the journey. The cenote is a natural feature, made in soft limestone and abundant across the region because of the underlying geology. https://mapcarta.com/30545682
The Maya considered the cenote a doorway to the underworld, Xibalba. The Mayan people would make sacrifices into a cenote, like gold and riches, and sometimes people. https://cenotefinder.com/what-are-cenotes/
Which humans were sacrificed depended on what the Mayan group wanted to achieve at that moment in time. Archaeological evidence has determined the majority of humans sacrificed were boys, to please Chaac, the god of rain. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-sacrifice/ancient-maya-sacrificed-boys-not-virgin-girls-study-idUSWRI32680820080123
Into the Cenote!
To enter the cenote itself, we had to wear swimsuits and life jackets, plus take showers before entering the pool. It had a long stairway down to the water. I kept pausing to explore the magnificence of being inside a real cenote in the Yucatan Peninsula!
When my feel actually touched the water, it was cold. Like “groundwater inside a limestone cavity” cold. So I’m in my swimsuit and my lifejacket halfway into the cenote, which was something I never imagined I’d experience.
The Pep Talk
I’m trying to get into the water and I’m talking myself into it, and not finding much success, until clarity strikes; I say to myself, maybe out loud, maybe not; “good Lord woman you are in a cenote in the Yucatan Peninsula and when will you have this opportunity again get your ass into the water right now! And so I did.
It was amazing. Looking at the walls, joking with members of my group about the human remains and gold and jewels that might be below us. Not sure. not caring. The experience was exhilarating.
Because we had another stop in our day trip, we had to move on. Reverse course. Turn in the life jacket, shower, etc, and find the van to take us to our next stop. That next stop was an even more magnificent site, Ek Balam.
Ek Balam
I admit this is a site I’ve not heard of before, in part because it has not been as well restored as more famous Mayan sites. Ek Balam was amazing! The site has three partially standing walls surrounding the center of the site. The walls were for defense and would have been maintained, with guards posted as needed.
There were not as many people visiting Ek Balam as there had been at Chichen Itza which was nice. The site was occupied from the Middle PreClassic into the Post Classic.
There’s a massive temple, the Acropolis, much of which has been restored. The Acropolis is a nearly a football field long from one end to the other. The middle of the structure has this magnificent stairway going up probably at least three stories to the top. The right and left sides are single story. The Acropolis one of the few restored structures at Ek Balam. https://www.travel-tramp.com/the-maya-ruins-of-ek-balam-mexico/
The stairs case is narrow, and I have terrible balance, so I did not ascend the stairs. I recognized ending up in a Mexican hospital was not on my schedule. At all.
The top of the first story has facades that unlike many other Mayan temples were not carved but were molded with a plaster type substance. The detail is astonishing. The first and second stories had this type of artistry. The site was artistically of the Late Yumcab Ceramic Complex (750-1100 CE). The site is thought to have been a location where artists resided and had free reign to work their craft.
Kings Ukit Kan Le’k Tok’ is entombed on in the second story of the Acropolis; the structure is known as El Trono – The Throne.
Structure 3
Southeast of the Acropolis sits another massive structure, called Structure 3. Structure 3 has not been restored and all and it was the most fascinating building at Ek Balam as far as I was concerned.
In thrall, I took dozens of pictures, detailed pictures, video zooming in, and exploring visually what the structural components look like below the jungle. Unfortunately, the photos I took of Ek Balam, and particularly Structure 3 were collateral damage when my purse/phone were stolen at the end of the trip.
And Jaguars
As I climbed around the base of the structure closest to the Acropolis, ever faithful Ta Chao said I should be wary of Jaguars. I responded, “I live in Montana, near Yellowstone National Park – we have grizzly bears!”.
While I make my living as an archaeologist, I do have a couple “out of the box” methods to my work. And in my non-work explorations. I sometimes will stop and just “feel” what a site says to me. It doesn’t matter if is a famous site, or something I come across on cultural resource inventories. Sites with this kind of documented history, whose residents had a unique knowledge in terms of worldviews. And ways of life, of knowing. Much of which has been documented, although even the best-known sites may still reveal secrets. Not that I had time or authority to make intellectual forays into the subject. But Structure 3 continues to fascinate me, even months later.
On to the Ball Court!
I also really enjoyed the ball court at Ek Balam. That goes without saying. It’s a smaller than Chichen Itza’s ball court, but that also goes without saying! It has been restored but lacks artistry on the walls like Chichen has.
Again, I don’t have my own photos, so I found one online (credits posted below):
Ek Balam remains one of my favorite archaeological sites. I’ll try to return one day and maybe even spend more time exploring. And taking more photos!
