November 6, 2012
Mexico Trip 2012 - Muyil/Chunyaxché Ruins
The first Maya ruins site we visited was one off the beaten path about 30 minutes south of Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico, located within the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve. We had the place to ourselves as we strolled along the sacbe to the castillo y templo.
The steps of the castle were roped off from people climbing them, but we could otherwise get up close to the structures. This ended up being one of my favorite ruins sites to visit because of the quiet peacefulness, just us and the forest around us. Other than the park employee at the entrance taking the state fee (about $3.25 per person), there were no venders selling trinkets.
Everywhere we went around many of the ruins sites, we came across termite nests on the ground or in trees with tubes running along the branches. Other than our hike along the designated paths, we did not hike into the jungle much but I did spot one fungi growing on a stump.
It's thought the Maya began building the site around 300 BC and populated it until the early 1500s, around the time of the Spanish conquest of the Yucatan. The ancient Maya had dredged a narrow canal system from the surrounding lagoons for about 12 kilometers to gain access to the Caribbean.
A couple of the structures, such as the temple, were unprotected and open to climb on and explore.
Tags
arianna (27), castle (3), degree (16), flowers (37), maya (2), mexico (12), mushrooms (7), rick (15), ruins (5), temple (3), travel (8), yucatan (7)
Arianna Helen