Blake and Deborah in Mexico: Merida

Chichén Itzá, the famous Maya site, is an easy day trip from Mérida. The city was built around 600-900 AD, more or less abandoned by the late 10th century, and then reestablished in the 11th to 12th centuries, possibly by the Toltecs. What remains are a number of stone structures in various states of ruin or reconstruction, including the giant step pyramid know as El Castillo. Deborah was at Chichén Itzá 21 years ago when you were still allowed to climb to the top of the El Castillo (although at the time she only made it about a third of the way up the narrow stairs). Now it is all roped off so we could only admire it from the ground. Our tour guide was good, but his stories varied a bit from what Deborah heard on her previous visit. For instance, was the cenote (water-filled limestone sinkhole) the site of human sacrifice, as Deborah heard previously, or was it the site of a mass suicide of villagers unwilling to fall into the hands of an invading army? And was the ball court used for a game in which the losing team captain was decapitated? Or was the winning team captain decapitated because sacrifice was an honor? Or was it not a game played there at all but rather a religious ceremony where the participants were high priests? The difference in the theories offered over time is either due to advances in archeological research or to the fact that tour guides just make sh*t up.

The step pyramid El Castillo. I'm pretty sure we are the first tourists to ever pose in front of it.

The ball court.

Get the ball through the ring - no using your hands though.

Carved stone in the ball court showing a player/priest in all the proper gear on the right. On the left is a kneeling player/priest with his head lopped off and serpents sprouting from his otherwise unencumbered neck. Probably there is some artistic license at work here.