Saturday 16 November 2013
Today
was a very good day. First we went to a
small site they’re still excavating called Oxkintok. Spent a bit of time there. It was very hot. Once the clouds clear and the sun comes out
it can be quite hard work. But really
nice.
Then
we ran into a local guide that was showing another couple around and said that
he would show us a local cave with Mayan inscriptions. It was a small cave, and we certainly
wouldn’t have found it or seen 1% of the stuff that was in there. He showed us the Mayan paintings on the
ceilings, the carvings on the rocks, the offerings in a small cavern and human
remains left on the sacrificial altar!
Totally cool.
Then he offered to take us to a cenote. The Yucatan is all limestone and underneath
there are all these caves that collect the clear rain water. It was the Mayans based their whole
civilisation on. We were always planning
to go swimming in a cenote – what we didn’t expect was to do it in someone’s
backyard! A private cenote. Better than a built in pool; a ladder, a
light and a rope and you’re set to go.
And you can get an income from the turisticos.
Then
onto Uxmal. One of the most beautiful
sites we’ve seen so far and that’s really saying something. Pyramids, carvings and fancy stone work.
