Exploring: Chichen Itza

October 30, 2014

If there is anything we can agree on, it’s that people will always disagree. In the case of Mayan ruins, there is one camp of people who will say Chichen Itza is a must-do; another group would recommend skipping it in favor of Tulum.

 

I posted Tulum pics last week so today, I present to you Chichen Itza. And what I found once I arrived there was that the Tulum camp was right.

 

Chichen Itza is no less impressive than Tulum, in all fairness. Just remind yourself that the Mayan civilization built these majestic monuments without the aid of electricity or modern mechanical engineering. So when you find yourself staring at the extraordinarily preserved pyramid at Chichen Itza, you’ll have a better appreciation for the effort that went into erecting it. That it’s still standing today is a feat in itself.

 

That said, I couldn’t help but mutter to myself, “That’s it?”

 

Chichen Itza does offer more grounds to explore than Tulum, but those grounds are brimming with vendors hawking all kinds of tchotchkes at every turn. For many of my friends who recommended Tulum, this was a turn-off. Personally, I don’t mind it; it gives you a chance to sight-see AND do some souvenir shopping at the same time.

 

But it’s also far more crowded, and that’s my turn-off.

 

Climbing the pyramid was prohibited in 2006; if the authorities decide to allow it again, then it’s certainly worth the visit. I would definitely go back for that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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