Visit of Oxkintok and Uxmal archeological sites

We have an earlier start today, so that we can be in Merida earlier and have more time to explore the colonial district after our day of visit.

Max offers to order a torta, basically a breakfast sandwich , from a small shop in front of the hotel. We order from the street and wait by the door. The owner is a sweet old lady and as we wait for her son to come back from getting fresh bread, we discuss a little. She said that she is one of the last few that still lives in a colonial house. The only requirement from the UNESCO is to keep the façade but behind, modernity can be added. Most people live away from the center now, and these houses are used for hotels, restaurants or café. She is the 4th generation there and explains the few changes that she made to the place. She added a floor, before the ceiling was 6m high and it was just a big room. But you can still see the beautiful tiles on the floor with swirling flowers. She also mentions how hard it was for any changes to be made because of how thick the all the walls are.

The first visit of today is 1h30 min drive away from Campeche and called Oxkintok. It's a replacement site for Konhulich that we couldn't visit because of the construction work for the train maya.

The way to this site is a tiny road large enough for one car and half covered in bushes. It's packed dirt and signage is there but hidden by the vegetation. And surprisingly, once we arrive to the site itself they have a simple but super well maintained hut, and all the panels, signage and explanations inside the complex are new. Only the road is bad. The site is big, it doesn't have as many tall structures but many plazas and a lot more we can guess covered in vegetation. What we have here are arches that are complete and some statues that are still standing as well as steles.

As we pass a doorway into what was a bathhouse, Max urges us to look up. The lintel of the door has original carvings. If you didn't know you would never have looked there on the door !

Another unique element in this complex is an unassuming building which was once an initiation center. It's not very high, because a larger part of it is underground. It's also called the labyrinth. Inside walls are made with dead ends and only one way goes to the second and then third floor. The entrance is a tiny crawling hole at the back, and the exit is in the top at the front. Imagine going into this probably drugged and in a trance, and perhaps after a period of starvation. They found bones of the ones who never made it out inside. Finally, there is also an opening to a natural cave system that goes deeper in there. A gate to the underworld, but it's not been excavated yet.

We are the only ones in Oxkintok and the place had the same massive agora as in Ezdna but they left the trees. You don’t get the same wow perspective when visiting, it provides however much welcome shade. Since it’s quiet, you can see a lot of iguanas catching the sun on the ruins and as soon as you get close, they zip inside a hole between the cracks of the stones.

Once we are done exploring this site, we have 30min drive to Uxmal. This is the second most famous site after Chichen Itza. We have already seen so many beautiful archeological sites so far, and I am wondering what makes this one so unique.

Well to start, its size. It’s a huge city and Max explains that Mayapan, Uxmal and Chichen Itza were three mega powers of their time and were part of an alliance. They mostly fought against other cities of the Peninsular. 

This is a site not to miss. The first monument we see, it’s our first oval shaped pyramid, but we are facing the back entrance, the most ornate side is on the other side. We go around it to the quadrature of the nuns. A plaza, which was once a palace. And it’s beautiful, most of the buildings have kept their lintels, stone masks and roof carvings. We see a lot of masks from the god of rain Chaak, serpents, rulers and statues and symbols of Venus. Each building has intricate details and Max spend also a good amount of time reminding us of all the important numbers in the Maya mythology. The number of doors, opening and various elements of the buildings relate to the layers of the underworld, upper world and middle world. Some windows align to other openings of neighboring buildings and plazas. We spend a lot of time admiring this plaza.

Then we walk out and head towards the first pyramid we saw. But the ornate side this time. It’s again, the most beautiful we have seen so far. The heads of gods are still present on each side of the grand staircase. The temple at the top is an open jaw of a monster from the underworld. There are so many details that can be seen! But it’s not only the pyramids that’s incredible – the other buildings around are also in great shape and have decorations – one of them has little stone birds flying. 

We continue our visit by the ball court, Max explains it’s the only one where the circle is still whole and visible. We walk through the two side of the ball court to continue to a new plaza that was newly opened to the public. The excavation and restauration are ongoing and part of the site is slowly being opened to the public. 

This is an ambassador plaza again. Same as what we saw for the first time in Edzna. There were sakbay, or big maya road, connected here and it’s assumed that it was one of the main entrances to the city. The long building served as a custom’s house. The entrance to the palace that we left behind us and the ceremonial center have ramps. We understood that to show respects, and therefore make a bow, many thresholds and way into important places were at 45 degrees – hence the many stairs and ramps to get from one plaza to the other. 

We walk around the next door plaza, there is a low pyramids – and Max explains that there is a huge throne inside, at the top with nice carvings. But we don’t see it from there.

There is a big staircase next to us, and we climb it all the way up to a huge elevated platform. That platform is 1,000 m long and is very high. It’s a huge artificial hill. At the top a magnificent palace sits.

But first we see on our left a small unassuming building, it has turtles on the lintels and our guide asks us to stand in front of the main openings. When you see through on the right, you see the throne room really well of the quadratures of the nun plaza, and on the left you can see the top of the pyramids with the big throne. It’s assumed that if you are a councellor and want to see what the rulers are about – you only have to stay there and keep an eye on the various palaces. From this view point and building you can appreciate all the alignments between the doors, windows buildings and pyramids. Nothing is random.

From there you also get a gorgeous view of our oval shaped pyramids and some palaces below. 

Time to look at the rest of this huge platform. Only part of it is renovated and excavated – and it’s a massive palace complete with a throne in the shape of a double head jaguar. The lintels and façade is also decorated and has kept a lot of its original stone masks. It’s beautiful. 

We have now visited most of the site, and we walk down another side of the platform through well preserved and smaller administrative building until we walk back to the entrance and the parking lot.

Uxmal was a stunning site. The level of preservation of the building is impressive and it’s a very big one to explore too ! We are already so happy to have Max with us, but for this site, there was a lot to explain and many details that needed explanations to genuinely appreciate them.

Because we woke up super early today to do these visits in the morning, we finished around lunch and decide to drive to Merida directly. Max is originally from there and as we approach the suburb; he asks the driver to take a detour. We drive through a cemetery… the first one of Yucatan. And yes, we drive through – it’s that big. Max points at super old mausoleum of colonial time and wealthy family – there is also a famous politician buried there, and an important figure in the Yucatan: Felippe Carrillio Puerto. He was one who redistribute lands to the Maya and passed a lot of social laws, such as allowed divorce. He was assassinated in the cemetery. On a wall the bullet holes are visible. Max tells us that when he was a kid, it’s how he made a little money, he would clean tombs and change flowers or maintain them. It was his playground. 

We then continue to the city center passing a few neighborhoods, la Ermita and San Juan. Both of which have 16th century churches and cute colonial houses. He gives us explanation about everything on the way. He certainly loves his city. We then drive around the central plaza, and get a summary of the function and things to see in the building around it. 

Finally, we make it to the hotel – unfortunately our room is not ready. We go out for a late lunch, come back and check in. It’s a little time out for an hour to rest before we head out again.

In the late afternoon, the colors of the house are softer and still beautiful. And in the main plaza we start by visiting the Yucatan province government house. Max said that it’s open to public, which you wouldn’t know with the guards standing in front. Inside an artist was commissioned to paint huge murals representing Yucatan history. The building in itself is nice to look and the paintings well explained and interesting. 

Then continue our tour around the plaza and stop next at the dulceria. Our guide said it was opened for about 100 years. We order some ice-cream and after asking the seller, a choux filled with cinnamon flavored cream, their best seller. It’s nice, but the ice-creams were better.

Round the plaza we continue until we reach the Palazzio de Montejo. This old colonial house from the 16th century was the house of Francisco de Montejo ( 3 of them, father, son and nephew had the same name…), he had obtained the rights to conquer Yucatan from the Spanish crown. And it took more than 20 years to make it happen, as the Maya resistance was fierce. 

The house now belongs to a bank, which has made it into a house museum showcasing what this famous house was looking like at the time. The entrance is free and there are 5 rooms to walk through. It’s a collection of extremely beautiful furniture and antics. The walls have kept their original patterns, something we only saw a small piece of in the house number 6 in Campeche. Here the entire walls have been restored as per original. It’s a quick visit – you must spend a little time admiring the façade, as it’s truly unique. 

And our tour ends with the cathedral. Max said it was the oldest in America – but we had similar claims in Brazil with various convent and monasteries. Unfortunately, I didn’t keep track of the dates to be able to verify this. The particularity is a giant 12m cross with a 7m Christ hanging from the ceiling inside. Otherwise, it’s pretty simple decoration wise. 

We have finished our walk around, and decide to sit down enjoying the cool breeze in the center of the parc for a little while. It’s early and we are not hungry, but we know that once we go back inside the room, we won’t go out again. Alexis scrolls a bit on google map and spot a German restaurant. That should be perfect, a beer is usually quite filling and with a sausage to snack and we should be settled for diner. 

That’s exactly what we do, and it was a good call because once we make it to the room – we are very tired and the hot shower all but render us useless in our beds. Grandpa and Grandma are in bed at 9 pm today !