Ek Balam part 2

Here are some more pics from The Mayan Ruins of Ek Balam (Bright Star Jaguar), Yucatan Mexico. The main pyramid structure referred to as "El Torre" or "The Tower"measures a massive 100 feet high, 517 feet long, and 200 feet wide (30.48 meter high, 157.58 meter long , and 60.96 meter wide) and is bordered on each side by two other massive mounds of rock with trees growing all over them. These mounds are actually unescavated ruined structures - except for some areas where rubble had been removed to reveal some walls of the understructure, one could mistake them for large rock piles. "El Torre" was found similarly buried in stones which had fallen from upper, ruined portions of the former structure. The site was buried in its own rubble, and thus the buried portions were protected from further erosion and damage until the site was escavated - one stone carefully removed at a time, keeping track of the positions of each, so that the upper parts that had crumbled could be rebuilt to some degree. During the escavation apparently some worker(s?) fell into a hole infront of what some refer to as "The Acropolis". The highlight of this site in terms of wow-factor, "The Acropolis" features a Jaguar mouth doorway, which according to some reading I just did leads to a 60 foot (18 meter) deep pit with wooden spikes at the bottom. The wall and area above the jaguar mouth is ornately carved with winged figures and various designs, featuring skullish looking faces, fish, corn, to name a few (and it all would have been originally painted as well).

More info here

5 meter tall jaguar mouth doorway 'altar'

wall paint looks like Egyptian hieroglyphics

Posts

I've been kinda stumped with what to post next - in a way I am overwhelmed by the sheer amount of photos and random info that I have to share. I was fortunate enough to go on two vacations this winter; the first for one week at the end of January to Costa Rica, on the Nicoya peninsula at an all-inclusive resort Barceló Playa Tambor. The diversity and number of species (of both flora and fauna) that my travel partner and I encountered in our one week was astounding! I'll let the pictures do the talking for the most part - in our one week stay there I snapped 1200 photos on my Canon EOS Digital Rebel.

Really feeling that one week was much too short of a trip, taking advantage of our particular life circumstances, we started researching and deal shopping for our next trip. This time it was decided, that we would find an all-inclusive 2-week package centrally located to many attractions and possible 1-day day trips to Mayan ruins and cenotes (sinkholes/caves/underwater river)! So we ended up at an all inclusive resort - Catalonia Yucatán Beach Resort & Spa**** in Puerto Aventuras, 45 miles (72 kms) south of Cancun. Once again the story will unravel through the photos and in anectodal stories along the way. I snapped just about 1000 photos in our 2 week stay (I'll figure out how many there are one day and update the info)

OK, so I just figured out that since I got my camera on December 18th 2004 I have snapped over 10700 images, many of which I would like to share - you can see how one can get overwhelmed by the task. So I'll switch it up a bit from the plants and get started with a bang.

The highlight of the Mexico trip, Ek Balam, the most impressive Mayan site that I have seen, in terms of preservation of the original stucco and relief art, (even some intact paint on the walls the looks similar in style to Egyptian hieroglyphics - you be the judge!)

I just took this verbatim from Wikipedia, rather then retype any of this out for you:

There are 45 structures, including:

1. Defensive Walls

2. Entrance Arch

3. Oval Palace

4. The "Twin Pyamids" are atop one platform at the southwest corner of the site and have steps to each.

5. Chapel

6. Stelae which depicts a ruler of Ek Balam, probably Ukit Jol Ahkul

7. Structure 12

8. Structure 10

9. Structure 7

10. Ballcourt

11. Structure 2 on the West corner of the Acropolis is as yet unexcavated and is the 2nd largest building on the site.

12. Steam Bath

13. Structure 3 on the East corner of the Acropolis is, like Structure 2, unexcavated and is the 3rd largest building on the site.

14. The Acropolis on the North side of the site is the largest structure at Ek' Balam and contains the tomb of Ukit Kan Le'k Tok'. It measures 146 meters across, 55 meters wide and 29 meters tall.

15. Tomb of Ukit Kan Le'k Tok'.

I used a free program called Autostitch to make these panoramas. These are the well preserved Mayan relief carvings with original stucco at Ek Balam