One of our day trips from Progreso was a visit to Uxmal Mayan ruins, inland past Merida, Mexico. It was a gorgeous drive to get there, and even more astonishing when we wandered the grounds of the site.
Our local tour guide was very knowledgeable, and gave us a lot of information about Mayan culture in general, and Uxmal in particular before we arrived, which I always enjoy. I like knowing about the people who created the sites I am about to enjoy. One thing that was particularly interesting to me was that our guide is a Mayan descendant, and still observes some Mayan traditions handed down through his family.
Uxmal is unique in the temples and town sites we visited in that the main temple is oblong rather than square or rectangular.
Uxmal in Mayan actually means 3 times built. It is called that because the temple was built 3 times, each one on top of and around the earlier temple. This practice coincided with the Mayan calendar system which had a 52 year cycle, after which a new temple was built.
Uxmal also has a fantastic example of the proverbial Mayan arch.
The Mayan arch differs from our traditional idea of an arch. It does not have a keystone, or stone at the top of the arch which holds the whole thing together. In Mayan arches, the structure is not dependent on a single stone. Mayan arches tend to have steeper pitched sides with a narrow flat top to the arch.
Gorgeous details
Uxmal had particularly well preserved detail.
In one arch, we could even see the handprint of one of the builders.
Mayans revered the turtle, in part at least, because turtles lived both in the water and on the land, and were able to cross between the Mayan underworld and the world of the living. One of the temples at Uxmal is called the Turtle Temple with figures of turtles around its exterior.
In another arch, you can still see drawings done by the artisans who built the temple.
Mayan Traditions
On our way to the ruins, we stopped at a small roadside shop where some traditional Mayan practices are still done. The shaman there explained their traditional musical instruments. He even played the drums for us. We were also blessed prior to our entering into the ruins.
No visit to Uxmal Mayan Ruins would be complete without a poc a toc court
As with all of the Mayan ruins we visited, there was a poc a toc court. This one was well restored. I’m virtually certain I could not have shot a 10 pound hard rubber ball through that hoop without using my hands or feet. I would have lost for sure. And then I probably would have been sacrificed.
When you plan your visit to Uxmal Mayan ruins, make sure you understand a little about the culture. You will get so much more out of your visit. I hope you enjoy your visit to Uxmal as much as I did.
In addition to our visit to Uxmal Mayan ruins, we also visited Chichen Itza Mayan ruins, and Ek Balam Mayan ruins. They were all different, and all fascinating.