Southern Exposure

Chichén Itzá is considered one of the “new seven wonders of the world.” I’m wondering if the experiences of Tonina and Palenque clouded my appreciation of the place?

It is smaller both in size and in stature than the Mayan ruins we visited in Chiapas but not in the numberof visitors. It is crawling with tourists, so many in fact that the structures are now closed off to closer inspection and scaling, no doubt a wise decision considering the throngs. The scene suggests the attraction is more music festival or amusement park and less one of the world’s preeminent archaeological sites. The carnival like atmosphere is further advanced by the utter quantity of trinket vendors. The number of them diminishes both the atmosphere and the enjoyment of the ancient site. Imagine the entire length of the 17-mile trail up Half Dome in Yosemite, its vistas lined with vendors hawking miniature models of the valley, plastic waterfalls, and carvings of John Muir or George Washington and shouting “one dollar” or “almost free” at every step and you’ll get the picture.

Still the ball court, the pyramid and the astronomical sophistication are truly magnificent. I can only imagine it twenty years ago, unvarnished by the notoriety that beckons tourists from all over the world. Despite my cynicism it is pretty amazing and astonishingly beautiful – you can check out the rest of our pictures on Flickr.