casthompson

On July 7, 2007, The New Seven Wonders of The World were announced. Ever since I was a kid I knew that one of my “life” goals was to see as many, if not all, of the Wonders of the World before I died. When I looked at the New list, I knew that I had to make a start somewhere. The first stop on my tour… Chichen Itza in Yucatan, Mexico.

I promise not to bore you with too much history but Chichen Itza is a must visit for any Tomb Raider, Indiana Jones loving guy like myself. If you want to tour or see Mayan Ruins up close, then this is it. It is nestled in the Yukaton Penisula roughly two hours away from Cancun.

Twice a year the temple does something amazing. Depending on clear skies the Chichen Itza Equinox occurs. The equinox cast sunlight through the mouth of the serpent located at the base and creates the effect of a snake crawling down the temple. Although I was there on September 22, I missed it because of a lack of sunlight

The observatory, El Caracol, was also a site to see. Little did I know that the Mayans were ahead of the game with their astrology and astronomy. Mathematically, they were just as advanced as the Egyptians and studying the moon and the stars was a daily ritual.

Above are the columns that represent the Temple of 1000 Warriors. Although the Mayans were known as geniuses, they were fighters as well. Many of the buildings that surround Itza display pictures as proof of human sacrifice and blood sport.

I was in Mexico for five days and it wasn’t all geeky and historical. As far as finding food, I mostly ate Mexican (I had to write it). The seafood was fresh and finding economical meals was not a problem at all. If you plan on visiting and you’re putting a budget together please, please plan ahead for tips. I have never been in as many awkward positions to tip as much as I was in the past few days. I don’t consider myself cheap at all but everyone expects a tip even if they didn’t work for it. 98% of everyone I met was friendly but it was hard to determine who was sincere and who was trying to hustle me.

At night, I laid my head at the J.W. Marriott which is located right along the Caribbean ocean in Cancun. I had no problems at the JW and I got around by good ole fashioned public transportation. History, great food, clear water and decent night entertainment made Mexico one of my best trips yet.

Travel Tips: To check out other places that I’ve been click here. All of my trips are booked via Expedia

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