The Pyramid, the Temples and the Cenote

A little niche in the side of one of the ruins

Wall of Skulls - each stone memorializes a person. Many pieces of skull bones were found in this memorial square...the rest of the body was cremated...but the head was buried here

Each block has at least one "skull" carving - four sides to this burial ground of equal length

The great pyramid in the background

Steps up to the sacrificial platform. Only enemies were killed here. A practice that was introduced to the Mayans by a northern tribe who fought with the Mayans for many years before an amalgamation and truce was struck. 

Another side of the sacrificial platform

High priest/ holy temple. 

What was once the market place...stalls would be set up between the pillars

Long shot of the north side of the temple. Only the north and west sides have been restored

East side only partially reset with stones that had crumbled

East-south corner

91 steps climb each side of the pyramid (4x91=364+1-the top platform=365 one for every day - but only on the North side are there snake heads at ground level 

Better shot of the heads 

On the spring equinox and fall equinox - when day and night are equal - at about 4:30-5:00 the sun lights the snakes from the top tip of the tails down to the head and the illusion shines brilliant gold on sunny March 21 and September 22. The illusion then recedes from the bottom to the top so that the tips of the tail are the last to disappear. 

And then, after 2.5 hours of walking through history, it was on to Ik Kil - the Cenote where Red Bull holds the cliff diving competition. It's 80 metres from ground level to the water surface and the water is 50 metres (160 ft) deep. 

Water rushes in through the rock in several places and the vegetation grows in a wild tangle

I swam right down there. Glorious mineral water that felt like silk on your skin - cool...which was most appreciated after the hot walk of the day

Some of the Mayan actors finished for the day

Fabulous costumes

Skull and animal heads are spectacular...and each actor has wooden jingles around their ankles...they make quite an impression. 

Not Chichen Itza -but a set of steps that could be accessed...so I climbed them just because I could!