If you've missed the first parts of the trip feel free to go back and read them, starting here. If you've read it all and aren't interested in anymore details (I wouldn't blame you) feel free to skip the remainder of the post.
Our second day with Helaman, from Helaman Tours, was just as great as the first! Our first stop was Ek Balam.
There were two large structures at this site. The first, shown below, I believe was a smaller temple. I honestly don't really remember. One thing I like about the pictures though is that you can see the piles of rocks that they were using to rebuild it with but apparently had to stop due to budget. There really are so many ruins down in this part of the world that haven't even been touched yet because they don't have the money.
The second large structure was definitely a Temple. This was one of the more memorable stops because of all the interesting things about it. Lots of symbolism that related back to our LDS Temples today! There were also paintings on the walls that just could not have been coincidences. It seemed clear to me that the people who built these structures did have parts of the true gospel. It also appeared like they might have become apostate because of the size and grandeur of the temples. We were told that when the people fell into apostasy they began building large building due to their pride and there was evidence of human sacrifices.
Our next stop was the famous Chichen Itza. We started with lunch and had amazing fajitas! Yum. Chichen Itza was one of the largest and most touristy places we visited. There were vendors all around in the grounds selling stuff. We got some fun things as souvenirs.
This temple is one of the better known images when people think of Mayan Ruins. It also has lots of symbolism and was built in such a way that a serpent appears on the side (due to shadows) at certain times of the year. The best day to see the serpent is April 6th. Coincidence, I think not. (I know the shadows on our faces are awful, my camera battery died so I didn't get to take as many pictures and I guess this is the only one I got of the temple and the whole group.)
There were lots of other structures at this location. Including another ball court. This one though was the court of all courts. The walls were perpendicular to the ground and super high, the hoops were like 21 feet off the ground. Brett said he could dunk on it.
And an observatory. The Mayan people had amazing knowledge about astronomy. At the equinoxes the sun would rise (or set) right in the window of the observatory.
Any many other structures with symbolism and ornate carvings. We learned all about Helaman's "friend" Chaac the Rain God and many other cultural tidbits.
After some shopping at the vendors we left Chichen Itza and began the long drive back to our resort. We took a pit stop in a small town and saw some sweet murals before finally crashing back in our room. It was a great day.
I know I just barely touched on the places we visited, but I hope I did them justice. They were all truly amazing and beautiful!
Like I promised at the beginning. We are almost done with Cancun. Up next Cancun: The final wrap up.
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