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January 22, 2007
In Mexico…
they worship Coca-Cola like it comes straight from heaven. I’ve been noticing just how massive the consumption of Coca-Cola is here in Merida and it’s amazing—vendors, stores, men and women on the street all selling Coca-Cola. I’ve even been told by one of my professors that they give Coca-Cola to babies when they’re first born instead of milk, because it’s cheaper. Interesting…
These past few days have been great. On Friday, Ben and I went with Don. Anotonio and Doña Sarita to buy hammocks in the city. I wanted a maize and blue one, but all they had was solid blue, so it’ll have to do. It’s really comfortable and I’ve been sleeping/resting in it whenever I get the chance. They had some made out of nylon and others out of cotton, but I chose the nylon one… It’s a bit more durable I think, although not as soft. The man at the hammock store said it takes 1 week to make each hammock and it’s incredible the amount of work that goes into each one.
On Saturday, we went to Chichén Itzá , the largest Mayan archaeological site in existence. Fechada de aproximadamente 1553 anos, estas famosas pirámides Mayas están localizados una hora y media de Mérida. El nombre de Chichén Itzá se deriva de las palabras Mayas: “chi”- boca-, “chen” – pozo-, e “itzá” – el nombre del pueblo de este región. El sitio esta divido en tres áreas: el grupo norte (estilo Tolteca), el grupo central (del periodo temprano), y el conocido como “viejo Chichén”…
It was different than our visit to Uxmal; most of the buildings are closed off from climbing and there seemed to be less restoration (or obvious restoration) at the site. Our guide, Carlos explained to us that excavations at Chichén are ongoing and recently, they found some skeletons of ancient Mayans. Some of the artifacts are in the Mexico National Museum in Mexico City, but some of the most important ones are housed in the Smithsonian (after their original discovery in the early 1900’s). There were a lot of people at the site—from all over the world & it was incredible to see such interest in the ancient culture and especially in El Castillo, the main pyramid. The pyramid was constructed in a very methodical way, with a clear interest in the astronomical calendar; during the solstices and equinoxes, the sun hits El Castillo in a way that forms illusion-type shadows. Really cool….
After Chichén Itzá , we went to eat a Buffet Lunch which was okay… Nothing real special…
But afterwords, we went to a cenote not far from Chichén Itzá . A cenote is the Spanish word for an underground, subterranean fresh-water system. We all dove into the cenote from high up (me first!) and it was a great, great experience. There were waterfalls that opened up right into the middle of the cenote from the ground above. We have group pictures that I will be posting up when I get them. Someone else took the pictures. The water was crystal clear--- I’ve never swam in water like that before and it extended downwards for 120 feet (according to Molly). I really had a great time…
On my way to and from the sites, I took some time in the car to stop and reflect on the immense poverty of this nation. I’ve only been here for about 3 weeks, but in these three weeks I’ve really learned a lot. The people of Mexico are good people. They have values unlike those we share in the United States. They have a deep interest in family, in culture, and in helping people. And it’s a shame to see so many of them live lives of despair in deep, deep poverty.
When we were at Chichén Itzá , there were so many poor vendors at the site. Supposedly, our elizabeth told us, they claim to be the decedents of the Mayan people that lived in Chichén Itzá. When you think about how advanced the Mayan nation was, how prosperous their culture was, and how long it flourished, it’s just so sad to see these people living like they do—selling “Chichén Itzá key rings” for nothing more than 5 cents…
5 cents, they claim, is just enough to make a living.
Posted by jlsumich at January 22, 2007 01:10 PM