Going waaaay back

In 1991, I traveled to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico with about 15 others from my high school Spanish class. Along with students from two other schools, there were about 50 teens and enough chaperones to make a good attempt at keeping us out of trouble and out of the bars. Mmmm, ice cream with kaluha at Pablo's Backyard Patio on Cozumel brings back some memories. We were in Merida, went to the ancient Maya ruins of Chichen Itza and Uxmal, and then Cozumel for some beach time. This one trip, my first time out of the US, is what started the traveling bug and my love of history and ancient cultures. Y ademas, puedo hablar un poquito de Espanol (And I can also speak a little bit of Spanish). Here are two of my favorite pictures from Chichen Itza.

The colorful columns are located inside the Temple of the Warriors. We were on the top level of the structure and I laid on my stomach to take a 'blind' photo into a window. I had no idea what I was going to get. Pretty cool. You can no longer climb the Temple of the Warriors.

Kukalcan, "El Castillo" or the castle. What a beauty. 91 steps on each of the 4 sides with the top level counted as a step is 365 steps. Can you say modern calendar? The ancient Maya was a very intelligent and advanced civilization...and a bit barbaric given the types and methods of human sacrificing. During the Vernal Equinox the sun casts a shadow of a serpent writhing down the steps of the pyramid, which is quite cool. I don't think you can climb El Castillo anymore.