Mexico/Maya sites

The Yucatan peninsula is famously known as the home of the Maya, whose civilization dominated the region from around 1500 AD until the arrival of the Spanish. There are still many sites around the Peninsula. The first I visited might very well have been one of the first the Spanish saw, since it is located by the sea in Tulum. Indeed this town was still thriving when the Spanish arrived. This site is quite compact once passing through a breach in the protecting wall.
Going inland, the site of Coba boasts the highest point of the whole Peninsula! It is at the top of the Maya-made pyramid. The Nohoch Mul is 42 meters high and a steep climb - the way down is worse... From the top, one sees how flat the area is, with the jungle extending to the horizon.
The Mayas had also their sport - here the place where they played the ball game. It consisted of sending a heavy rubber ball through the two circles, without touching the ball with neither the hands nor the feet. Why make things so complicated? The Mayas were also very interested with astronomy and built many observatories. They developed a complex set of calendar, with short and long cycles. The sun and Venus played a central part in their knowledge of the sky and also in the design of their temples - the number of stairs, or the number of snakes on a temple would be defined by the calendar.
Perhaps, the most famous Maya monument in Yucatan is the pyramid of Chichen-Itza. The pyramid is "only" 25 meters high, yet beautifully located and well reconstructed. It looks very simple, yet the number of stairs, platforms, stone panels all reflect sacred numbers. Even more, at the equinoxes, the ray of the sun form a snake descending the pyramid. Great design.
Chichen Itza has many other temples. One is dedicated to the jaguars.
Another one, more scarier, is a "tzompantli" or "skull rack". It is a platform where the victim's heads were displayed. A tribute also to the military function of the town.
My favorite site might well have been Uxmal. The square of the Nunnery (as erroneously named by the Spanish) is a magnificient complex of four buildings enclosing a plaza. Some historians think that this complex might have been a earthly paradise, where future sacrificial victims would spend their final months in debauchery. The facade are richly decorated with religious symbols, including many snakes and rain Gods.
This complex lies next to the pyramid of the magician. It is a surprising pyramid, with an unique oval base. Some historians argue that it is because it was wrongly rebuilt... One thing that is certain is that the "final version" was built on top of five earlier temples. Still it looks majestic.
Ek-Balam was by far the least visited site, quite wrongly so. Its Acopolis is massive, and they are still uncovering statues, sculptures and bas-reliefs. At the moment, thatched roofs protect them.
I must admit that the sites are very well maintained, the explanations quite good - they even started a sms service, with information at each site. The vendors were not intrusive - except maybe in Chichen Itza, where the fake cry of the jaguars was hurting our ears too often. In most sites, they had restaurant and coffee areas, with a good product placement by Nespresso.

Mexico/Yucatan

The first visit in Mexico was actually the Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve. It is situated around a shallow lagoon. The boat ride in the lagoon was nice, but the best was floating on the life-jacket down a little stream thanks to a gentle current for around 2 kilometers. Thankfully, the crocodiles stay in the lagoon and do not venture in the stream. The guide reminded me that in these tropical latitudes, the tide is almost non-existent. So the salty water does not push much upstream. Bad luck for the crocodiles.
The Atlantic Ocean, or Caribbean sea, was also nice and warm, certainly around 25 degrees Celcius. But, since I am not an American tourist, I did not spend all my time by the beach. It was indeed interesting to observe that the further you go away from the sea (Cancun and Playa del Carmen), the less American tourists you encounter. The "cultural" tourists are mostly from Continental Europe.
A good surprise was the state of the roads. Hardly a pothole, good signs, normal speed limits (maximum 110 km/h), calm drivers, no policemen, and an almost deserted toll road. The only hindrance were the many many speed bumps. They obviously had an impact.
Churches are more numerous than Maya temples. There are usually located on the main square, this one in Valladolid. The town itself has many one/two floors typically Spanish buildings, beautifully restored and colored. There is definitely a colonial feel to the town.
This one is actually a convent (of San Antonio de Padua), and can be seen from all corners of the little town of Izamal. It was built on the remains of a Maya pyramid, whose top was chopped off by the Spanish chopped in 1552.
This last one is in Merida - it is white and a bit austere, like the one in Valladolid. During the Mexican revolution, the cathedral was entirely looted. It towers over the main square (unfortunately in renovation at the moment).
On another side of the main square, the palace of the state's government. Inside, there are many large paintings depicting the main events of the Mexican history. Unfortunately, these paintings have a very strong socialist/revolutionary/nationalistic undertone. In Valladolid (see below), it is the local government building which sits on the main square. It is ornamented with the Mexican coat of arms of the eagle devouring a snake. Besides beauties above ground, there are more than 10000 caves filled with water in the Yucatan peninsula. This one was easily accessible in Valladolid.In conclusion, I must say it was nice to travel in a country where all the scales are "normal" - meters, km/h, degrees Celcius, kilograms. Welcome to Mexico !