Yatra Geetham – Mexican Tour – 5

Yatra Geetham

Mexican Tour – 5

Telugu Original : Dr K.Geeta 

English Translation: V.Vijaya Kumar

Cancun – Chichén Itzá – Ik Kil Cenote

Part 7

Our first tour in Cancun was to Chichén Itzá, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, a place filled with countless curiosities.

The main structure, the Temple of Kukulcan (El Castillo), stands nearly 98 feet tall and rises in nine tiers. Each level is built slightly smaller than the one below it, stacked one upon another in a perfectly square formation. The topmost tier measures about 20 feet in length and width which makes one wonder just how massive the base level must be.

At the foot of the main pyramid, on either side of the staircase, are two serpent heads, their mouths gaping open in a fierce expression. What’s even more fascinating is that during the spring and autumn equinoxes, the afternoon sun casts shadows along the staircase in such a way that it creates the illusion of a serpent slithering downward. Realizing that people of that era observed seasonal changes through such phenomena left us utterly amazed.

In one corner lies the Temple of Warriors and the Great Ball Court. Along the central wall of the court is a massive stone ring, clearly meant for the ball to pass through and it is positioned at a height of nearly 30 feet. One cannot help but wonder how they managed to throw a heavy stone ball through a ring placed so high, or how the game was even played at all.

Elsewhere, carvings of skulls appear on one structure, ferocious animals on another, and snakes almost everywhere.

Walking from one structure to another in Chichén Itzá, we felt as though we were traveling centuries back in time, moment by moment.

Around the weather-worn limestone ruins, the ancient memories of the Maya civilization seemed to hang thick in the air, enveloping us in a strange, almost surreal trance.

Near the main pyramid, small stalls set up on makeshift tables sold stone figurines. I stopped at one such stall and bought a demon-like head figurine that produced a strange whistling sound when blown something that felt symbolic of the place. The vendor also tried to sell us small black stone discs, claiming they were used to look at the sun during eclipses, and insisted we buy one.

Noticing immediately that we were foreigners, they quoted $20 for a tiny stone disc that could fit in the palm of a hand.

After some bargaining, I bought it for $10. I knew very well that it wasn’t worth even a single dollar.

Yet, like many third-world countries, Mexico struggles with poverty, and somehow we felt an unexplainable affection for both the country and its people.

That’s why, everywhere we went, we made it a point to give tips of no less than $20 per person.

Which, in local currency, amounts to nearly 400 pesos!

When we finally calculated our expenses after returning home, we were stunned to realize that this trip turned out to be the most expensive journey we had ever taken, surpassing all our previous travels, we could only gape in disbelief. Leaving that aside, after about one and a half to two hours, we completed the Chichén Itzá tour and boarded the bus again.

About half an hour later, we stopped at a tourism hotel for a buffet lunch.

Under a thatched roof, in a cool open space, freshly cooked, piping-hot dishes that made the mouth water were laid out.

Mexican cuisine uses dried chilies and colorful peppers similar to our Bengaluru chilies, along with onions, which makes the food quite palatable. However, since almost all dishes are made with corn flour, it takes a while to get accustomed to the aroma.

Mexican rice felt like cheap, coarse rice to us. Alongside it were long beans resembling rajma pods, which were hard to eat without salt. However, the corn fritters mixed with some kind of leafy greens, resembling our masala vadas, the green chili sauce meant for dipping, and the chewy chicken rolls were absolutely wonderful. There were also carrot-like green vegetables and watermelon, equally refreshing.

A dessert resembling our paramannam (rice pudding) looked good but, lacking ghee, jaggery, and cardamom, failed to impress anyone.

As for our Siri, who usually comes running at the mention of chicken, she fled far away from the smell of these dishes. With great difficulty, she somehow mixed and managed to eat a little here and there.

After lunch, within another half an hour, we were taken to the famous Ik Kil Cenote.

Along the way, the houses in the villages looked exactly like those in India, the only difference being the sparse population.

From the bus parking area to the cenote, the surrounding shops made it feel as though we had arrived in an ancient town.

A cenote can be described as a naturally formed reservoir, where rainwater seeps through limestone and collects deep underground, eventually becoming accessible from above.

Based on the guide’s explanation till then, we assumed we would be walking down a few steps to see a small water channel.

But when we finally arrived, we realized it was actually a massive, terrifying sinkhole, like a gigantic open well, about 85 feet wide, with roots dangling down its sides. We had never, ever seen anything remotely like it before. Just looking down from above made us dizzy. Siri got scared and refused to even come near it.

Meanwhile, Satya and Varu put on life jackets, strapped on a GoPro camera, and got ready to swim. The cenote itself is about 130 feet deep.

Despite my protests, they wouldn’t listen.

When they hadn’t returned even after half an hour, I entrusted Siri to two Chinese women who had been sitting beside us for a long time, and headed toward the well.

The staircase descending into the cenote was wide enough for ten people to walk down side by side.

As I went down a little and looked over the railing, I saw nearly a hundred people swimming in the water wearing life jackets. That sight gave me some reassurance.

Some people were even jumping into the water from heights of twenty to thirty feet.

Just then, I spotted Varu and Satya standing in that very line.

Varu knows how to swim and regularly does such jumps.

But I had never seen Satya attempt anything like this before.

I shouted from above, begging him not to jump, but with so many people crowding the stairs, my voice didn’t reach them.

Helplessly, I watched in fear.

Satya surfaced immediately after the jump, but I noticed him drifting toward a restricted area marked by a rope, and I shouted again. Though my voice didn’t reach him, Varu noticed at once, swam over, held his hand, and pulled him back. Moreover, a couple of staff members were stationed on the edge as well. Seeing all this, I finally felt completely relieved.

In the middle of it all, they spotted me, waved cheerfully, and continued swimming happily. Watching their joy, I thought, Well, it seems fine after all, and stopped calling them back. I turned around and went back to Siri.

By the time I returned, Siri had started playing with the two women. The women were running back and forth just as Siri instructed, and their family members stood nearby clapping and cheering.

When I thanked them, they said,
“No, we should be thanking you. Your daughter gave us such lovely company.”

As we were leaving, they found it hard to part with Siri and left reluctantly.

*****

(to be continued)