Although we are staying in Tulum until Thursday morning we took a ride out to see the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza some 150km away and this took up most of the day. Insofar as impressiveness and architectural and engineering technology is concerned, Chichen Itza, compared to what the Incas did down in Machu Picchu, Peru is like comparing Manhattan to Franschoek!
These ruins are amazing to spend a few hours walking through taking photos.
According to Wikipedia, “Chichen Itza was a major focal point in the northern Maya lowlands from the Late Classical through the Terminal Classic and into the early portion of the early post classic period (c. AD 900–1200). The site exhibits a multitude of architectural styles, reminiscent of styles seen in central Mexico and of the Puuc and Chenes styles of the northern Maya lowlands. The presence of central Mexican styles was once thought to have been representative of direct migration or even conquest from central Mexico, but most contemporary interpretations view the presence of these non-Maya styles more as the result of cultural diffusion. Chichen Itza was one of the largest Maya cities and it was likely to have been one of the mythical great cities, or Tollans, referred to in later Mesoamerican literature. The city may have had the most diverse population in the Maya world, a factor that could have contributed to the variety of architectural styles at the site.”
