keyword pages: 1  
< 1 of 7 >
1000places > We have our good friends Gary and Nancy to thank for our interest in ancient ruins. In 1991, they invited us to join them for a road trip across Mexico - from Tabasco, through Chiapas and the Yucatan - then provided a running commentary throughout the trip that enlightened, educated, and entertained us.
1000places > TULUM, MEXICO - When the Spanish first set eyes on Tulum in 1518, they considered it as large and beautiful as Seville, Spain. They were perhaps misled by their dreams of El Dorado, by the prominence of its position, or by the brightly painted facades of the buildings (red, white and blue). Architecturally, Tulum is no match for other great Mayan cities.
1000places > TULUM, MEXICO - An iguana suns itself on a stone that perhaps was once a part of a Mayan temple at Tulum.
1000places > TULUM, MEXICO - The Castillo - the Spanish named virtually every dominant structure in the Maya world as a "castle." Positioned on the highest part of the site, it commands imposing views in every direction. Aside from its role as a temple, it may well have served as a beacon or lighthouse. The Spanish reported seeing huge torches burning at the top of the structure.
1000places > TULUM, MEXICO - The Mayan coastal village of Tulum was the last stop in our 1991 roadtrip across the Yucatan. Although the city was probably occupied earlier, most of the structures now visible were built in the Post-Classic era, between about 1200 and 1450. By that time, the ancient Maya were in the throes of a cultural crisis. Cities were being abandoned, warfare and famine likely prevalent. The Maya decline is evident in the poorer quality architecture at Tulum (note the tilt in the structure's tower).
1000places > TULUM, MEXICO - During the Post-Classic period (1000 AD and later), the Maya started to use large seagoing canoes, perhaps setting sail from Tulum down this coastline. Using canoes that were 40-50 feet long and hewn from mahogany or other tropical hardwoods, the Maya of the 13th and 14th centuries revolutionized trading in their world, but that world had passed its zenith. And it was only a matter of time before Spanish ships would appear on the horizon.
1000places > It all started here - our intense interest in all things ancient. From August 24 to September 4, 1991, we discovered a new world 1500 years old - the world of the ancient Maya and the mysterious pyramids that were to fascinate us from that point on. [NOTE: 1991 was obviously a few years before the advent of digital cameras, so the images in this gallery are scanned from film negatives.]
We have our good friends Gary and Nancy to thank for our interest in ancient ruins. In 1991, they invited us to join them for a road trip across Mexico - from Tabasco, through Chiapas and the Yucatan - then provided a running commentary throughout the trip that enlightened, educated, and entertained us.

1000places > We have our good friends Gary and Nancy to thank for our interest in ancient ruins. In 1991, they invited us to join them for a road trip across Mexico - from Tabasco, through Chiapas and the Yucatan - then provided a running commentary throughout the trip that enlightened, educated, and entertained us.
We have our good friends Gary and Nancy to thank for our interest in ancient ruins. In 1991, they invited us to join them for a road trip across Mexico - from Tabasco, through Chiapas and the Yucatan - then provided a running commentary throughout the trip that enlightened, educated, and entertained us.

See photo in gallery
keyword pages: 1  
< 1 of 7 >

Comments

|

New comment:

Name: Email: Link:


To foil spammers, enter this code: copy this text in this box: Code unreadable?