Erin atop the cliffs of Tulum... beware of the iguanas!
Erin (slowly) ascends the Temple at Coba while
working on her Irish tan and wishing she had
done more cardio before this trip.
Christina and Erin at Coba, en route to the Temple.
This week, we continued our exploration of the Mayan civilization through visits to two Mayan ruins in the Yucatan Peninsula: Coba and Tulum.
Coba is one of the oldest Mayan ruins hidden deep in the jungle. This ruin was an active community for more than 50,000 people during 300-900 AD. What's especially neat about this site is that much of it is still uncovered and left in its seemingly original state. You can even climb to the top of the super tall temple (see not super flattering picture of Erin). This temple is terrifying to descend, with over 100 super steep steps, making it the tallest temple in the Americas. The jungle canopy is so thick that we could barely feel the rain down pour when it began.
Next, we headed to Tulum on the coast. Tulum, while one of the smaller ruins sites, is the only known Mayan trading post. This site was very well maintained and even had a beach where you can swim just below the temple on a cliff. The views were breathtaking, the oversized iguanas which ran amok on this property were not.
The best part of our day was talking with our driver, Eduardo. Eduardo is a Tulum resident and a Maya man who speaks both Spanish and Mayan. Eduardo gave us lots of great information about the area, the ruins, and Mayan culture today. We even got to learn a few words in the Mayan language. Iguanas, anyone? That'd be juuj. Which when pronounced, kind of sounds like a disgusted, scary gasp, how appropriate.
The weather is intensely hot and humid, a condition which only a dip in the Caribbean can cure. Next week we are off to Peru to study the Incas.
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