For over 100 years, scholars believed that the Maya civilization originated in Guatemala around 600 BCE, migrating north to the Yucatan Peninsula around 700 C.E. Recently, however, anthropologists have found evidence that the Maya inhabited the Yucatan more than 1000 years earlier than believed, see article. Discoveries of a massive Mayan city suggest they were in the area where we will be going as early as 600 BCE. We will be exploring some of the sites around this area, and the cities of Merida, and Valladolid, and one day taking the new Mayan Train. Join us for a week of fun and discovery!
Sunday, February 8, we'll meet in the historic center of Merida, at our hotel which is right near the Cathedral. This will be our home-away-from-home for three nights, and we will also return for the last night of our adventure. On Sundays, the crafts people come from far and wide and set up booths in the Plaza Grande. There are a lot of food stalls as well. There are performances in the street front of the Palacio Municipal and later that night there will be dancing in the same street. There are 4 exhibition spaces and Museums on the main square, Museo Casa Montejo, MACAY, Olimpo and the Governors Palace.
The next day, we'll tour Merida and then slow down with an afternoon at the beach in Progreso. We'll be visiting several important archeological sites on this adventure, and the first one is Uxmal. An estimated 25,000 people lived there between 600-900 BCE, and it is considered one of the high points of Mayan architecture. Featuring a lower, plain wall section with the upper part profusely decorated with geometric mosaics, serpents, and figures, it reveals a knowledge of astronomy. The Pyramid of the Soothsayer, as the Spaniards called it, dominates the ceremonial centre, which has well-designed buildings decorated with a profusion of symbolic motifs and sculptures depicting Chaac, the god of rain.
|
Mid-week, we'll take our van to Valladolid - stopping along the way in the Yucatan's yellow city, Izamal. It is believed that the yellow represents the Mayan sun god, Kinich Kak Mo, emphasizing the city’s deep roots in Mayan civilization.
|
We'll stay two nights in Valladolid; the city was named for the city that was the capital of Spain, at that time. Valladolid in the Yucatán was established by Spanish Conquistador Francisco de Montejo's nephew on May 27, 1543, at some distance from the current town, at a lagoon called Chouac-Ha. Early Spanish settlers complained about the mosquitos and humidity at the original location, and petitioned to have the city moved further inland. In 1545, Valladolid was relocated to its current location, built atop a Maya town called Zací (now the name of the Cenote in the center of town, near our hotel) whose buildings were dismantled to reuse the stones to build the Spanish colonial town.
One day, while in Valladolid, we'll visit Chichen Itza, which thrived from around 600 A.D. to the 1200s. A massive step pyramid, known as El Castillo or Temple of Kukulcan, dominates the ancient city, Graphic stone carvings survive at structures like the ball court, Temple of the Warriors and the Wall of the Skulls. We'll stop to cool off in Cenote San Lorenzo Oxman and have lunch on the way back to Valladolid for the night.
Returning to Merida, we'll take the Mayan train, which began operations in December, 2023 and is a 1,554 km (966 mi) inter-city railway in the Yucatán Peninsula. The project aims to connect major cities and tourist destinations like Cancún, Mérida, and Palenque, foster economic development, and promote sustainable tourism in the region's lesser-known areas. The system features different types of trains, including standard, dining, and long-distance trains with cabins. Back at our home-away-from home, we'll stay the night at our same hotel, get together for dinner to share our experiences, and the next day, Saturday, February 14, we'll say Adios!
Price: There is just one space available on this adventure, and it is an alumni package $1495 USD per person, single occupancy, for a client who has been with us on two or more adventures in the past. Includes: all lodging, all ground transportation (driver, tolls, and gasoline) from Merida and throughout the tour, train transport from Valladolid to Merida, all entrance fees, all professional guides. Not included: airfare, tips, meals. To reserve your space, please click on the red Book Now button below, which will take you to a secure site