Sleep Would Have Been Nice

Can you see the butterfly on the tree?
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After you have visited the ruins, leave! There is nothing to see in Chichen Itza and you will not be able to find reasonable, cheap lodging.

When I left the ruins, I decided I would walk to my hostel in the city. The police officer I asked said that I would have to walk over three kilometers, but I was fine with that. I was still okay, until I got to the hostel. It was small, crowded and hot! Very hot. There were four sets of bunk beds in a very small space and it made it difficult to get around. During the night, I woke up every hour dripping in sweat; i had to keep jumping in the shower to cool off, but the water was too warm. I was so tired because of all the walking I just wanted to get some sleep. The hostel just annoyed me in every way.

I think I enjoyed people watching more than the ruins.

Entering the ruins at Chichen Itza on the secret path.
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My dinner was a bit strange. There were no grocery stores, just several little markets with limited food options. I bought a can of refried beans, a small box of green salsa, and a bag of tortilla chips and dipped the chips straight into the can. Because it was so hot, the beans were actually a little warm and it was very satisfying. I might actually do that again, even if it is not necessary.

The ruins were nice and seemed far less crowded than Tulum; this may have been because Chichen Itza is so much larger and the park stretches over more land. I think I enjoyed people watching more than the ruins. Inside the park, there were several vendors selling various items to the passing visitors. It was so funny to watch the interactions between the tourists and vendors when the tourist did not speak Spanish. It made me think of Junior High dances and the awkward interaction between the preteen dance partners, you are not sure what to say or where to put your hands. It is clumsy and exhausting. They were just passing money back and forth and saying whatever they thought would be helpful. It was especially humorous when the tourist would raise his or her voice; they speak a different language, they are not deaf. I could not help laugh to myself. I just think that if you are planning on shopping in a country where you do not speak the language, it might be useful to learn a few words to help you make a purchase. Silly people.

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I was feeling very hungry and the sun was very strong, so I rushed through some areas and took very bad pictures. Looking through them was a little embarrassing. I did, however, remember to take pictures of all the names of the exhibits so that I would now what all the pictures were when I looked at them later.

Chichen Itza is very impressive, but I would have liked to have more access to the structures, there were only a few you could climb and they were not the one you wanted to climb. It was great having the constant change from shade to sun. It allowed for a variety of photos and kept me a little cooler.

The Ossuary, Stone masks of the Southeast corner.
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I had a nice time there and was in good spirits while I explored the park and was determined not to let my grumbling tummy make me leave early. When I went to Merida after Chichen Itza, I visited the Anthropology Museum. My visit to the museum changed my perspective about the ruins at Chichen Itza. Nearly everything in the museum had been taken from Chichen Itza and was now on display. I was annoyed by this because I think they could have protected these items and displayed them in the park. Archaeologists have taken entire graves out of Chichen, studied them and placed them in museums; it feels like stealing and desecration. I don't like this. My anger and irritation made me really think about what I feel a museum should be and display. I have felt like that before, but never to this extent. Well, that is just my opinion.

Ossuary
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The museum aside, I thought Chichen Itza was awesome. Please forgive my sloppy pictures, my hungry tummy started to take them for me.