It's great to be a loser!

A relief of the ball game teams showing the loser chopping the head of the winner!
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After rather a long bus journey and some bad weather in the afternoon we finally arrived in Piste, a small village close to Chitchen Itza and booked in to the nearest hotel we could find, which turned out to be very nice (air con) and cat friendly - 20 of them to be exact.

The next day at the break of dawn we got up and set off walking to Chitchen Itza about 1km away, which doesn't seem that far but the raod signs lie I tell you!!

Exploring Chichen Itza

Ballplayer up close
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As we arrived early we were able to get a guide between 4 people and set off on our tour before the millons of tour buses arrived. The site of Chichen Itza is fantasic with many of the temples and building having been lovingly restore using the original stones which they had to piece together from the rubble on the jungle floor! Unfortunately due to an accident where a women fell down most of the 92 steep step of the largest temple, you can no longer climb any of the buildings, shame. Our guide was very knowledgable telling us about all the different aspects of Mayan life, from the gods they worshipped to all the amazing rituals that they used to perform to appease them, including the strange ball game that was played when they needed help from their gods! The game was played with 2 teams of 7 players and the aim of the game was to get a huge rubber ball through a hoop high on a wall, sounds easy but actually they couldn't hold the ball but had to bat the ball using the head, one shoulder, one elbow, one hip, one knee or one foot, oh and they had a kind of racket in one hand too! The teams of players were made up of very special individuals who trained all their lives for the chance to play this game, it was a great honour to be chosen for a team and what did they win for their efforts...........well the winning teams captain got his head chopped off by the captain of the losing team as an offering to the gods, yippee! Apparently this was a great honour and all players were ready and willing to be sacrificed.

The hoop that they had to knock the ball through (at least 5m up!)
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After a good few hours looking and learning about all the amazing buildings at Chichen Itza it was time to cool down with a swim in a local Cenote, Ik Kil. Cenote's were natual wells formed in the limestone, the Mayans used them as their water supply and also as sacred places to make offering to. Luckily for us Ik Kil has been transformed in to a swimming pool and what a fantastic swimming pool it was, looking like something out of a Tarzan movie with roots hanging down and shafts of bright sunlight lighting the water beneath. We spent a good few hours swimming around, trying to touch the black fish that swam with us and getting massaged under the many waterfalls, lovely.

Close up of skull carvings on the platform that they piled the severed heads on..
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After we had dried off we headed back to the main road to try and flag down a taxi or bus to get us back to our hotel, but with no luck. Then the skies opened and we found ourselves stood on a bench under a small shelter trying to keep out of the downpour. A small car with 5 Mexican girls in took pity on us and offered us a lift even though they were going in the wrong direction in doing so, how nice was that, especially as there was only just enough room for them in the car let alone us!

Feather Serpent. Sun God.
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From our hotel room is was then just another bus ride to our next stop.....Merida