แสดงบทความที่มีป้ายกำกับ travel mexico แสดงบทความทั้งหมด
แสดงบทความที่มีป้ายกำกับ travel mexico แสดงบทความทั้งหมด

The Ruins Of Teotihuacan The Ultimate Vacation Destination



I look forward to picking my vacation spot every year, even if my family gives me a ton of grief over the whole thing! You see, I like to go to interesting and exciting new places, while my family seems to only ever want to go to the mainstream vacation spots like theme parks and places like that.

But if you're like me and you want to go somewhere amazing that you and everyone you know will be talking about well into next year, then you've come to the right article today!

Might I suggest the ruins of Teotihuacan for your next vacation?!

If you've never heard of Teotihuacan, that's ok...most people haven't. Basically it is the biggest pre-Columbian city in South America. I guess that's a fancy way of saying that we're talking about an ancient city of the Incans (or maybe the Mayans, I can never remember the difference between the two).

In other words, Pyramids...Three to be exact.

They are located about 30 miles north east of Mexico City. That's spectacular because you can check out one of the most amazing historical sites in the world without needed to trek through some of the nastier jungles in south America, which means you can take the kids.

We're not sure what happened to the ancient people that lived there, but by exploring the pyramids we have been able to uncover quite a bit about them. For instance, they're though to have lived between 500 and 100 bc and there were at least 200,000 of them living in the area.

The people seemed to disappear around 700 BC.

What's really interesting is that they seemed to be cult worshippers who followed the planet Venus. Don't ask me why!

Expect to do a lot of walking while you're there. In fact, that's pretty much all you're going to be doing. Explore the ruins to your hearts content. There are 3 pyramids and several alters, houses, and other things of that nature to see.

This isn't a place where you will stay. You'll most likely stay in Mexico City and take a day trip of two to see the ruins.

With 24 hour cable channels dedicated to history, it seems like many of our ancient historical sites have become boring. But these ancient ruins of South America are still fresh and new to many people, in a way that the regular European historical sites no longer are.

I highly recommend you check these out, especially if you have children. It's something exciting that both you and they will never forget.
Teotihuacan

Adventure Travel with Duende Tours to the Mayan Jungle,travel mexico

The Mayan Jungle, a perfect destination for adventure travel with her unique nature and culture.







In 1996 I first came in touch with the jungle. Traveling through Central America, our adventure travel had taken me and two friends from Costa Rica to Guatemala. Arriving to Guatemala I decided to stay there and live in a small village in the middle of the jungle. Together with five Guatemalans I ran an ecological camping near Lake Petén Itzá. What else could I ask for?

Our backyard was 8 hectares of jungle, we had monkeys, deer, magueys, wild boars, and pheasants that had come to live with us and sometimes we even saw a jaguar that came to drink water at the little pond in the woods.

I witnessed a lot of change in the four years that I lived there. Little by little the jungle around us made way for cornfields. About a third of all Guatemalan jungle has been cut down during that time. Due to light pollution the stars disappeared from the sky when our village received electricity and radios, televisions and refrigerators became part of our daily lives.


At times we would travel deeper inside the jungle. We organized 3 day hiking tours from the eco-camping. It was during these tours that I really got to know the jungle. We would sleep under mosquito netting with improvised palm roofs built by the guides. Eating palm heart straight from the plant and if we could not find water, we drank juice from the vines.

But what impressed me most on these adventures was that feeling the jungle gave us. In a magical green world we would walk between ancient Mayan temples and everything was suddenly very beautiful.

I remember one special occasion in which we followed our path in pure darkness, relying only on intuition. You start to see and hear better as there are no artificial lights or motorized sounds and you become more sensitive to everything around you. After a while, you simply feel proud to be part of this big thing called life.

Upon returning we would find that other people smelled weird, even though we were the ones that had not seen a shower in 3 days! The normal world seems a bit strange after having spent time in the jungle...


Nowadays I live on the Mexican Caribbean island of Cozumel. What a beauty! This is also part of the Mayan World: deserted white sand beaches, fantastic people, the ocean with her beautiful coral reefs…

Over the past few years I have grown the wish to share these magical places with people from all over the world and to do something to protect the forest. That wish has come true in Duende Tours - my own tour operation that offers people the chance to see the Mayan World in a different way. Duende Tours shows the natural side of the Mayan World, with her unique people, culture and secrets. During our adventures I take the people into the jungle and everyone always comes to the same conclusion: This is Paradise, we have to protect it.

Chantal Willigers
Duende Tours

Chichen Itza And More

There is a reason why Chichen Itza again tops the list of 7 wonders of the world. One very good time to have a reading is at the change of the season, like vernal equinox and summer solstice. ChichenItza was built to maximize the equinoxes.

Another good time to have a reading is when you're in a transition - divorce, marriage, a new baby, a new job, a move to a new location.

Of course it's a good time to have a reading at your birthday. You can find out what lies ahead in the beginning of your own personal New Year, and don't forget to check this out regarding loved ones as well. Bosses and other important people too!

Which brings up the point that it's great to have a reading when you don't know what's going on with someone. If you can't figure out that Capricorn boss, or where your Scorpio lover has crawled off to, LOL.

Readings are good when you can't get the answer. If you're in the battle of the experts and everyone's telling you different advice, why not go to the Source?

It's a good time for a reading when you're bored, and things are stagnant. You can find out why, when it will lift, if there is anything you should or can do about it, and how to cope in the meantime.

Mercury Retrograde is a very popular time for readings. (When my calendar overflows, that's when I know it's Mercury Retrograde). That's when, for all of us, communications are screwed up. Faxes don't go through, people hang up on you, disastrous emails get sent, people don't show up at all, or go to the wrong place at the wrong time, traffic is snarled, batteries die and appliances don't work. These last for several weeks and occur several times a year. It's good to be prepared for them, and good to get readings during that time so you can maneuver through the landmines better.

You'll really want to get a reading at your Saturn Return (and important people in your life). This occurs for each of us around the age of 28-30, and then it comes around again at 58-60, where we -- if we know what's going on -- get the Big Second Chance. Very important to know about this so you can maximize this fantastic opportunity in your life.

Of course eclipses and full moons are a popular time for readings. Don't forget to get a reading right After A FULL MOON. That's when it all shakes down.

And don’t forget VENUS RETROGRADE. Once every 18 months, it brings in major changes. Get a reading and be prepared. You can lose a love relationship, have one transform. Women can cause problems in your life – his ex-wife starts acting up, some women goes after your job, or your man. It can also bring old loves back into your life. Really an exciting time, if you have a “good one,” and a reading helps prepare you.

Another great time to get a reading? Yesterday. Then you'd know what's going on today. :-)

And last but not least, a particularly good time to get a reading is when the thought occurs to you. There's a reason why. It's not an 'accident.' So pick up the phone, or email, and get a reading. You may find a happy surprise.

Published At: Isnare.com Free Articles Directory - http://www.isnare.com/
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Just over 100 miles from the glamorous resorts and pristine beaches of Cancun, rests Mexico’s most celebrated historical site. Chichen Itza, once a prominent regional capital of the Mayan civilization, is a sprawling complex of pre-Columbian ruins. Though the city lay neglected until archeologists began exploring and preserving the site in the 1920s, the Mayan capital has become one of Mexico’s most visited attractions. Chichen Itza – meaning “at the mouth of the well of Itza” – is also a World Heritage Site and finalist for the New Seven Wonders of the World.

The most well-known structure at the Chichen Itza site is the Temple of Kukulcan, also known as El Castillo. In addition to being one of the most famous remains of the Mayan civilization, this wonderfully preserved step pyramid once served as a monument to the culture’s greatest mythical creature. Kukulcan, the feathered serpent deity more commonly known as Quetzalcoatl, is celebrated in an incredibly unique architectural flourish. During the spring and fall equinoxes, the structure casts ornate shadows in the form of a feathered serpent along the northern staircase.

Demonstrating a common Mesoamerican architectural tradition, El Castillo was actually constructed atop another smaller temple. At the base of the northern staircase, visitors can enter a tunnel to the interior temple. The small room at the top of the staircase still houses King Kukulcan’s Jaguar Throne, carved from stone and painted red with jade spots.

These temples are at the heart of the debate surrounding the age of the city and the year of its decline. For decades, it was believed that the interior temple dated to a period just before 1000 AD, soon after the ruler of the Toltec civilization of central Mexico – who would later call himself Kukulcan in honor of the god – came to Chichen Itza. The historical belief held that Kukulcan, working with his Mayan allies, expanded Chichen Itza into the most powerful city in the Yucatan region. While many of the remaining structures at Chichen Itza represent a mixture of Mayan and Toltec styles, advanced technology has shown that the city most likely rose to prominence around 600 AD. Furthermore, while Mayan chronicles reference a revolt and civil war in 1221 – the previously held date of Chichen Itza’s decline and Mayapan’s rise – archeologists now believe Chichen Itza may have fallen by 1000 AD, creating a mysterious historical gap between the peaks of these Mayan capitals.

El Castillo and its inner structure are not the only temples at Chichen Itza. The High Priest’s Temple – a smaller version of El Castillo – served as the burial site for elite members of society. The Temple of the Warriors is another well-preserved step pyramid surrounded by carved columns with depictions of Mayan fighters. The Temple of the Warriors is also near the large plaza now known as The Great Market.

To the northwest of El Castillo is a large open space that might seem like another market at first glance. However, this area is the largest Mesoamerican ballcourt in all of Mexico, measuring 545 feet by 232 feet. The field is lined with sculptures of athletes, most notably a depiction of the losing team captain being decapitated. On the ballcourt’s exterior wall, The Temple of the Jaguar and another jaguar throne – similar to the interior of El Castillo – were built into the structure.

Another pair of popular structures is the complex known as Las Monjas (The Nunnery) and El Caracol (The Snail). Though referred to as a nunnery by Spanish conquistadores, Las Monjas was actually the primary governmental palace of Chichen Itza. El Caracol – a large round building on a square platform – served as the city’s observatory.

Called “the snail” for its spiral staircase, the Mayans incorporated many unique features into El Caracol. From the doors aligned for viewing of the vernal equinox to the stone cups designed to hold water and reflect the stars, Mayans based their understanding of the universe on this observatory’s technology.

Whether you visit Chichen Itza on your own or with a tour group, getting to the site from Cancun is a breeze. Tours can be arranged directly through your resort and most feature knowledgeable guides. However, guided day tours don’t always allow much free time at the site. If you want to explore the site on your own schedule or just beat the early afternoon crowds, consider renting a vehicle or spending a night at the pleasant villa near the ruins.