How to Enjoy Ruined Sites

Written by Kyle about Guatemala. Feelin' amused

5 days, 2 countries, 1 overnight bus, 2 mornings before 5 am, and 3 different ruin sites later, we have successfully traversed the sites of Monte Albàn (Oaxaca, Mexico), Palenque (Chiapas, Mexico), and Tikal (Peten, Guatemala). Lucky you, we've had some time to wipe our brow (it's freakin' hot!) and bring you some of the best views from these sites. Of course, we can't just go there and look at them...we would go crazy and probably be bitter at every old rock that we saw. So, we tried to have a little fun. Interspersed with the photos are little snippets we like to call "How to enjoy ruined sites". Enjoy.

Monte Albàn
What once was a Zapotec political and economic center, and one of the earliest cities in Mesoamerica, Monte Albàn sits on top of a tall hill in the middle of the Oaxaca valley. It stands out because the top of the hill was flattened to make building the structures easier. When we were there it was hot, dry, and unrelentingly sunny. That may sound nice to you folks in colder climates, but with very few trees, it makes for a scorching visit.

Monte Albàn Overview
Bessie at Monte Alban, Mexico

Put your hands in the middle, and shake them all about...it's the Hooookey Pokey.

The first parque central in mezoamerica...or not
Monte Alban, Mexico

Stairway to Heaven...where is my guitar?
Bessie at Monte Alban, Mexico

Bessie finding any shade possible
Lone Tree, Monte Alban, Mexico

Lone Tree

Palenque
An impressive Mayan site in Mexico, Palenque is situated in the start of the jungle that continues on through southern Mexico into Guatemala. Some people think that the hyroglyphics and the architecture were influenced by the highly hallucigenic local mushrooms. When you carve a picture of a god sticking his tongue out, with evil-looking garden gnomes coming out of its head and two headed serpents coming out of its shoulders, it's hard to disagree with that assesment. Palenque was also hot but now with humidity! Hooray!

Enormous tomb, how to exit with style
Smurf House, Palenque, Mexico

We think Papa Smurf lived here
Kyle Climbing in Palenque, Mexico

Itty Bitty Kyle vs the Mayan temple
Kyle stopping for some food in Palenque, Mexico

When you can't find a head of lettuce, you take what you can get
Palenque, Mexico

¡Bonito!

Tikal
The largest of the ancient Mayan cities, Tikal held more than 100,000 people at its peak. Devoured by the jungle, Tikal is wild with nature (toucans, monkeys, falcons, large rodents, etc) as well as wild with adventure. Just try climbing up the steep ladder onto the top of a temple where the platform is as wide as you are. Actually, a number of the temples are closed off because people fall off and die. (one of the pyramids that Kyle climbed 4 years ago is now closed...Kyle was very unhappy. Stop falling, people!) Tikal also contains one of our favorite rulers, King Chocolate which coincidentally is an awesome name for a cereal.

Tikal during sunrise. This is why we woke up at 3 am?
Kyle Eating Leaves at Tikal, Guatemala

Kyle eating the foliage...this one packed quite the spicy punch, like minty Hot Tomales!
Pyramid, Tikal, Guatemala

200 years ago, this was buried in jungle trees
Scary Climb at Tikal

A ladder to the top of a temple...more thrilling than your average Six Flags ride.
Jaguar Temple, Tikal, Guatemala

A picture from the top of said temple. Taking pictures almost makes you forget the impending death by falling.
Kung Fu Kyle at Tikal

Everybody was Kung-Fu fighting (or maybe it was just Kyle)
Jaguar Temple, Tikal, Guatemala

Jaguar Temple..."60% of the time, it works every time". Name that quote!
Coke at Tikal

The secret to staying cool

« Adios Belize

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April 13, 2008 Mike: Looks like a blast. You know the difference between old temples and ruins? Ruins are the Old Temples overrun with locals selling you crappy souvenirs and trying to steal your money.

April 16, 2008 Bessie: Yeah, these dudes totally stole our money, but we sort of volunteered it up too. We paid nearly $20US to enter Tikal's ruins. I can't imagine any old historical site in the states costing that much unless there was a roller coaster or the spider monkeys would be dancing for us. Bogus really. Bogus.

April 16, 2008 Kyle: I've never understood the economics of places like that. Every vendor sells the same crap and there are like 50 of them. I mean, why doesn't one sell something different? Wouldn't that set him/her apart from the competition?

April 15, 2008 Kristine: So... to summarize... you got a tan, ate leaves, worked out on the "stairmaster", did some Kung Fu, saw Papa Smurf's house, and drank a Coke to top it off. Sounds like a vacation to me!

Oh, and by the way, that's an Anchorman quote! :) I prefer "I'm in a glass case of emotion."

April 16, 2008 Kyle: You eat leaves on your vacations? Seems like an odd vacation to me. The funny thing is that there was this Italian guy on the tour with us who kept picking up random leaves from the ground and trying to eat him. He was like a 5 year old in a 55 year old body. Needless to say, I liked him a lot.

April 15, 2008 lauren: damn, i was beaten to the anchorman quote! lately we've been using "...998, 999, 1000. did you hear me? i did a thousand." maybe you can do that on your old temples ladders next. although there might actually be 1000 rungs...

April 16, 2008 Bessie: Haa haaaa... Gotta work out those guns though....

April 16, 2008 Kyle: Ya, there are a lot of San Diego places around, so its hard to get around the Anchorman quotes.

April 16, 2008 evan: Did you hear the howler monkeys? My view during that "sunrise" trip was pretty much the same...fog as far as you can see. But the cool part of that is that is the same place the scene at the end of the first Star Wars was filmed.

April 16, 2008 Kyle: Ya, they sure like to be loud, those crazy monkeys. They should totally stop advertising "sunrise" when it is more like "really freakin' early."

April 17, 2008 Uncle Bob: I think those ruins are great! It's worth $20. As for the heat, we would love to scorch for a day or two. It's been a looooong winter.

April 17, 2008 DADDIO: Fantastic story and photos! The beard is s great look on you... I hope she lets you keep it!!! WWOOOOOOOWWW, what a great day...:>) :>) :>)

April 18, 2008 Wendy: So cool!!!

April 19, 2008 Linda: Looks very hot!!!!! Hope your supply of sunscreen is holding out! The Mayans were one of the most "interesting" of early cultures. How exciting to be visiting the sites of advance mathematical thinking and construction that boggles the mind. Try to overlook the altars of human sacrifice! Just think of all of those vendors as the decendants of those whose lives were spared so that Chinese imports cloaked in the guise of local craftmanship can be sold there and at every tourist site around the world!

April 20, 2008 Bessie: Haa haaa - the Chinese replicas might be right. I never want to mislead the locals so much that I pick up any of the "jade" figures or masks, but I really they're made in some factory somewhere. I doubt they're selling authentic anything for a "buen precio"...

The sites were really incredible and such a treat to explore - I'd recommend them to everyone, but it's tiring too!

April 22, 2008 Mumsie: Great photos! And because I have some memories of vacations that were WAY TOO HOT, I sympathize. That discomfort is hard to ignore. But I MUST say: You two have a way of making Hot! Hot! Hot! -- HILARIOUS!!! Way to go!