Campeche sits on the Gulf of Mexico and is another UNESCO World Heritage Site which Connie described as ‘too cute for words.’ It was always a Spanish city and parts of the fortress remains. The buildings are single story blocks painted in pastels. Most of the streets are arranged in a grid, a surprise here in Mexico, and the malecon (waterfront) is clean and well-maintained. The stores and shops – even Burger King – have subdued signage making it difficult to figure out their business but we managed to locate a laundry this morning and dropped off our dirties before driving 75 miles to Uxmal (oosh-mal).
We are still trying to make sense of the Mesoamerican cultures. Not only did the cities and cultures evolve and die out along a historical timeline, they are regional too. Uxmal, like Palenque and others in Yucatan, was Mayan. Uxmal flourished from the 7th to 10th century when it was mysteriously abandoned. Excavations indicate that it was rebuilt five times, most recently in the Puuc style, a new one for us. We liked the steep smooth sides of the temples and the rounded corners. Carvings of Chac-Mool, the sky serpent or rain god, still stand out as do carvings of turtles, macaws, serpents and rulers and dignitaries. The Casa Del Adivino (Magician’s House) towers above the site and can be seen from nearly everywhere.
Uxmal was first discovered in 1932 but work continues today. Watching the native reconstruction crews today, we could imagine Mayans doing the original work a thousand years ago. As you scan the forest from the Grand Pyramid it’s impossible not to wonder what lies beneath the countless other hills and mounds in the area.
