Mayan/aztec temples of mexico?

Question

im planning on going this summer.

how is it like? i heard it takes hours to get to the top of the pyramides

O_O is this true? and what should i be careful with when on my way over there and while im over there?? please let me know best discription gets ten points.

gracias.

Answer 1

mayan and aztec temples differ a little in architectural style but are somewhat similar as ancient peoples did have contact w/ each other and did influence each other culturally. tour guides/books can point out things most of us would miss but it doesnt take hours to get to the top of a pyramid. but, if youre not careful it can take several seconds to get down!! people, mostly americans, die on mexico's pyramids each year....thats why el castillo at chichen itza is closed to climbers.

common sense is the rule in mexico...treat people well and be cautious and you wont have problems. mexican people, for the most part, are gracious and helpful to foreigners. locals in resort areas, less so....they are bombarded by rude tourists everyday so theyre a little jaded.

if you had your heart set on climbing pyramids and you are the adventuous type...rent a car and drive to coba. it is an maya site between cancun and chichen itza...take the free road out of cancun towards merida/chichen itza/valladolid and follow the signs. coba boasts the 2nd tallest pyramid in the yucatan called nohoch mul (big mound in yucatec maya) and people are still allowed to climb it....more and more pyramids and temples are being closed to tourists climbing them....mostly due to damage and wear and tear. you can see me climbing nohoch mul in one of my youtube videos (its the 2nd pyramid climbed): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfnHF6AhK...

Answer 2

The best book on the subject is:  The Complete Visitor's Guide to Mesoamerican Ruins.

See the link below.

To see how many ruins there are just in the Yucatan Peninsula, click the second link for a map.  Each of the yellow pyramids represents a former Maya city.

Answer 3

Having been to both the Aztec and Mayan ruins I must tell you they are both totally unique.Buy a guide book so you understand a little of what you are seeing. Don't rush through. Take your time and get a feeling for the ruins and area. When you're there beware of the vendors. They are most insistant. Learn to say No Thank You and move on or you'll spend your time being harrassed. Drink plenty of water and wear loose clothes as it it hot all year long.

Answer 4

You will experience a great sense of aura when you're on top of the Pyramid.  Enjoy it.

Answer 5

To actually climb them? No it doesn't take hours. To get to the sites, may be, some can be very isolated. Even very large pyramids are not that high, the Nohoch Mul pyramid in Coba for example is about 130 feet high (42 meters). That's one of the highest ones I can think of.

The view from the top of most pyramids is impressive though. Some more impressive than others. It depends, I've only been to Mayan sites so these are the memorable views.

Coba, very nice impressive view there are a couple of lakes and a lush jungle. Lakes are very rare in the Yucatan so that's something different.

Itzamal, great view of the colonial city and convent.

X'Cambo. small ruins and pyramid but sometimes the view can be beautiful. They are surrounded by salt marshes and certain times there can be 10's of thousands of pink flamingos.

Planeque, Very impressive views of the rest of the ruins and surrounding hills. Really tall jungle. The jungle here is much higher than the jungles in the Yucatan.

Chichen Itza, great view of the site but sadly you can no long climb it. Great view of the ball court to one side and the temple of the warriors/ group of a thousand columns to the other.

Uxmal, you can't climb the temple of the Magician but you can still climb the grand (or is it great?) pryamid. There is a great view of the site and the nunnery quadrangle.

Those are the more impressive views that I've seen.

The website below is really good for photos. It also uses site maps with arrows to indicate the direction the photo was taken. You should check it out.

Answer 6

I was at Chitzen Itza a couple of weeks ago. They acturally don't let you climb the pyramids anymore.

I'll tell you this: Take some water and be prepared to be hot. There isn't a whole lot of shade and there's only a couple of places to buy water.

As far as the site, my recommendation is to find a tour and tag along. There are all kinds of tour guides, but you should try to find one of the ones in the BRIGHT blue shirts. I can't remember the agency, but their guides are incredibly well-versed in the history of the Mayans.

Be sure to ask about the dragon's head at the foot of the largest pyramid. There's a special time of day during the equinox that the rest of the dragon's body is illuminated by shadows cast by the sun. Pretty interesting stuff.