from the serpents head looking up
Good shot of El Castillo. Climbing those steeps steps was an bit of an adventure when I was there years ago. It's my understanding that they no longer allow tourists to ascend them.
I hope you have kore Ike. The last time I was there mu camera was a 2.1 mp Kodak DC 290.
I saw those ruins also, in 1990. They were fascinating, including the sports ball court, with the mural that was very interesting. Too bad we know so little about the Mayan culture. To people who criticize the frontiers men who got rid of all the native American people's culture, let it be known that Alexander the Great burned the Egyptian Library to the ground. All the knowledge of Antiquity that is gone forever. It is tragic.
A few interesting tidbits about that pyramid... There are 365 steps, one for each day of the year. The four faces are oriented precisely, so that at the equinox's, a play of light and shadow creates the appearance of a snake, a feathered serpent, that gradually undulates down the front stairway, matching up with the head at the base of the pyramid.
See
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymRgLITylz0
cool place.
was there years ago when you could climb to the top...
love the ancient places.
I think I'm glad that you can no longer climb it. I would want to and I just can't! My recent visit to Palenque was a real eye-opener to my current limitations! Nice pictures. Did you go with a group or just go? Was it hard to get pictures sans people?
An interesting and unique bit of trivia. Thanks!
hard to get pics without people in the way. big crowds. succeeded in this one by hanging the camera over the restraint line. I'd have loved to have gotten a good shot of the ball field, but it was way overcrowded. Some posted how they used to be able to climb the steps. we were told at one time you could go inside and see the pyramid inside, but that's now closed. Yesterday they posted that a new exploration of a water cave inside the pyramid has started that they believe is a burial chamber. Got some great pics, but tough to get a unique one. Thanks to all who posted.
Was there last fall, all the vendors along the pathways spoil the effect. Still very impressive though.
Great shot, I really like the perspective.
When people were still allowed to climb the ruins there was a big steel (?) cable running doen the center of each set of steps. Presumably this was to help with sudden-onset vertigo since it appeared much steeper going down.
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