Reveries and Soliloquies: Family Vacation Part 6: It's Called Chichen Itza, Not Chicken Pizza

I don't usually like going to the same place twice unless I am going to do something completely different the second time around. The main attraction for this trip was Chichen Itza (one of the new 7 Wonders of the World) and the colonial town of Valladolid.

The day could not have been more perfect. Matty intentionally picked the day that it was supposed to rain because Chichen Itza is notorious for dangerous heat. Even with the overcast skies and intermittent showers, the heat was oppressive in spite of our guide calling it "A good day."

The first leg of our journey took us through the extremely impoverished Mayan villages of the Yucatan jungle. Children playing barefoot in the rain puddles and washing beneath the stream of water flowing down the thatched roofs, women grilling meat on open fires in front of dilapidated shacks, crumbling prison walls surrounded by kiosks selling hammocks made by the prisoners-this was the landscape that flew past the van window for an hour. Our guide said that the Mayan people living in this area have maintained the lifestyle of their ancestors and they sell handmade artisan crafts in order to survive.

Chichen Itza (which our hysterical guide claimed is sometimes called Chicken Pizza by the less than proficient Spanish speakers), is a wonder to behold. The site is alive with historical richness, architectural and engineering genius...and 72 kinds of snakes.

The Mayan people set up a market in the shade of the trees surrounding the historical site to sell hand carvings that sound like a roaring jaguar when you blow into them. Every 30 seconds the air was pierced with someone screeching like the enraged cat. My mom marched right up to a vendor who was screeching in her ear...and she hissed at him. With hand claws and all.

Rebekah: Oh gosh! Walk away! Faster, faster. Don't be seen with them. How are we related to these people?