Blast from the past - back to Chichen Itza

Once more we trekked down to Mexico to pay our respects yet again to the Maya and Chichen Itza. It was a wonderful trip... the days hot, but gorgeous. If you have not been, it is well worth visiting this pre-Columbian city. It is a masterpiece of architecture. What we know of the ancient Maya is somewhat sketchy since the Spanish burned most of the Mayan books as sacreligious documents.

What we know is that the Maya were accomplished astronomers and mathematicians. They created a 2,500 year repetitive calendar that is accurate to the day, something Europeans didn't accomplish until much later.

They left temples adorned with the feathered serpent, alternatively known as Quetzelcoatl or Kulkulcan, carved bas relief sculptures of warriors and religious ceremonies on the walls of the ball court and nearby structures. And they left an observatory as recognizable as any in a modern city.