Temazcalteci

I finally made it to Yaxuna. This is a little Mayan community and archaeological site around 20 miles south of Chichen Itza. There you can stay at the camp that the archeologists occupied while excavating the site.

Since the excavations undertook by the California State University (Hayward) in 1996 and 1997, the site has been pretty much abandoned to its own luck, and is very much overgrown by jungle. It is a shame because it's an impressive site, but the INAH doesn't have enough resources to open it for visitors, nor to continue the excavation works.

I spent a night at the camp as the sole visitor of the week, and was overwhelmed by the noises of the jungle at nigth, as well as by the amazingly clear skies. I was even invited to a wedding! In the morning I'd arranged with Sr. Ignacio, a local, a tour of the ruins and what I saw, did not dissappoint me at all. We went by bike, and that was the best part of it. To be able to ride through those Sac-Bec's was pretty neat.

I'm writing all these because I published a long entry about the Temazcal rituals among the Mayan people, and it happens that Yaxuna is one of the few places where remains of a dedicated Temazcal permanent structure have been found.

A round stone oval building with a big hole in it was found by the archeologist. And according to my local guide, this sculpture was found right in the middle. If that it's correct, then this must be Temazcalteci or Mother Earth. The goddess of the Temazcal.

I was very excited to see it, and also quite shocked that such a treasure can be abandoned in the open. It's made of soft limestone, and I estimate that or INAH does something soon to preserve it, or it will "melt" beyond the point of recognition in just a couple of years. It is quite damaged already, and it's just such a shame... It's a link with one of the very few Mayan rites that we can still celebrate, and it will be such a loss if it disappears one day...

It was the perfect weekend adventure: I drove over 400 miles on nice country lanes, did some good cycling, and met a very genuine bunch of people. What else can you ask for?