Another picture story...Yaxha...

We were picked up from Casazul (and I'm spelling it that way because that is how they spell it mom - ha ha ha - I love you) at 8:00am. There were only Paul and I and our young van driver, with a first name that I could not pronounce or spell...so we called him by his last name, Lopez. We stopped twice along the hour and 1/2 van ride...once...at this spot in the road where over the jungle canopy you can see "Red Hand"...also know as temple #216. And once...to order lunch...they needed to either kill the chickens or the pig! Then the good road ended, and Lopez was manuevering the van all over the road to try to miss the huge potholes...perhaps (according to Paul) not even a worthwhile endeavor!!We decided to have Lopez walk around with us...he was such a nice young man...very well spoken in English (and helping me with my Spanish) and going to school. He explained the East/West thing and the groupings of three's, five's, seven's and nine's. Some cruisers at Marios had recommended that we go to Yaxha, which is not as well know a ruins as Tikal, but while there is SOME walking Paul would be able to see some ruins with MINIMAL walking. This was very cool to me as Paul only saw Tikal by my pictures! So up one of the ruins he "scampered"...standing next to what once was a column.The Howler Monkeys were in the trees as we walked up wooden steps to the plaza area of #216...Good thing I saw him when I did...although I don't know if he was dangerous...this is HIS jungle and I was not about to disturb him!!

To Red Hand Temple...called that because of the red coloring that the temple still had (where it had not been weathered) and the ancient hand prints...

Red Hand Temple is the tallest of Yaxha...who is that man in the gray shirt?Yes, Paul made it up the wooden steps to the top!! There was one other van of 7 or eight people and one other small bus tour group of around 14 people going around at the same time as we did.The view DOWN from #216...And, the view OUT from the top...to the Yaxha (which means by the way "green water" in one of the Mayan dilects) Lagoon. There are many lagoons that Lopez pointed out to us on our van ride here. Some are man-made...and all of the lagoons (which had been interconnected - way back in Mayan time) were the means of travel for the group that lived here so when discovered they determined with fair accuracy where the main entrance to this grouping of temples and living areas where...the Lagoon! He mentioned that they really don't know where the main entrance to Tikal was because there they did not have the lagoons for travel there.Of course those that know Paul...know that he HATES heights...so I was on the "downhill" side for this picture. He actually walked around the entire upper part...yes, holding on to the top of the temple the entire time...but what a view!View from the top of Red Hand of what they call the Acropolis Norte...So Paul made his way down (what we have heard from a fellow cruiser as 250 some steps) to the bottom and waited for us as then Lopez and I continued the tour...We walked further through the jungle and to the North Acroplis...On it was a cut out to see just how these things were built...One large palace area and behind it three temples...one of which we were able to climb...no wooden steps...just up the center!We did have to zig-zag a little as the weather had deteriorated some of the steps to just stone...But once again...at the top...a WONDERFUL view!!!A close up of Red Hand peeking out from the jungle canopy...The North Acropolis was my favorite site of Yaxha...And once again some of you may notice...I'm wearing my 60 u.s. cent shirt... A Spider Monkey...looking at us from high up in the jungle canopy...

The main entrance to all of the palaces...from the lagoon...And, a trail up to the top of what is most probably an unescavated ruin (this according to Lopez)...the trail patiently watched while Paul was waiting for us to return...it was made by leaf-cutter ants...this was THEIR trail!!!Back to the van...a wonderful lunch...where Paul had a local chicken soup dish...I had chicken fahitas...and Lopez driving us back through the local communities...these two sisters who were riding...behind their dad...

And one of the street-front homes as we drove by in the van. I am now getting closer to being caught up on the blog...another Denny's Beach adventure next...