Adventures in Uxmal

Today Alejandro and I rented a car and drove to the Mayan ruins of Uxmal.  We have visited quite a few archaeological sites together in central Mexico,  but Alejandro had never seen any Mayan ruins.  

I had been there just two weeks earlier with Nancy and Fred, and we visited all the major structures that I had shown them.

 

(We both made it to the top of the Great Pyramid)

But then we continued on to some less restored structures that I had seen before, but which I had not shown to Nancy and Fred.  We went the remains of this building which the Spanish called "El Palomar" (the House of the Doves).  It was given that name because the holes in the roof decorations reminded the Spanish of a dovecote.  In fact it is all that remains of what would have been another grand quadrangle of buildings.

 

We continued on to a group of ruins known as the Cemetery.  The Spanish gave it that name because on several platforms there are carvings of skulls and bones.  There is, however, no evidence that the area was a burial ground.

 

Then we got really into "Indiana Jones" mode and took some paths through the forests to ruins that I had never seen before on my numerous visits to Uxmal.

We found of group of phallic carvings.  I couldn't resist taking a picture of the sign in front of them.

 

We continued along a narrow path to the remains of a pyramid-like structure called the House of the Old Woman.  Archaeologists think that it is the oldest building in Uxmal.

Finally we hiked some distance through the forest and came to a small ruin called the House of the Phallii.

We spent more than three hours at Uxmal, and it was the most complete visit that I have ever had of this magnificent Mayan city.

The impressive Pyramid of the Magician