Dzibilchaltun

This is another #Travel Throw back.   This time it was a fun cruise to Mexico and a visit to
Dzibilchaltún.
 

Google maps.

Dzibilchaltun is a Mayan Archaeological site. It is in the Mexican state of Yucatan and is located approximately 10 miles north of the state capital Merida.

Before going to the site we stopped at the Museum.

There was a lot inside the air conditioned museum, too. I don't know why I have no pictures inside?

This area around  Mérida is  thought to be the  sea  site of the  impact of the meteorite that killed the dinosaurs.  

Walking over to the site.

The most famous structure is the Temple of the Seven Dolls, so named because of seven small effigies found at the site when the temple was discovered under the ruins of a later temple pyramid by archaeologists in the 1950s. On the vernal equinox, the sun rises so that it shines directly through one window of the temple and out the other. This is a similar event to the descending snake of Chichen Itza designed to show the power of the gods. The temple is connected to the rest of the site by asacbe, or "white road," so-called because they were originally coated with white limestone, built over stone-and-rubble fill.- from Wiki

A sacbe (roadway) leading from the Temple of the Seven Dolls connects to the central plaza and an unusual arched structure called the Open Chapel. When the Spanish arrived in the 16th Century, they dismantled some of the buildings in this settlement and used the stone to construct their own buildings, including this 16th Century Franciscan church that now lies in ruins on the site. This is the only Mayan ruin known to date that has Spanish buildings co-existing with Mayan structures. 

Ruins of the colonial open chapel.

The Mayans were forced to tear down their structures, but managed to include a bit of their culture in the rebuild.

And a few pictures from the ship..

Docked at Merida.

Sister ships..

Blue, blue water. I was attempting to take pictures of the flying fish.. #Fail But the water is pretty.

We took this cruise in Jan. sailing from Galveston, Texas, USA  round trip. It was very nice to leave winter behind and the price was very good. #Score  :D  Cruising is the best/easiest way to travel. 

See you-