"Mayanical" E-Log #5: Oo-la-la Uxmal

Cafe Club
Mérida, Yucatan - Mexico

Our flight home leaves in a little over four hours. Until then we are "kick'n it" here at Cafe Club, the first actual Internet Cafe- as in Internet and food- we've come across the whole trip. It makes for a much more enjoyable experience for Marlon, as he can enjoy snacks and work on his custom guitar design while I Log!
Yesterday we rented a car and drove south- roughly an hour- to the site of Uxmal. Based on what I'd read in Lonely Planet, I'd had a poetic vision of cruisin' the Yucatan in a funky old VW bug, however we got a new white VW Pointer, which I confess was much better in the end as it had AC!
Uxmal (pronounced "oosh-mahl") is considered one of the most beautific and harmonious sites due to its well-preserved pink-hued limestone structures and Puuc ("hills") setting. It has fascinating and extensive mosaics, including geometric designs ("Xs" are a big theme) and intricate carvings of everything from Chac-Mool to thatch huts to owls to serpents and turtles to representations of the planet Venus!
Like many Maya sites, Uxmal was mysteriously "abandoned" at one point, in this instance supposedly for reasons of drought. In general the Maya "disappearances" are considered one of the biggest archeological mysteries, however it’s not that big of a mystery so long as one has a basic understanding of inter-dimensionality: the Maya simply tuned the big, cosmic radio dial to a different station, one with a little less Garbage and little more Nirvana!
I found that Uxmal belongs undeniably to the air spirits: the birds, the bees (who had hives in all of the buildings, discouraging tourists from taking refuge in the cool interiors), the dragonflies... and the dragons! AND the iguanas, appropriately more draconian in appearance than their Tulum relatives and in much greater number! Marlon made fast friends with them when he shared our leftover grapes and mango skins, and at one point we were surrounded by up to five grande iguanas, each with distinctive characteristics and personalities (one Marlon called "The Knight" due to his bold air and mail-ish markings).
One of the biggest perks of having a rental car was that for the first time, we had no limitation on the amount of time we could spend at a site, and we relished it- spending ultimately close to five hours at Uxmal! (Even so, it was our thirst that ultimately drove us to the exit.) It was an exquisite experience, a perfect site to end with.
Mérida has been wonderful as well- it is a highly diverse and culturally rich city, with live music on most nights (oftentimes three bands per block), and on weekends, they close the Centro to all but pedestrians. We've highly enjoyed sitting in the Grande Plaza in the evenings with our sorbet, watching the locals drumming in circles and selling their wares and offering horse carriage rides and sharing affections (something you rarely see in the states you see everywhere here: people beyond the college age making out)!
It has been an amazing and unforgettable experience and as always, parting is bittersweet. In conclusion, I'd like to leave you with a few notes on "site-seeing":

MarandAr's RECCOMENDED SACRED SITE PROTOCOL:
1) Arrive early, right when they open, if possible. It will be cooler and you will have much more solitude- both important factors in really experiencing the site. (Nothing sucks the excitement or mystery out of an ancient city faster than flower-wilting heat and flocks of people with video cameras.)
2) Don't bother with breakfast. The night before, go out and buy the biggest, ripest mango and juiciest plums you can find. You will enjoy these at a spot and time of your choosing at the site, and they will taste SO GOOD. They will keep your energy "up" in more ways than one! Eat them over the ground so you can share the juices with Mother Earth. Afterwards, you can go out for a big, grounding lunch.
3) Go with your instincts, and don't be afraid to wander off the path! Don't feel that you have to see or climb on every structure or read every plaque to really experience the site- oftentimes the most value can be found in sitting in one place you feel called to and "being". Go where your feet take you, or where your feelings guide you.
4) If an animal crosses your path, ask it what its message is- be it an iguana, a turtle, a stray dog, a bird, or an insect! (Likewise, be aware of the people around you- often you will see the same folks repeatedly, even from town to town! Obviously, there are important wavelengths at work...)
5) Sunscreen, a hat and/or sunglasses and deet-free bug spray are good to have on hand. Also, if you are anything like me, bring chapstick and reapply regularly! (On a mildly related note, if you have sunburned lips and your boyfriend has just consumed fajitas with mui picante sauce, refrain from kissing him lest you burn with more than just passion!)
6) As a general rule for traveling, never, ever, ever, EVER go anywhere without toilet paper (thanks, Portia)!
7) All of our experiences were much enhanced by Star Essence Flower and Gemstone Essences! They are great to drop at the sites- also in your water bottles, over food (especially "questionable" items), in face creams, on sunburns, and any other incidents that may occur, such as scrapes or cuts! Marlon had a pain in his toe at Chichèn Itza that made it uncomfortable to walk- a little flower essences and Reiki and he was good as new!

Thank you all for taking this journey with us.
With "mucho grande" love,
Arielle