| -> | | | | into him lovingly by four beautiful maidens |
| DID YOU KNOW THAT... | | | | representing the four Chacs, or rain gods, each |
| According to the Mayan Calendar there is a 2,000 | | | | associated with a cardinal direction and with its own |
| year old prophecy that predicts all humanity will perish | | | | special color. For a year now the youth has |
| on December 21st in the year 2012. | | | | consorted with them and lived a life of utmost |
| So, If you're planning to visit, vacation, live or Teach | | | | luxury, the finest of all the culture available to him. It |
| English in Mexico, you'd better get hopping! 'Cause | | | | is now the fifth ritual month of Toxcatl. The priest, |
| time's a wastin' ... there's only six years and three | | | | arrayed to represent a god, possibly Tezcatlipoca, a |
| months to go for humankind! | | | | wizard and a master of black magic, now spreads his |
| STEP BACK IN TIME AND WATCH AS ... | | | | arms wide as the warrior-captive nears the top of |
| The first rays of the sun reach across the | | | | the altar steps. |
| shimmering cobalt seas of the Caribbean as a | | | | The crowd is in a frenzy now, chanting, yelling, |
| strikingly handsome young prisoner of war, arrayed in | | | | writhing in unison like a massive wave of the sea |
| lavish plumes, adorned with gold ornaments and fine | | | | below. In front of the stone carved altar, smoke |
| linen climbs purposefully up temple steps hewn from | | | | rises from copal incense burning in pottery vessels. |
| blocks of coral. Attendants, perhaps three on each | | | | Suddenly, the waiting attendants seize the youth, |
| side, ascend as well. They step up sideways, first left | | | | who, beginning to come to his senses and realizing |
| a few steps, then right a few more, imitating the | | | | with stark foreboding what is about to happen, vainly |
| "s-shaped" movement of a snake. Quetzalcoatl, the | | | | struggles against his burly captors. Prostrating him |
| feathered serpent god must not be offended. A | | | | face up on the altar with his head pointed Northward, |
| warm wind tumbles sand along the palm-lined beach | | | | they spread-eagle and hold his arms and legs |
| below. Huge flames of a ceremonial fire blaze from a | | | | immobile. Running rivulets of sweat now streak the |
| watchtower that all may know the gods are being | | | | blue-painted torso. The priest raises his arms in |
| appeased. The signal will be visible even far out to | | | | salutation to the gods and crowd before ceremonially |
| sea by the Spanish ships of Juan de Grijalva in years | | | | cutting open the sacrifice's chest with a gold-hilted |
| to come. | | | | sacrificial flint knife and tears out his heart as an |
| The sun is brighter now, its rays painting the outside | | | | offering. The balche does its work in deadening the |
| walls of the temple in brilliant color. The temple, a | | | | pain, but it is not enough. |
| resting place for the gods, is deeply carved and | | | | The crowd cannot hear the victim's screams above |
| painted with designs and figures in the brightest | | | | their own. The priest, altar and attendants are |
| shades of red and blue contrasting the bleached | | | | splashed with blood as the still-beating heart is tossed |
| white coral. Shining through a precision-cut square | | | | down the temple steps towards the ritual-maddened |
| hole in the temple wall, the sun's golden beams bathe | | | | crowd. Pandemonium ensues. The gods smile. They |
| the temple's main room in breath-taking brilliance | | | | are pleased. |
| before exiting the building's front where the chief | | | | Such may well have been the scene quite often in |
| priest, a black stripe painted across his face and a | | | | Tulum, situated only about two hours south of |
| polished gold mirror on his chest, basks in the | | | | Cancun on the coastal road headed towards Belize. |
| ever-brightening golden glow. | | | | The ruins here are a definite must-see during your |
| Throngs chant below, in the courtyard in front of the | | | | time here. It's heavily commercialized now and a bit |
| temple. Some dance with rattles made of "ayoyote" | | | | of a hassle to do the trip. You'll need a guide ($150 |
| tied around their wrists, lower legs and ankles and | | | | pesos) and you can no longer climb the ruins like I |
| sing in accompaniment to ritual drums and crude | | | | used to. Until a few years ago, you could still see the |
| metal bells while loincloth-clad musicians beat tones on | | | | bloodstains on parts of the altar and the original |
| beautifully carved bamboo "Tponaztlas". The young | | | | paintings on the coral carved walls. Despite costs and |
| captive warrior, his body painted blue, stumbles ever | | | | inconveniences, it's still an interesting site to visit. |
| so slightly, woozy from the intoxicating balche poured | | | | |