The Stewarts: Chichen Itza-Day 2

Machu Pichu and Chichen Itza have been on my bucket list for so long now, it was so awesome to finally be able to visit one of them! When we got to Cancun we decided that it would be fun to rent a car so we could go wherever we wanted whenever we wanted. We didn't even think about the streets and signs being different from what we are used to. On Monday morning we woke up and headed out to Chichen Itza which was about 2 1/2 hours from where we were staying. On our way there we got SO lost that we got to know Cancun REALLY well by the end of the day. Since it took us forever to get there we only have a short time to visit. As soon as we finally found Chichen Itza we immediately started exploring and using up every minute we had there.

Chichen Itza did not disappoint! This place was unbelievable. I cannot even begin to comprehend how these big empires were built- by hand! The Mayans were truly intelligent, smart, astrologist who went above and beyond with making these buildings so precise and detailed. I still can't believe the craftsmanship and talent they had. If you stood in front of this great pyramid and clapped your hands, the sound that would bounce off of the pyramid sounded like a bird and another that reflected off the next building sounded like a snake- AMAZING!

They also said that during the Chichen Itza Equinox you can see a snake on the side of the pyramid. I just can't even believe how incredibly smart the Mayans were.

As we were walking around the clouds kept coming in. They were so thick. We tried to walk around quickly because it was evident that it was about to pour.

I couldn't believe how huge the place was, there was so much to see.

Then the rain started coming in, darn!

We decided we would keep walking through the rain, we had already come so far and this place was just so amazing, a little rain wouldn't stop us.

Mmmm, on second thought, maybe it would! I have NEVER seen it rain so hard in my life

The clouds were soo thick. All the venders new the drill and covered up their souvenirs with their tarps and hid under their stands. It made me wonder what the Mayans would do when it rained like this, they were probably so used to it.

We walked around the pyramid as soon as the rained stopped a little.

And then the rain came in full force! We were completely drenched. Mike said, "well at least it's an adventure!" It was an adventure alright, one I will definitely never forget!

We tried to hide under a tarp like the other tourists but we were already completely soaked.

Biggest drops of rained I've ever seen!

When the rain stopped once again we went out and walked around some more.

It still blows my mind how this amazing place was built.

Everything was perfection. They must've been amazing with math and science.

So wet! :D

Those rain gods sure blessed us with their water!

I thought every building was absolutely amazing and so beautiful!

I still can't believe all of the details that were in every piece of these buildings. The Mayans sure left us with some beautiful treasures

I love this shot of the storm and the amazing Kukulkan Pyramid.

More details

I wished they would still let people walk the pyramid but I can see how it can be a hazard, that's a looong 24 meters down those steps if you fall.

So amazing!

The rain gods won, and we finally made our way home. But first, let me take a selfie :)

On our way to Chichen Itza we had passed Villadolid, a small town on our way to Yucatan. It was such a charming little place.

I don't know why, but I think old churches are the coolest thing ever.

As we were driving home we passed so many little towns. They had a lot of bumps on the road which made you slow down. At every bump there would be kids selling fruits and vegetables. Mike and I were so humbled by the way these people lived. They all looked so happy with having so little. On our way home I even saw a little kid who looked like he was 8 years old washing his clothes outside in a home made sink! I couldn't believe how incredibly hard working these people were.

As we kept driving we would see guys building homes with practically nothing. They would be doing road construction with so little tools. There was even a guy doing landscaping on the side of the road with a machete!

Mike and I were reminded of how incredibly lucky we are to live where we do.

Oh and the dogs. The sad, skinny dogs on the side of the road made me miss my pups terribly and want to squeeze them so tight. My dogs are such fatties compared to these poor dogs. There were SO many of them. Most of them would just be sleeping on the side of the road like they had to energy to even walk around. You could see their ribs and they were all itching and dirty. It was so sad!

As we passed by, people would be cutting down trees to get their fire started for dinner. I wished I could've taken pictures of the people working hard outside of their homes but I thought it would probably be rude. They are probably used to snobby tourists like us driving in their refrigerated cars looking out at them.

We were so exhausted from a day of exploring that we were ready to be back at our Hotel. Mike was such a trooper driving around every where in Mexico since I don't know how to drive a stick. I was so proud of him :)

These were their 'taxis' There were fixed up scooters with seats in the front for people to sit. Since it's such a poor state, the locals rely on taxis and these bikes for transportation. Sometimes between cities, there would be nothing but road and trees and you would see people riding their bikes. It looked so weird since it was in the middle of no where, but when you don't have a car, what can you do.