We spent the day near Valladolid exploring more wonders of the Yucatan. We visited Ek Balam (meaning black jaguar), with its' incredibly new looking stucco panels on the Templo de los Frisos on the Acropolis. The Acropolis structure was the funeral site of the Mayan ruler Ukit Kan Lek Tok.
Jim was determined to go up these steep stairs of the Acropolis to see the stucco work above. Having done this before, I knew I wouldn't like the climb, but Jim's tenacity inspired a number of tourists sitting below the pyramid. Folks asked me how old he was and were amazed.
Decorations at the bottom of the Acropolis.
Jim made it up to the room, cane and all.
Jim took this panorama photo of the jaws and decorated stucco room. It was hidden behind a sand filled room for centuries.
A stelae (stone pallet) was a sort of historical record.
We also visited a cenote called X'keken (or Dzitnup), an underground cave filled with water. You can see the roots of a large tree above the cave.
There was a huge stalactite hanging from the cave ceiling.
X'keken means pig. Legend has it that a farmer's pig came back muddy from visiting the cenote, so the farmer followed the pig to the cave.
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