Mayan Ruins Cozumel and Belize

The first stop on this cruise was Cozumel and Ariana and I went to place call Faro Celarain or Punta Sur. Its and ecological Park with a Large Lagoon that is filled with Crocodiles, a light house and a few small ruins left by the Mayans. The Structure above is also a small temple (maybe shrine is a better word) that also functioned as a primitive weather station.

The dome at the top has three holes made using shells at each of the 4 points of the compass.   The changing wind would change in tone, pitch and volume would provide the people of the island a clue as to coming weather.  The doors on the lower part also a line with the sun on certain days of the year(our guide showed us a picture but at a near by museum but he din't know when it happened and the writing with the picture was in Spanish).

This second building is beside the first our guide told us it have functioned as a beacon or light house.

Our second port was in Belize were we made our way to Altun Ha (this is a modern name the real name of the city is not yet know)

They don't look like much do they? just some low hills... but this land is flat without any hills.

each rise of the ground is the remnants of an ancient structure over grown with earth and plants of the jungle...

This looks more like what you expect right?  These are Temples that have been uncovered and partly restored. I didn't get a picture showing it but the restores carefully did there work so that it could be distinguished form the original.  Ancient work has square stones, modern work has rounded stones.

These are the only remaining original steps of an old temple that seems to only be a step hill if you didn't see them.

This is the Temple of the Sun the largest of the temples as yet uncovered (at most 10% of the ancient city has been uncovered the rest remain in the dominion of the jungle)

These structures are to the right of the Temple of the Sun they were three buildings but they have been built into one.  One of their functions was to house a ceremonial bath where priests would come to purify themselves before entering the temples.

That is the face of the Sun God Kinich Ahau

Close ups of the Temple of the sun note these structure have interior chambers that we cold not enter many of them served as tombs.

Its a long climb to the top of the temple, these stairs are modern to preserve the original structure.

Between these two picture you can see how steep it is.

And now you have a view of Altun Ha that was once reserved for the high priest alone.

The location and its Sun Temple is on the local beer, which is decent beer at least as good as any of the mass produced brews here in the USA.