Travel to Mexico. Amazing Mexico.

Representation about Mexico gloomy enough - stony desert, heat, cactuses, and among them any terrible physiognomies in a sombrero is usual, is unceasing drinking tequila and under heart-rending shouts " kar-r-r-a-m-b-a!!! " scorching in the divine light. Still mariachi with guitars and burning brunettes to pleasure local the macho. What to tell - our bow to Hollywood. Such places, undoubtedly, are in Mexico, in each fairy tale there is a share of the truth. But we go to Yucatan, peninsula in the south where anything from the aforesaid is not present. But there is a sea of colour Marengo with reeves and uncounted quantity of exotic small fishes, the most ancient cities of a civilization Maya, fine both mysterious, and the magnificent nature.

The most known place on Yucatan, certainly, Cancun - one of the resorts of the world most visited by tourists. About twenty years ago Cancun was usual fishing village on an extremity of peninsula while on coastal косе construction of smart hotels has not begun. As a result from village nothing remains, but has arisen Mexican Atlantic-cities. Because of the availability to the American tourists, Cancun has quickly turned to a place where people go basically to come off under the full program.

Another matter - Maya Riviera. If to go from Cancun downwards, on the south places not strongly mastered by the tourist industry which are called Maya as Riviera begin. Along coast, basically stony, sandy lagoons which are an ideal place for navigation settle down. Fine white sand, quiet water and an easy cool breeze from ocean, it is branches of coconut palm trees growing on coast, create full sensation of paradise. Add here a circuit of the reeves, beginning meters in fifteen from the coast, full coral thickets and sea living creatures, including sea turtles, and you will want to live there eternally.

Maya as Riviera the narrow coastal strip which lasts from Cancun up to Tulia technically is called. And she begins not from the Cancun, and somewhere kilometres through 30-40 after you will leave this cheerful place. Tulum will defend from Cancun on distance of 120 kilometres, and he as though is border of Riviera. I think, not because, that further on the south there are no lagoons with beaches, and is simple because yet the civilization there has not reached. In sense, has not reached at all. It and is clear - from Cancun up to Tulum even more than enough places which can be mastered.

On a question where on Yucatan settle down Maya sites, the answer to give very much even easily - everywhere. It was so densely populated territory, that where you would not go, everywhere there are traces of these cities. Downwards from Cancun on the south there is a good federal line about which I already wrote. She passes past Akumalya where we have stopped, and, falling below, goes to Tulum, to one of the most visited Maya sites. Generally this site if to estimate it from the point of view of architecture, a little, than it is interesting, but he is in a picturesque place and the most important, it is easy to reach to it from Cancun. Perhaps, it also causes its popularity. Below Tulum one of the most ancient Maya cities, Moyle lays, but it so small quantity of people that it is possible to consider, that visits this site unvisited. If to go from Tulum on northwest in kilometres fifty from it there is an old city of Koba - as consider the scientists, one of the greatest cities Maya. The basic Maya cities are not in the south, and in the West from Cancun. From the opposite party of peninsula the city of Merida, capital of Yucatan is located. Halfway from Cancun up to Merida settle down the most interesting, though and not strongly known site to Yucatan balls, and well-known Chichen-Itza with its pyramid of Kukulkan, temples Jaguar and Soldiers, an observatory and other constructions which photos any promotional material about Mexico does not manage.

The first site, on which we have directed, was Tulum. Have gone practically right after how have leased the machine. Time yet has not passed for a midday, at us in a stock was, at least hours five, and Tulum not that site on which it is required more. Tulum is one of the most visited Maya sites - probably, the second on attendance after Chichen-Itza. I do not speak about architecture - in this plan Tulum amazes. But he settles down in a picturesque place - on coast of ocean, on rocky I protect, and here this combination does its unique. If you were in Crimea, and remember a jack with the lock costing at the edge of a high rock the picture will be to you the friend - on rocky rock there is an accurate pyramid, and around of it other structures are located.

In general, as it is strange, greater cities on seacoast Maya did not build. Their cities were in depth of continent, in jungle while on seacoast there were only small settlements. And so, Tulum it has appeared unique large settlement on coast of ocean. He also is interesting to these. Other significant fact was that Tulum was practically unique city Maya which Spaniards have found in health. All other cities of the beginning for a moment conquistadores have been thrown and were in time for large jungle.

So, Tulum. Twenty minutes of driving from hotel on highway, and we turn off on road, before entrance on which there is sign Zona arceologicala - an archeologic zone. Meters three hundred on her - and we approach on parking. We pay 20 peso, we receive ticket from the smiling fellow in a box, and we search for a place is shadier. An input on a site paid, as well as on all archaeological sites in Mexico in what would suppress they were not. That it is forbidden to do categorically so it to make a photo and a video shooting from a tripod. Having bought entrance tickets, we have entered on the road leading to a site. At once the beginning of the road leading to a site, had a group of three maya the young men dressed in clothes who should force to believe, what is it and there are those maya which were met by the Spaniards who for the first time have landed on this coast. Having written "are dressed", I have made too big exaggeration because children generally were half-naked (as well as it is necessary to Indians, probably). On them there were loincloths from a piece of the fabric reminded a handkerchief, and on a head any caps from fur jaguar, in a prosperity find are pulled down by feathers. At one of them the whole wings have been adhered to hands already, and he with pleasure straightened them, representing an eagle. Children had silly very much a kind - can be, because, that they too have entered into a role, the order can was too sham.

How much years to these local actors, I and have not understood. Maya in general look very strange, at our European sight. They of low growth, dense, without what or a hint on a neck. They as if are cut out from an integral block like rubber a tree. Their movements are slow and not bustling, and, apparently, that, turning a head, he turn all trunk. As it seemed to me, they are similar in the movements to penguins. At them surprisingly equal leather, elastic both smooth. Beards and moustaches at them do not grow, and from it they look is very young. Other distinctive feature - they are very quiet and good-natured, and their person is seldom saddened by any bitter thoughts, why they have less than wrinkles, than at us - from it they also look is much younger. On the one hand, this all makes about them impression as about near people, with another are one of the most nice people whom I met.

Feature Tulum that actually is last city based maya. And there was he already when all former capitals and cities on which greatness of a civilization майя kept, stood left and with jungle. Constructions in Tulum cannot be compared in the sizes to those at all, that we met in others maya cities - they are looked simply toy in comparison with them. All looks so as if rests maya the nobility, empires thrown out as a result of disintegration on coast, during several generations degraded, but aspiring at it to save former greatness, have tried to repeat that their ancestors saw. Naturally, something has turned out very similar, but at all that was earlier. A small copy, a retort.

We left from a site one of the latest. What did I expect to see here? It is difficult to tell. I was in Tulum before but then it there was simply fact-finding trip. Now I needed to feel a place, to feel in him, to try on myself as though I lived in him. Leaving from a site, I wondered - " well, and what? " - and mentally summed up seen. It was city which to a civilization maya had rather and rather far attitude. It was city what should be all other cities if people built them for themselves. Palaces in which comfortably to live. The pyramid, which presence is required, but at the same times neither its construction, nor its operation does not demand any serious efforts.

From here we have gone in Chichen-Itza. Chichen-Itza is the most visited maya a site. First, he really amazes with the structures, besides is well restored. Generally Chichen-Itza she is not purely maya a site, symbiosis of two cultures - maya and Toltec. In due time Chichen-Itza was the important centre maya civilizations, and showed typical maya city. That part which made a basis of it "maya" sectors, name " old Chichen-Itza ". However after intrusion Toltec over which the rascal assured supervised, that he is an alive embodiment of god Kukulkan - Feathery the Snake, the city has been completed, to it has been added new, "Toltec" a part, and soon, owing to eagerness to fight Toltec's, he has received absolute authority above all Yucatan. That was then - difficultly to tell, but the city has been left, has fallen into decay, and soon on a place of the powerful centre of empire there were only ruins as the certificate of former greatness. Those constructions, which photos are practically in all tourist prospectuses and for the sake of which tourists go in Chichen-Itza, belong to Toltec to a part of city. It is Pyramid Kukulkan, the Palace of soldiers, the Platform for game in a ball, the Temple dead, Temple of Jaguar - all this has been erected at Toltec's. From an old part the most known object is only the Observatory.

Pyramid Kukulkan is the card of a site and in general to all maya cultures. The ladder is constructed under a greater corner so, that when cost on a pyramid, apparently, that cost on edge of rock. Horribly, and to edge of a platform you force itself to approach. Other most curious construction in Chichen-Itza is the platform for game in a ball. She has absolutely other sizes, than that we saw on other sites. She is much more. She in general another - its width makes at least twenty meters, from two parties is enclosed by high absolutely direct walls in which top part at height approximately 5 meters are attached rings through which follows pull a ball from rubber. And pull follows, apparently, only legs. Other interesting object is the so-called Observatory. Maya are known for the phenomenal calendar and not less phenomenal knowledge of astronomy. Probably, therefore scientists have solved that if a round tower with the helicoids ladder leading upward reminds the kind modern observatories also is an ancient observatory from which priests observed of the sky. However, in my opinion, because, that the roof at a construction round also reminds modern observatories, at all does not follow, what is it an observatory and from it priests observed something.