And above us, in our mind's eye, the Mayan pyramid whose ruins were dismantled stone by stone and rebuilt into the centre of Merida, Mexico.
The vista encapsulates Mexico's Yucatan state. On the flat, jungle-covered peninsula of the same name, you will find colonial elegance, monumental ruins and remarkable natural features. That was the gist of a recent tour arranged for travel writers by the Mexican Tourism Board, Mexicana airline and the Yucatan state tourism department. With drug wars, murders and H1N1 flu, many travellers have hesitated about going to Mexico. But if and when you're ready, there is variety and charm to be found.
Yucatan's best known historic site is Chichen Itza (120 km east of Merida, the state capital). As a Mayan place of pilgrimage, the site grew into sprawling complex of temples, observatories and a ball court where the game had a deadly ritual outcome -- the winning team's captain was beheaded to act as an intermediary with the gods.
The dominant structure is the Kukulcan pyramid, an ingenious union of engineering, astronomy, mathematics and construction. There are 91 steps up each of its four sides, totalling 364, which when added to the top platform equals the number of days in a year. The building is perfectly positioned so the setting sun on the equinoxes casts a shadow that looks like a serpent slithering down one side.
Along a path lined with vendors -- if Adam Smith dubbed England "a nation of shopkeepers," surely Mexico is a nation of roadside stalls -- are a dozen more ancient ruins.
You can never say "been there, done that" at Chichen Itza. We were led through the site by Humberto Gomez, an anthropologist and tour guide for 50 years. Gomez said until a few months ago, he would have told visitors Chichen Itza dates back to the time of Christ. But recent archeological digs have uncovered a lower layer.
There are about 2,600 known Mayan sites in Yucatan, but only 32 are open to the public. Another of those is 16 km north of Merida. Dzibilchaltun has a temple set so that the rising sun on the equinoxes spills through its middle in a brilliant glow. This structure only recently came back into the public eye after 1,200 years in obscurity. Later Maya built pyramids on top of their old temples and it wasn't until the 1950s that archaeologists tore down a pyramid to uncover this gem.
Dzibilchaltun also includes a new museum with a fine account of Mayan history.
Like most old Mayan sites, it has a sinkhole -- or cenote -- one of Yucatan's most curious natural features. The peninsula has no rivers, lakes or other surface water. Instead, water flows through underground rivers. Occasionally a sinkhole develops, giving access to the fresh water.
Today, cenotes often serve as the local swimming hole. One of the more eerie is Dzinup (150 km east of Merida), where visitors climb down steep stone stairs into a huge underground cavern where a shaft of light from a small hole above illuminates brilliant blue water. The underground rivers sometimes erupt in strange places. In the Gulf of Mexico, one bursts through the ocean floor to create a fresh water pool in the brine.
It was revealed by a guide with Dzayachuleb, a co-op of fishers from Dzilam de Bravo (90 km northeast of Merida) who are branching into eco-tourism. While English isn't their strong suit, they showed us flamingos, cormorants, frigate birds and a crocodile.
One of the best sites for flamingos is the Celestun Biosphere Reserve (90 km away), where thousands live in the estuary. You can rent a boat to view them but don't get too close too fast. Flamingos can break wings or legs if they're frightened into flight.
My favourite wildlife discovery was the realization that Yucatan mosquitoes seem to have no interest in me -- a relief after years of being eaten alive in Canada.
This cluster of historic and natural sites makes Merida an good base for an inland trip. With a population of one million, it's large enough to have amenities for travellers. Largely litter- and graffiti-free, it seems reasonably safe and has its own appeal. One Sunday, a street dance was held in front of city hall, while vendors sold clothes and crafts in booths in the Plaza Grande.
In the late 1800s, Merida was said to have more millionaires than any other city.
They made their wealth exploiting Mayan labourers to work on their haciendas.
Looking to Europe for their cultural style -- Yucatan had no road or rail links to the rest of Mexico until the 1950s -- the wealthy left a legacy of stately institutional buildings and mansions. Many of the mansions are now corporate headquarters. Some of the old haciendas have been redeveloped as historic sites and spa.
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IF YOU GO TO YUCATAN STATE, MEXICO
GETTING THERE
Merida's Manuel Crescencio Rejon airport is served by several airlines, including Mexicana Click. Bus trips from resorts and cruise ships are also available.
DINING
Yucatan's distinct cuisine includes pibil (chicken or pork with annatto, orange juice, peppercorns, garlic, cumin, baked in banana leaves) and poc chuc (pork marinated in orange juice, served with tomato sauce and pickled onions).
MORE INFORMATION
Contact the Mexico Tourism Board at mexico.com or 1-00-44-MEXICO. Also check out mayayucatan.com.mx/en and yucatantoday.com, a Spanish-English tourist magazine and website.
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