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Exploring Old Jalisco: Hacienda Vieja del Castillo
Inside the stables of Hacienda Vieja del Castillo. The name translates as "Old Hacienda of the Castle". You might notice the similarity in names between this hacienda and Hacienda San José del Castillo...
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Exploring Campeche
Campeche's Cathedral, viewed from under the arches of the Regional Museum. The Cathedral and the Palace containing the Museum form two sides of the Campeche's main plaza, called Plaza Principal. Our...
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A visit to Campeche's Zoo and Botanical Gardens
Margay cat (Leopardus wiedii). We found this small wild cat at Campeche's Zoo and Ecological Center. This beautiful animal is one of many that inhabit the Mexican State of Campeche and other parts of...
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The pyramids, temples, and palaces of Oxkintok's Ah Canul Group
The West Pyramid of the Ah Canul Group at the ancient Maya city of Oxkintok. This is the largest of three pyramids in the Ah Canul Group. When we visited, we flew to Merida and rented a car for the...
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Oxkintok Part 2: The Ah Canul Group's plazas, palaces, & statues
Two large statues adorn the front of Palacio Ch'ich. Archeologists aren't sure whether they represent warriors, nobles, or gods. Palacio Ch'ich is located in the Southwest Plaza of the Ah Canul Group...
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Oxkintok Part 3 of 4: Pyramids and palaces of the Ah May Group
Platform staircase of the Ah May Group, looking west. The stone-paved walkways shown in the lower right are parts of sacbeob (raised roads) that cross Oxkintok's Central Plaza, linking the Ah May Group...
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Oxkintok Part 4 of 4: The Ah Dzib Group and Satunsat Labyrinth
Monumental arch at the northern entrance to the Ah Dzib Group. This arch is the first ancient architecture you see as you approach Oxkintok along the scrub-lined access road. This was our entry point...
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New blog posting: Campeche's Hacienda Uayamón
Arched portales of the hacienda's henequen mill, seen through jungle foliage. Hacienda Uayamón is one of Campeche's oldest and most important plantations. As anyone who follows my blog well knows, I am...
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Campeche's Museum of Maya Architecture
The bell over Campeche's sea gate. The sea gate, called La Puerta del Mar, allowed entrance from the long pier where sailing ships once tied up. The bell not only announced the arrival of commercial...
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Edzna Part 1: House of the Itza
The Pyramid of the Five Levels is the centerpiece at Edzná's Great Acropolis. Over nearly a thousand years, Maya architects used a succession of architectural styles as they enlarged and modified this...
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Edzná Part 2: The Great Acropolis
The Great Acropolis, viewed from the top of the Southwest Temple. There are a number of impressive structures at Edzná, but the Great Acropolis contains the greatest concentration of them. To me, this...
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Edzná Part 3: Pyramids and temples of the Great Acropolis
The Pyramid of the Five Levels dominates the east side of the Great Acropolis. This view is of the west face. In my last posting, I focused on the western side of the Great Acropolis. In this one, we...
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Edzná Part 4: The Small Acropolis
The Temple of the Decorated Stairs, viewed from the plaza of the Small Acropolis. This is the most important structure on the Small Acropolis, both because of its size and because it occupies the east...
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Edzná Part 5: The Temple of the Masks, the South Temple, and the Ball court
Stucco mask of K'inich Ajaw, the Maya Sun God, at the Temple of the Masks. Two large masks adorn the front (north) side of the temple. The mask above is on the eastern side of the temple's main...
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Edzná Part 6: Nohoch Ná & the Circular Temple
Nohoch Ná is a massive structure that occupies the entire west side of Edzná's Main Plaza. You are looking south along the eastern side of the structure. Nohoch Ná means "Big House", but its official...
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Edzná Part 7 of 8: The Platform of the Knives
Main entrance to the elite residence known as the Platform of the Knives. The name comes from knives left as offerings here. They were made from chert, a sedimentary silica rock that was widely used in...
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Edzná Part 8 of 8: The Patio of the Ambassadors
A large circular altar stands in the middle of the Patio of the Ambassadors. The pit in the altar's center was probably used for ceremonial fires. In the background are two palaces (Structures 433 and...
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Mascota Part 1: Historic town in the heart of Jalisco's Coast Range
Early morning light bathes Calle Hidalgo, one of the principal streets of Mascota. In the distance, you can see the steeple of Parroquia Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, the main church of the...
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Mascota Part 2: Ancient petroglyphs and shaft tombs of the Mascota Valley
Ancient petroglyph found on a rock face near Mascota. A petroglyph is a design chipped into a smooth rock face. The figure above appears to be a man lustily blowing some sort of horn. I have nicknamed...
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Mascota Part 3: Sculpture, ceramics, & tools of the ancient people
This seated figure was unearthed in a shaft tomb in the Valley of Mascota. The tomb is located in an ancient cemetery known as El Embocadero II. Approximately 800 BC, a sculptor living in the Mascota...
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