COBA

May 23, 2013/Ainsley

After visiting the Mayan family, we made our way to COBA – a Mayan temple ruins.

There are two different temples on the site. This is the smaller of the two. They actually only restored the front steps. You can’t walk up it anymore, but can take pictures of it.

So we did.

Just so you don’t think our day was amazingly perfect – walking around with our children showing them about an ancient culture that was surprisingly educated when it came to astronomy and building tall buildings that last for centuries – please know that these are my two children hitting each other with their hats. The ones we bought to protect their faces from sunburn. It may look like Natalie is smiling, but I think it’s because she just landed a good one on her sister’s arm.

But Ainsley landed a few good ones too, so don’t worry.

And the shot above that of me and the girls is a tad awkward because I’m grasping Natalie’s arm because she wouldn’t quit reaching across my back to bother her sister. They failed to be impressed by this ball court where the Mayans would hit a rubber ball with their feet, hips and elbows to try and get the ball through those small stone rings. The winner at Chichen Itza (where we visited a few years ago and is way bigger than here) was sacrificed to the gods. Yeah! I won, now I get to die! But I was so busy telling one of my children to stop whining that I missed if the winner here was decapitated.

Oh look, a smiling family picture.

And another! I must say they put on a good front. This little passageway was to the side of the court… it’s where the players would run out when announced. Looks like the NBA isn’t original afterall.

The main temple is something like 40 meters tall… I counted 109 steps to the top. The girls scaled it like little monkeys.

A more accurate view of the climb.

The temple at the top.

Henry taking a rest at the top.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t panting when I reached the top. I was huffing big time. I made it up just fine, counting the steps as I went (I counted 109 even though the guide said there were 120… maybe I miscounted), but when I stopped climbing, my heart was racing pretty good! I had to sit down a minute and enjoy the view before heading back down.