The Ik Kil cenote..
On the way to Chichen Itza, we stopped at the Ik Kil cenote', or sink hole, one of many in the Yucatan, we were told. Undoubtedly, this is one of the bigger, prettier ones, and one of the most popular.
According to what we're told, some cenotes were considered to be sacred links to the underworld for the Mayans, and sacrifices were tossed into the water. Weapons, gold, virgins.. Whatever the situation demanded, I suppose. My guess is when they tossed sacrificial virgins in, it was from the top, and not from the platform these kids are jumping from..
Now it is just one more beautiful place to swim and cool off, but one really should stop and think about the history of a place like this..
EDIT: We didn't know it at the time we visited, but the cenotes are actually a result of the impact of the asteroid that ended the reign of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. From space (or perhaps Google Earth..) it becomes clear that they define the southern rim of the crater / rock impact from the shock of the impact. Interesting, I think. Of course, it's impossible to see any of that from ground level..
I think what they believe is that the limestone bedrock of the Yucatan Peninsula was shattered by the shock, and water penetrated cracks in the limestone, and eroded huge underground caverns and these sinkholes that we see as cenotes. The Mayans believed they were portals into their underground afterworld, so they at least had a deep appreciation that they were special, as well as being the only reliable sources of fresh water on the peninsula.
The Ik Kil cenote..
On the way to Chichen Itza, we stopped at the Ik Kil cenote', or sink hole, one of many in the Yucatan, we were told. Undoubtedly, this is one of the bigger, prettier ones, and one of the most popular.
According to what we're told, some cenotes were considered to be sacred links to the underworld for the Mayans, and sacrifices were tossed into the water. Weapons, gold, virgins.. Whatever the situation demanded, I suppose. My guess is when they tossed sacrificial virgins in, it was from the top, and not from the platform these kids are jumping from..
Now it is just one more beautiful place to swim and cool off, but one really should stop and think about the history of a place like this..
EDIT: We didn't know it at the time we visited, but the cenotes are actually a result of the impact of the asteroid that ended the reign of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. From space (or perhaps Google Earth..) it becomes clear that they define the southern rim of the crater / rock impact from the shock of the impact. Interesting, I think. Of course, it's impossible to see any of that from ground level..
I think what they believe is that the limestone bedrock of the Yucatan Peninsula was shattered by the shock, and water penetrated cracks in the limestone, and eroded huge underground caverns and these sinkholes that we see as cenotes. The Mayans believed they were portals into their underground afterworld, so they at least had a deep appreciation that they were special, as well as being the only reliable sources of fresh water on the peninsula.