One disadvantage to staying behind a tour group is not hearing what the guide is saying. Therefore I can not tell you anything about the ruins pictured in this post. But I can tell you that I was the last one to check out that doorway. At this site there was not a whole lot in the way of symbols or carvings in any of the ruins. When I want inside though a skull carved into the floor of the tiny room caught my eye. No one else seemed to notice it because I did not notice anyone else taking pictures in the room. I had to get a few shots of it though.

I did not have the best lens for the job which forced me to back up a bit to get a good shot. And this is where it gets weird.

As I was back up my foot caught on something, I tripped and fell backward. I moved my hands behind me to catch my fall but when I hit the ground it gave way and I fell though a hole down into a lower room. It was not a hard fall but a gradual fall through a layer of fallen sticks, followed by a few layers of roots. They seemed to sort of lower me down to the room.

I took a moment to get my bearings and make sure I was okay. I was more surprised by it than anything. It was like that strange feeling you have when you step down expecting your foot to land but it keeps going causing your heart to skip a few beats. Though I think my heart had skipped more than a few beats having fallen so far. As I got to my feet I looked up so that I could figure a way out or get someone’s attention. That is when I realized my camera did not make the trip with me. Its strap had got tangled in the roots and the camera was hanging near the edge of the hole a bit out of reach.

I wasn’t scared because I had not fallen that far and there were a few hundred tourist walking around the site. It would not be long before someone noticed the hole and I could get their attention. I’ve always been drawn to forgotten places. Growing up abandoned buildings always lured me in, inviting me to explore. Though I admit they have always been a let down, no found treasure or uncovered mysteries. But this was amazing. I had found myself in a room I imagine had been overlooked by those who worked on clearing away the ruins of Coba. And even though it was small and pretty dark I had to take time to look around.

The first thing I noticed thanks to the little bit of sunlight that was fighting its way through the mix of stick and roots was the stone skull that was on the floor where I had landed. It was broken into several pieces and I suspect that it was part of the floor that had given away causing my fall. It would have made for a nice souvenir if taking such things was legal.

My eye’s had not adjusted completely from being out in the bright Mexican sun to being in this dark underground room but the light in the room was beginning to seem brighter. The room was bigger than I first assumed, it was much longer than it was wide. On the other end I could see a doorway. I took a quick look up at the hole to make sure I was not about to walk away from help out of this hole and then slowly began to walk down toward the doorway. It was still dark enough that I was not sure of my surroundings or my footing.

As I got closer to the door strange smells started to catch my attention. A mix of campfire and spices I could not place. It smelled good though. So good that it really put me at ease as I got closer to the doorway. In the way smells coming out of a kitchen can comfort you. Only this was a much more penetrating sense of ease and comfort. I had to know where it was coming from so I picked up the pace and went through the doorway quickly.

Almost too quickly because I found myself on a ledge overlooking a large underground cavity. I giant cenote if you will. And in the giant cave was what appeared to be a city. I could see structures, both stone and wood, as well as the glow of fires. There were small ponds and streams running between them. The vast ceiling over the city had various holes and breaks that allowed sun beams to shoot down onto the city. It was amazing. I just stood and stared. My mind trying to grasp what my eyes where seeing. It looked so alive but I could not see any people.

Off to my right was a stairway that descending into darkness along the wall of cenote. I was ready to run right down those stairs, hoping they would take me down to the city. But something stopped me.

To be continued…

(Use this link for Part Three)

It was January but it was hot, very hot and very humid. Which is expected in the Yucatan region of Mexico. I was visiting the Mayan Ruins of Coba with my wife. We were vacationing in Mexico in celebration of our wedding anniversary, spending most of the week there within the walls and comfort of our all inclusive resort. But on this day we took part in a chartered tour of the Mayan culture of the area. The tour included zip lining over the jungle, canoeing through a jungle lagoon, swimming in a cenote, having lunch in a Mayan village, and a visit and tour of the Mayan ruins of Coba. We opted for Coba because it is much less visited compared to the popular Chichen Itza and Tulum which are also in the region.

The tour of the site was by a local Mayan guide. (pictured) We were in a group of about twenty people as he took us around to various parts of the site explaining what each building was used for back when Coba was the hub of the Mayan world. It seems that all roads or sacbes in the region led to Coba back around 800AD. Whenever I do tours like this I always like to hang near the back of the group so that I can get better pictures of the sites and do a bit more exploring on my own. I did that on this tour but this time it changed my life.

To be continued…

(Use this link for part two.)