BEAUTIFUL SINKHOLE IN MEXICO
- Cenote Xkeken -
G'day folks,
Welcome to some details about another sinkhole in Mexo, where the azure waters were thought to lead to the Mayan Underworld.
Instead
of accessing the Underworld through a dirty backdoor in a cantina, pre-colonial
Mayan tradition believed the gates to the beyond lay in cenotes.
Just a few
kilometers from Valladolid in the Yucatan Peninsula, the landscape is dotted
with natural sinkholes, leading straight down into the earth. Unlike their
unsightly name, the sinkholes are beautiful and filled with crystal clear,
blue-green water. They are easily accessible and have become a tourist hot spot
due to their proximity to spring break destinations like Cancun.
Despite their obvious aesthetic attraction,
the Cenotes in the region have a fascinating history, dating back to the Mayans
who inhabited the Yucatan before colonialism.
Since the Mayans believed the
holes led to the afterlife, they would often drop important objects into the
cenotes. Some legends also state they were used in human sacrifice, an
oft-debated part of Mayan history.
Since most
cenotes in the region were explored and studied by archeologists in the early
20th century, you are unlikely to be swimming with the remains of a Mayan
sacrifice. You are more likely to simply enjoy a relaxing dip among the
stalactites and radiant beams of sunlight from the outside world.
Clancy's comment: Wow. What a beautiful place, eh?
I'm ...
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