Chichen Itza

One of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World!

A little information about Chichen Itza (called Chichen from now on): In 2007 Chichen was named one of the seven wonders of the modern world. This happened based on a call-in voting system. We were told that Mexico hired people to call in day and night to get named one of the wonders. Chichen was ultimately successful in it's quest!

Each day, 8,000 people visit Chichen. Many of them are tourists from Cancun and other areas on the Riviera Maya (aka the Caribbean coast). That totals to more than 1,000,000 visitors per year! Due to this, Chichen is a "look only" area. We weren't able to climb up the pyramids or buildings.

Not being able to climb and touch the site was kind of a let down. However the sites were amazing. The City of Chichen was huge! El Castillo, the famous large pyramid, is in the center of Chichen, and a huge open courtyard surrounds it. I would have loved to see the view from the top of El Castillo, but that's not possible.

While in Chichen, I had 3 different assignments to do. So I didn't really get to enjoy the site as much as possible. I was missing that "wow factor" that I should have felt. I was too preoccupied with my assignments. Because of this, Sara and I decided we would return during Semana Santa. So we took it easy and didn't rush around like others.

Inside the site are many, many vendors. That seemed to be very unusual. I didn't expect vendors inside the site. There were so many different things to buy! I'm going to have to figure out what souvenirs I need to buy before Semana Santa. Many of these things were very cheap, and if I spoke Spanish to the vendors, I often got a "special" price for my Spanish. That was neat! It seemed like the vendors really enjoyed hearing Spanish.

Chichen is a true marval. I would recommending this as a stop to anyone who visits the Yucatan. I would mention that any visitor should be prepared for hot sun with little shade, many vendors inside and outside the site, many many people, and know that you won't be able to climb or touch nearly everything. Going with those things in mind will help you enjoy the site because you won't have any false expectations. Also, go as early in the morning as you can. If you go after about 10am, it gets super busy!