Izamal

Had always wanted to go here...and made it, on the last Merida trip with our rent-a-car.
So very easy to drive around--what a pretty city...
I wonder what it's like to grow up here and how it shapes ones views...?
so much yellow...all around...down every alley...
As some literature pointed out--it's almost like a movie set. Everything is painted 'egg-yolk yellow!'
I think it would start to get to me after awhile, but it does make for an unforgettable look...

The church and convent and grounds and arches
and yellow and more yellow and history and architecture
and yellow color
and history
and Spanish and Maya culture
intertwined
overtaken, one built on top of the other
it's almost just too much to take in.

The Pope was here, & gave an address, & there is a statue of him in his honor. I didn't photo that. I'm a lapsed Catholic, and sometimes, it's too much for me.
I think there is a lot to repent for, and the Pope made an address in recognizing the Indigenous culture, and perhaps there was some feeling of apology, tho I'm not sure.  I guess Valladolid was in the running, & they were not happy to not be the chosen site for his address, as they too have a convent...and history.
  Too much baggage there w/the Mayan people, perhaps...from the Caste War days.
Anyway, this had a softer side, and had some good vibes, whatever happened in the past.

At any rate, I still  kind of relate to the church in Latin America...and feel a bit more churchy here.
I lit candles in honor of our 2 fathers.  So odd--in a place like this...you put your pesos in the slot,.
 and...Voila'-- the 'candle' automatically lights up... That took me by surprise.

 The flame didn't last long either....

We had a nice hotel, right off the square and in view of the convent.  It is built right into the back of a pyramid. very cool..
 
  

Here is the
pyramid...tho hard to tell, as you can some some rocks, but mostly overgrown grassy hilly dirt.


That is also the case with the Kinich Pyramid, which I guess, is the largest pyramid in Yucatan
and yet, it seemed like a gigantic sprawling hill. The photo below is only the pyramid on top of the already high hill, also obviously the pyramid base, which is not uncovered, but overgrown.
Steve walked up it...I passed....( I'm kind of 'pyramided out' after being to so many around Mex. City before I ever went to Chichen Itza.

Kinich is so vast, it takes up a city block, and it is not very well marked. We had to really scout it out...

I think it gets poor second sister status after the yellow convent.

But, Señor Ruinas, being a rock person , & ruinas specialist
really got into it.
He spent a long time up there.
I waited in the car.
He even got a picture of himself
and you can see the distance.
















Izamal is definitely worth a visit.
We also did the sound and light show in the evening.
Very nice.  Probably a little more simple than I was expecting and it is low season, so not even a dozen attending.
But, we like it that way!