The 'Dreamliner', after a ten hour flight, lands at Villahermosa International Airport, where pre-booked limousines are waiting to take the group to the 'Hotel Quinta Chanabnal' in Palenque. Then, after an early night, they plan their next move over breakfast in their new hotel...
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| 'Villahermosa International Airport' - Terminal Building - Mexico |
"Wowy ! It's hot - and sticky !", Ethan exclaimed, as they descended the steps to the tarmac, and made their way over to the rather quaint looking Terminal building.
"It feels sticky because you're used to the dry Nevada heat - but Nevada is actually situated in a desert, whereas this place is very humid because it's surrounded by jungle.", Josh explained.
Soon they were waiting to have their passports checked, and then they were able to leave the Terminal building, and pick up the limousines that Franklin had already ordered for them.
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| 'Waterfall in the Jungle' - Palenque - Chiapas - Mexico |
"Well, our hotel is in Palenque.
Now there are better hotels here, in Villahermosa - but to begin with I thought it would be easier if we stayed in a hotel nice and near the famous Mayan site.", Jim began.
"Yes but how far away from here is the hotel where we're going to stay ?", Ethan interrupted.
"Two hours drive.", Teddy said quietly, not wanting to attract any attention from the locals.
"In this heat ?", Clare asked, sounding alarmed.
"Don't worry - the limos are fully air-conditioned.", Josh said.
"Well that's something." Clare said, calming down.
The limos had been hired - via Franklin's office in 'Vegas - and were provided by a company based in Mexico City - and it should be remembered that the 'Athena Corporation' had large holdings in Mexico, and so the group were to be well looked after during their stay in Mexico.
Zac, of course had previously visited Villahermosa and Palenque, if only briefly, when he and Faunus had arranged for the legal formalities, and the transport of the body of 'the Boss', on the mysterious death of Alexander Johnston.
Faunus, of course, had also been in Palenque many, many years before, when 'the Boss', who was still studying at Yale, had undertaken his first 'dig' at Palenque.
So it was with mixed feelings that Jim, riding in the limo with Zac, Clare, Ethan and Teddy, was viewing the lush tropical landscape, as they made their way to their hotel in Palenque.
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| Jaguar God of the Night Sun |
There wasn't much said, as everyone appeared to be engrossed in thoughts of the past - and for Jim and Ethan, they little imagined that these initial impressions of Mexico would conjure up memories of Jim's first night with 'the Boss' - when he had spoken to them about the Mayan 'Jaguar God of the Night Sun'... and 'Búho' - the 'Owl of the Jaguar God of the Night Sun' - 'Búho' appropriately being a winged creature of the night.
Jim had understood very little of what 'the Boss' had said about these mysterious people called the Maya, or of their strange gods - at the time Jim had been hardly able to cope with the new life that had suddenly seemed to engulf him - and much had happened since then.
Now - almost it seemed by chance - he was coming to the place where so much in this world had begun - and ended.
In fact it was not by chance, however, that Jim was now in Mexico - and the whole business had been triggered some time before by the 'discovery' of gold on land that Jim had inherited from 'the Boss'.
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| 'Hotel Quinta Chanabnal' - Main Entrance - Night |
'La Quinta Inns & Suites' (Spanish: 'La Quinta', 'country villa'), is a US (Texas) based chain of hotels that can be found in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Honduras.
"Well, it's not exactly 'Caesars Palace', but I guess it's quite 'cute' really...", Ethan remarked.
'Well, we are in the middle of the jungle, so I suppose we should be grateful for anything !", Zac commented.
Presumably, as it was after dark, the proprietors weren't expecting any more coachloads to arrive from the airport, and it seemed that no one noticed the convoy of limos that had parked in front of the hotel, so there were no bell-hops or doormen to greet the guests, one of whom might, in the future, either buy the hotel, or alternatively demolish it, and build a facsimile of a modern Mayan 'palace' in its place, intended to attract really rich American tourists.
So... dragging their luggage, the tired group made their way to the reception desk.
Fortunately the young man, who was apparently the receptionist, spoke reasonable English.
Now when Ethan had brought Teddy into the reception area, Teddy had switched on his 'SEBF' ('someone elses business field') - so the receptionist hadn't even noticed Teddy sitting on the reception-desk counter.
"You know, we've got a problem here..." Ethan began, while Jim showed the receptionist the reservation details.
"And that is ?", Josh asked.
"Well, none of us speaks Spanish - if that's what they speak here.", Ethan said.
"Hablo español fluido - I speak fluent Spanish...", Teddy said quietly, not wanting to alarm the receptionist.
"OK, very clever - but we can't have Teddy speaking Spanish to the 'natives' - after all, they probably don't even know what a teddy-bear is...", Brody commented.
"True, but I can download some 'basic Spanish' into Ethan's tiny little brain, tonight, while he's asleep - just like I did with the reading and writing of music, when we were in Berlin.", Teddy suggested.
"Why is it always me who gets experimented on ?", Ethan asked, pretending to begin to sulk, but secretly relishing the thought of being the center of attention, as he would be the only one, (apart from Teddy - but also Faunus, if he ever arrived), who could speak Spanish.
"Simply because you're so cute..", Clare said.
At that point Jim joined them, accompanied by the young man at reception.
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| Dining-room on the 'Dreamliner' |
We're the only people staying here, and Pedro, here, is going to show us to our rooms, and then we can have an evening meal...
And they were all hungry, as the last meal they had taken had been a meal on the 'Dreamliner'.
"So does that mean that this is a really lousy hotel, or is it just very small ?", Glen asked.
"By the looks of it - very small." 'Sigi' said.
"So what do you think of it, Novius ?", Clare asked.
Novius, wisely, had found a nice comfortable arm chair, and was relaxing, and apparently enjoying the warm evening air.
"I like it - and I don't see why all of you are making such a fuss.
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| 'Hotel Quinta Chanabnal' - Main Staircase |
The rest of the group, suitably chastened by Novius remark, calmed down, and started to follow Jim up the rather strangely lit stairs to the second floor.
"Now back home the 'Health and Safety' would never allow this !", 'Sigi' said, referring to the candles on the stairs.
"And which home is that, 'Sigi' - 'Vegas or Vienna ?", Josh asked.
"Both, probably...", 'Sigi replied.
And so Pedro led the 'gang' along the numerous corridors on the second floor to a number of rooms, allocating then appropriately.
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| 'Hotel Quinta Chanabnal' - Suite |
Thoughtfully Novius was provided with a charming room which was provided with a 'rocking chair' - an aid to relaxation and contemplation - that Novius would grow to appreciate.
By then Pedro was calling Jim 'el capo', the Spanish equivalent of 'the Boss', having realized that he was the leader of the group - although there was a wry humor in using a term that was also often applied to Mafia bosses and 'drug barons'.
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| 'Hotel Quinta Chanabnal' - Suite |
Finally Pedro took Jim and Ethan to a suite sitated in a secluded area of the ground floor.
"Now - 'el capo' - this - I think - for you and your friend..." Pedro said in his rather singular style of American/English.
The suite was large and airy, with a high ceiling, fans, and an unusual four-poster bed, which could be draped with mosquito nets, although mosquitos in Palenque are only a problem in the jungles, and among the ruins.
"Well, Teddy, not only do you have plenty of pillows, but there are also lots of cushions - so you should be very comfortable...", Ethan said, as they were finally able to relieve themselves of their luggage.
"Your evening meal will be serve in about half an hour.", Pedro added, as he went off in order to ensure that the other members of the group were settled.
"So Teddy, what's this about getting Ethan learning Spanish while he's sleeping tonight.? `", Jim asked, as they began to unpack.
"I just thought that if Faunus doesn't turn up, we need someone to be able to communicate withe the 'natives'...", Teddy suggested.
"'And why choose Ethan ?", Jim asked.
"Simple - he's got a very receptive brain - after, all just look at what happened with the music business - so, as we don't have much time, I thought it would be best to try the same sort of thing with Ethan once again. ", Teddy explained.
"OK... makes sense...", Jim said.
"Well that's all settled - although I noticed that no one asked me about it. ", Ethan said.
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| 'Hotel Quinta Chanabnal' - Dining Room |
"That's because we know you like to help - but I think we should be going down for our meal.", Jim said, as he went to the 'house-'phone' to call the others.
Now conveniently the dining room was on the ground floor, and both Novius and Clare's room were on the same floor, so they all were able to make their way to the dining-room together.
"Golly !... this looks a bit creepy...
I wonder if this is where they make the human sacrifices ?", Ethan, said, as they entered the rather unusually decorated dining-room.
"Unlikely... but there are lots of cushions here for Teddy, so perhaps you could creep down here later tonight and bring a few back to our suite.", Jim suggested.
"Good idea... but tonight I need to get to sleep, and let Teddy get to work on my Spanish.", Ethan replied.
"So what have you got planned for tomorrow, Marcus ?", Novius inquired.
"Well, in the morning I thought we might just look around this place, and then maybe got to the town itself, and get a feel of Mexican life in a small town.", Jim said.
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| 'Hotel Quinta Chanabnal' - Lounge |
"Yes, Jim - a good idea, and we can do some shopping...", Clare said.
Novius was non committal.
"So they've got a nice little lounge here - so let's all go in there, and have some after dinner coffee.", Jim suggested.
"Yes, and it really is little - and how are we all going to fit ?", Ethan asked, as they made their way to the lounge.
"Well most of you are young and fit, so I suppose that those who cannot fit on the sofas can take some cushions from the dining room, and sit on the floor.", Novius said.
So once everybody was seated, and provided with coffee, Jim explained what would be happening on their first day in Mexico.
"I think tomorrow we should just 'settle in'.
The hotel has a couple of small pools, but no gym facilities - so perhaps some of you should go with Ethan to the town, and see if there are any 'public gyms' there that you could use.
Then after lunch, perhaps we could take our first look at the waterfalls and some of the archaeological ruins round here.", Jim proposed.
Brody looked puzzled.
"I know you did a lot of explaining in 'Vegas, before we came here, but what's so special about this Palenque place ?"
"It's a long and complicated story, Brody, but I will try to explain.", Jim began.
"Here we go...", Ethan mumbled...
Now it should be remembered that not all the members of the group who were now gathered in the 'Hotel Quinta Chanabnal' knew all of the story relating to 'the Boss', Mexico, the 'aliens' and various other matters - although most knew some aspects of those events - but Jim, rightly or wrongly, decided that he should reveal most of what he knew, or at least understood.
So Jim began yet more explanations...
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| Maya 'Logosyllabic Glyphs' from Palenque - Mexico |
What fascinated 'the Boss' about 'ancient' Mexico, apart from the many treasures that 'Don Picaro helped him to find, and later sell, was the religion, and the many gods of the Mexicans - that is, before the Spanish and Portuguese arrived and took over Central and Southern America.
'The Boss', with the help of 'Don Picaro' was able to learn the 'Yucatec Maya Language' - mainly spoken in the Yucatan - and was able to read the Maya 'logosyllabic writing system'."
'Classic Maya' is the principal language in the writing system used by the pre-Columbian Maya, and is mainly represented in inscriptions from the lowland regions in Mexico and the period c. 200—900. The writing system (generally known as the 'Maya Script') has some similarities in function (but is not related) to other logosyllabic writing systems such as the Cuneiform, originating in Old World Sumer (?), in which a combination of logographic and syllabic signs ('graphemes') are used. The script's 'graphemes' feature a core of syllabic signs which reflect the 'phonology' of the 'Classic Maya language', which were also complemented by a larger number of 'logograms'. Thus the expressions of 'Classic Maya' could be written in a variety of ways, represented either as 'logograms', 'logograms with phonetic complements', 'logograms plus syllables', or in a purely syllabic combination.
(The above explanation of the Maya 'logosyllabic writing system' was only understood by Faunus ['Don Picaro'] and Teddy - and as even Jim didn't understand it - was not included in Jim's explanation - but is included here for those readers who are interested in linguistics.)
'Pyramid of the Magician' - Uxmal - Yucatan - Mexico
Jim continued his answer to Brody's question...
"Now 'the Boss' was able to learn much about the Mayan beliefs because many of the descendants of the original Maya still live in this area of the Mexico, and still speak the original Mayan language - as does Faunus ('Don Picaro') - and, in fact, the Mayan language is officially recognized by the Mexican Government.
It was from the translations of certain inscriptions at 'Palenque', 'Uxmal' and 'Chichen Itza' that 'the Boss' became aware of the belief among the Maya that their gods, and in particular the 'Jaguar Gods', came from the stars - and therefore could be classed as 'extra-terrestrials'.
The problem then is why should the Maya believe that their gods came from the stars ?", Jim asked, intending his question to be rhetorical.
"Now may I make a suggestion here ?", Novius said, putting down his coffee cup.
"Of course, Novius - carry on.", Jim replied, gallantly.
"Well, Marcus - I mean Jim - knows that I know next to nothing about the Maya - but if they were anything like other ancient peoples, then they would be very aware of the night sky, as there were no forms of artificial lighting.
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| Mayan 'Observatory' at Chichen Itza - Mexico |
And it seems that this knowledge of the sky - the movements of the stars, the planets and the sun and the moon enabled them to construct calendars of almost unbelievable accuracy.
But I think that I had better hand this talk back to Jim, as I am really not qualified to go on any further...", Novius said reluctantly.
Jim looked embarrassed.
"Would you like to continue, Teddy, as Novius had introduced the subject of Mayan astronomy and calendars - and I don't really feel qualified to say much about those two subjects myself.", Jim said.
"OK, Jim, but not for long, as I think we all need our rest after a long day - but it is enough to say, at this point, that the Maya linked their calendrical calculations to their religious beliefs, and the events in the heavens were seen as the actions of the gods.
Also the rulers of the Maya, such as 'Pakal' here in Palenque, claimed to be directly descended from the 'star-gods'.
But I think that is enough for tonight - and what has been explained so far - along with more information that I can provide - will make more sense once we actually start to visit the sites where the Maya, and other groups, such as the Aztecs, actually lived.", Teddy very neatly concluded.
And so the weary group disbanded to their very 'Mexican'. or should that be 'Mayan', accommodation.
So, when Jim, Ethan and Teddy got back to their suite, Ethan stripped off his sweaty clothes and put on his nice clean bath-robe.
"Now tell me, Teddy, how does this business work ?"Jim asked.
"Well, Jim, after Ethan has showered, and while you have a nice long shower, I'll get Ethan to completely relaxed, and give him a hypnotic induction - and in next to no time he'll be off in a deep, dreamless 'sleep'.
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| Bang & Olufsen 'In-Ear Phones' |
Ethan will also wear a pair of 'in-ear phones' that will convey the Spanish linguistic information from my data-base, via Ethan's ears, to his brain.", Teddy explained.
"I see - and that's all there is to it ?", Jim asked.
"Precisely..." , Teddy replied
"OK - enough talk...", Ethan said as he disappeared into the bathroom.
When Ethan finally had finished showering, he settled in bed, and Teddy had him asleep in minutes while wearing one of the sets of 'phones.
Later, once Jim finished showering, Teddy gave Jim the noise cancelling 'phones to wear.'
Meanwhile Teddy just sat among his cushions and reviewed all his data-base information about Palenque, and waited for morning.
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| Dawn at Palenque - Chiapas - Mexico |
"Vamos, Ethan, despierta !", Teddy said - very loudly - as he nudged Ethan.
"Ey ! Estaba teniendo un buen sueño.", Ethan grunted.
"There you are !", Teddy said to Jim, who was barely awake.
"It seems to have worked."
Jim looked over at Ethan.
"Yes... but can he still speak English ?", Jim asked
'Well ask him...", Teddy said.
"OK... Ethan, do you speak English ?", Jim asked.
"Of course - stupid !", Ethan retorted.
"You see he responds in what ever language you are speaking... simple.", Teddy said.
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| 'Hotel Quinta Chanabnal' - Dining Room |
Little by little everyone assembled in the dining room, and breakfast was served.
"Buenos dias, Pedro...
¿Y como estas esta mañana?", Ethan said, as Pedro arrived at the main table.
"You can speak Spanish, Señor Ethan!", Pedro exclaimed, as he nearly dropped the tray of coffees that he was bringing to the table.
"Oh, solo un poco ...", Ethan replied
"So - you come to México before ?", Pedro asked.
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| Ethan's House in Mexico - 'Casa na Bolom' |
"So - where is this 'casa' Señor Ethan ?", Pedro asked.
"I'm not sure ....", Ethan replied.
"It's in 'San Cristóbal de las Casas'...", Jim butted in, helping Ethan out.
"Ah ! - Not so far away.
So why you not stay there - with your amigos ?", Pedro asked.
"Well maybe, later on, but first we want to stay here, close to the ruins at Palenque.", Ethan explained.
Pedro nodded
'Casa Na Bolom' (the 'House of the Jaguar') is located in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas. It was originally the home of the archaeologist Frans Blom. Bought by Alexander Johnston ('the Boss'), it remained unused, but cared for by the 'Athena Corporation', and was later left to Ethan Duncan on the death of Alexander Johnston '(the Boss').
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| 'Hotel Quinta Chanabnal' - Small Pool |
Jim then suggested to the group that once they had finished breakfast it might be a good idea to have a look round the immediate surroundings.
To the side and rear of the main building were gardens.
These, however, could not be compared to the gardens of the 'Winter Palace' or the 'Villa Athena'.
These, however, could not be compared to the gardens of the 'Winter Palace' or the 'Villa Athena'.
For one thing they were much smaller, in keeping with the small numbers of rooms available at the hotel
Also, because of the climate, the gardens were very lush and tropical - verging on being a small, partly cultivated 'jungle' area.
So the morning was spent lazing around in the lush tropical gardens of the 'Hotel Quinta Chanabnal'.
After lunch, in accordance with the plans that Jim had suggested the previous evening at dinner, the group prepared to take a trip to the town of Palenque.
Then, once everybody was ready, they distributed themselves among the waiting limos that were lined up outside the 'Hotel Quinta Chanabnal'.
The drive in the limos was short, and passed mainly through lush vegetation, similar to that which surrounded their hotel.
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| Main Square - Palenque - Chiapas - Mexico |
Under Teddy's guidance they parked the limos close to a pleasant looking 'restaurante' as Ethan described it - ever eager to show off his Spanish.
As they arrived, a young man dressed, as a waiter, immediately approached them.
"Saludos, amigos míos, y bienvenidos a Palenque.", he said to Jim and the group.
"OK Faunus.... so how did you get here ?", Jim asked, sounding exasperated.
"No, no Faunus sino tu camarero Picaro.", Faunus replied.
"Come on, Ethan, what's he saying ?", Jim asked.
"He says he's not Faunus, but your waiter 'Picaro'", Ethan replied - translating.
"OK - well if you don't want to explain your presence here, then perhaps you can you have some tables put together so that we can sit in a group, and have some coffee, and will you please stop pretending to be a Mexican waiter." Jim asked.
"Sí Señor...", Faunus replied, as he hurried off to get some of the other waiters to help him.
"That should be 'Mexicano' - not Mexican, Jim...", Ethan added.
"Yes, and that's enough of the Spanish, Ethan.", Jim retorted.
So everybody sat down, and waited for the coffee to arrived.
As Jim was obviously annoyed, no one made any comments about Faunus, but instead remarked on the beautiful fountain, and such like... and what no one realized was that this particular 'restaurante' was the favorite 'restaurante' of 'the Boss', and the place where he had taken his last meal...
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| Arms of the State of Chiapas |
"Now I think it might be appropriate for me to say a few words about this modern town ...", Teddy began.
'Palenque' - originally known as 'Lakamha' - is a 'city' and municipality located in the north of the state of Chiapas.
The city was named almost 200 years before the nearby Mayan ruins were discovered in the 18th century.
The area has a significant indigenous population, mostly of Mayan descendant.
The city is the only urban area in a municipality of over 600 communities, and is surrounded by rain-forest.
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| Howler Monkey |
While most of the municipality's population are very poor, working in agriculture, the Palenque archeological site is one of the most important tourist attractions for the area, and for the state of Chiapas.
Although the city is surrounded by jungle vegetation, it is only 60 meters above sea level.`
The jungle is home to howler monkeys as well as jaguars - so beware...
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| Lord Pakal |
The ancient Mayan site of Palenque was unknown to the Spanish when they founded the town.
Since its discovery in 1740 by Father Antonio Solís, the Mayan ruins have been culturally and economically important to the city and municipality.
The tomb of Pakal, situated in the ruins, was discovered by Alberto Ruz Lhuillier in 1951, and the 'Museo de Sitio de Palenque' - 'Palenque Museum' was established in 1958.", Teddy explained - with a flourish...
So once Teddy had finished his 'lecture' on the modern town of 'Palenque', Jim suggested that they all took a walk through the town.
Once they were all on their way, Teddy had a quiet word with Jim.
"I'm a bit worried about us being here.", Teddy began - speaking quietly.
"And why's that, Teddy ?", Jim asked.
"Well, if you remember - back in 'Vegas, Zac, Faunus and Ethan, with my help, 'abducted' Dr Brandt and Maria Orsic, Brandt's receptionist, from the 'California Combat Club', and took them to 'Club Jaguar', as it was then called.
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| Tuxtla Gutiérrez - Chiapas - Mexico |
The following day 'Sigi', after his 'abduction,' took up residence in 'Henderson' as a high school student, and Maria was sent, as a secretary in one of the corporation's offices, to our branch in Tuxtla Gutiérrez - just a little to the south of where we are now.
Now firstly, what if we happen to meet Maria here in Mexico ?
But more to the point, what if all these impressions of Palenque awaken in 'Sigi' some of his past memories - after all, he was a close friend o 'the Boss' at one time ?", Teddy asked rather nervously.
"Well, I see your point, but I think that's best left to Faunus... I'm sure he will be able to deal with it", Jim replied.
Tuxtla Gutiérrez is the capital and largest city of the state of Chiapas. A busy government, commercial and services-oriented city, Tuxtla has one of the fastest-growing cities in Mexico. Unlike many other areas in Chiapas, it is not a major tourist attraction, but a transportation hub for tourists coming into the state, with a large airport and a bus terminal.
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| Calle Benito Juárez - Palenque - Chiapas - Mexico |
"Yes - that's a problem.
And I don't see why he's being so allusive...", Jim commented.
And that was a problem, but although Jim, Ethan and Teddy didn't share that problem with the others in the group, they did start to keep an eye on 'Sigi'.
But meanwhile, they continued to take their relaxed walk through the streets of Palenque.
Now in this 'alternative universe' Palenque was not a particularly exciting destination.
It had little to offer when compared to ancient Rome, ancient Baiae, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Cairo or even Luxor, or some of the other towns and cities that the members of this group had visited.
It was a small town, although it called itself a 'city', stuck in the middle of a hot, steamy jungle.
Until the ruins of 'Lakamha', as the Maya called Palenque, were discovered, it was a forgotten backwater.
At the time that our group visited the town, the only people walking the streets with any money were tourists, and so the shopping was geared to that fickle tourist trade - and what was sold in the shops was what Ethan would scornfully refer to as 'tourist-tat'.
There were, however, some interesting books on sale, and also some attractive postcards.
"So what do you think, Clare ?", Jim asked, as they idly glanced in the shop windows.
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| Glen's Postcard |
"True - but it looks as if Glen has found something...", Jim said.
And Glen was hurrying towards Jim, waving a postcard.
When Glen reached Jim, Ethan, Teddy and Clare, he took Jim to one side.
"This is it - the place for the meeting, uncle Jim.", Glen whispered excitedly.
"OK Glen - calm down, and we'll talk about it back at the hotel.", Jim said.
"So what's Glen so excited about ?", Clare asked, as she turned from looking in a shop window in order to see what Glen was showing Jim.
"Oh, it's just a picture of a pyramid that Glen's been looking for...
It's one of the best preserved in Mexico - and it' a good photo - unlike most of these postcards.", Jim replied casually.
Glen realized that Jim didn't want Clare involved with the business regarding the 'aliens', and quietly put the postcard in his back-pack.
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| Ancient Greek Gymnasium |
In fact the English and Spanish words for 'gymnasium' were remarkably similar, both being derived from the Greek γυμνάσιον - from the Greek 'gymnós', meaning 'naked' - the Spanish being 'Gimnasio', although Brody wasn't to know that...
"So whee do we go now, Jim ?", Clare asked.
"Back to the hotel I suppose, for some lunch...", Jim replied...
"Well remind me not to come here the next time I need to do some shopping", Ethan said, as they made their way back to the main square where the limos were parked.
Brody was disappointed that he was unable to find a gym in the town of Palenque, and Clare had not found any clothes that appealed to her.
'Sigi had found a couple of books about the Maya, and Novius had been quite happy strolling along the busy streets, while Zac had been checking for any suspicious characters.
Ashraf, it seemed, was not very impressed with Palenque, and Teddy guessed that the boy was getting 'homesick' for Egypt.
Once back in the hotel, time was taken to freshen up, and then everyone returned to the dining-room for lunch.
Little was said at lunch, although Clare was interested to know when they would be viewing the ruins of Palenque.
Jim assured her that they would go to the ruins later in the afternoon, when it was cooler, but first he had to discus some 'business' matters with Ethan and Glen.
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| 'Hotel Quinta Chanabnal' - Lounge |
And so they went their separate ways - with Clare decided to sit in the shade in the garden, while Brody and Zac decided to spend time in the larger pool.
Jim, however, once Clare and Brody had departed, called Ethan, Teddy, Glen, Sigi and Novius to the lounge.
"Oh, I see they've installed a very creepy looking jaguar in here since we last used the lounge...", Ethan remarked.
Jim, however, ignored Ethan' comment, and got down to the matter in hand.
"So, I've called you all together because Glen believes that he's got some information about the place where our next meeting with the 'aliens' could take place...", Jim began as everyone seated themselves on the sofas.
Jim then passed Glen's postcard round.
"So... Chichén Itzá...", Ethan said, viewing the photo, reading the caption and sounding very knowledgeable, although in reality he had no idea where or what it was.
Jim wisely ignored that comment also, and asked Teddy to give them some information about the pyramid.
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| Temple of Kukulcán - Chichen Itza |
And so Teddy began in his best lecturing style...
"Yes, well...
known as the 'Temple of Kukulcán', this is a Mesoamerican step-pyramid that dominates the centre of the Chichén Itza archaeological site in the Mexican state of Yucatán.
It was built by the Maya civilization between the 8th and 12th centuries AD.
The pyramid served as a temple to the 'god' Kukulcán, the Maya version of the 'Feathered Serpent', closely related to 'Quetzalcoatl', who was a 'god' known to the Aztecs, and other central Mexican cultures of the 'Post-classic' period.
The pyramid has a substructure that was probably constructed several centuries earlier, for the same purpose.
All four sides of the pyramid have approximately 91 steps which, when added together, and including the temple platform on top as the final 'step', produce a total of 365 steps.
The structure is 79 ft high, plus an additional 20 ft for the temple at the top.
The square base measures 181 ft across.
In August 1936, a room was found in the structure, and inside this room, dubbed the 'Chamber of Sacrifices', archaeologists found a red jaguar statue."
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| Jaguar Throne |
Teddy continued.
Also what appears to be a throne was discovered in the room appropriately described as the 'throne room'.
The 'jaguar throne' is painted with red mercury sulfide, and decorated with flint and jadeite discs.
Archaeological studies indicate that the 'Red Jaguar Throne' is similar to other depictions of thrones found in Mayan murals, and so whomever was seated on this throne could have been accessing the point of an 'axis mundi', which is essential to the cosmological system."
'An axis-whaty ?", Ethan asked, interrupting Teddy.
"It's Latin - an 'Axis Mundi' - a location considered to be the 'center of the world'....", Teddy explained.
"OK... well that's enough information about the pyramid for the moment...
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| Road Map - Palenque to Chichen Itza - Mexico |
"Well, I can give you most of that information now, if you like... Teddy offered.
"Go on...", Jim said.
"Well it's to the north, and it will take about six hours by limo, and there's a good quality hotel there - unimaginatively called the 'MayaLand Hotel'...", Teddy explained, and on hearing the hotel's name Ethan sniggered - not surprisingly.
"OK then... let's have fun in 'MayaLand' !", Ethan quipped.
"Well first we should go and have a look at the Palenque ruins - as it's getting a bit cooler now...", Jim suggested.
At that point Faunus at last appeared, no longer pretending to be a Spanish waiter.
Jim decided not to pursue his questioning regarding how Faunus had arrived in Palenque, or where he was staying, as he had a suspicion that Faunus' sudden appearance might in some way be connected with the proposed visit to the 'ruins'.
"So, your going to speak English to us now ?", Jim asked.
"Well with Ethan speaking perfect Spanish, you really have no need for my linguistic abilities...", Faunus replied with a smile.
"So could you 'round up' the rest of the gang, for me, and get them to the limos, as we need to set off now.", Jim said.
Now the 'Hotel Quinta Chanabnal', although adequate in its own way, had not been chosen for its facilities, or its luxurious accommodation - for it had neither, although it was full of character and charm.
Jim had mainly chosen the hotel because it was very close to the Mayan archaeological site - the ruins of Palenque, anciently known in the 'Itza' language as 'Lakamha'.
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| Archaeological Map of Palenque - Chiapas open image in a new to to enlarge |
So - the journey by limo was very brief, and fortunately they wee visiting at a time when there were very few other visitors.
The rather odd lack of visitors gave the whole area a slightly 'spooky' atmosphere, particularly as some of the structures were sufficiently well preserved to give the impression that, at any moment, some of the original inhabitants might suddenly appear.
Ethan, of course, was carrying his white plastic Walmart bag - as usual - and quickly gave everyone a photo-copy of a map of the archaeological area.
The problem, however, in consulting the map was the fact that the ruins at Palenque occupied a huge area - unlike the far smaller ruins that most of the group has encountered in Egypt.
note that the buildings tinted grey are areas not fully excavated - whereas the buildings tinted yellow have been fully excavated - also the map itself only covers small area of the entire site - & also the map is annotated in Spanish (Ethan did that just to show off )
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| Reconstruction of the City of 'Lakamha' - (Palenque) |
Teddy then guided everyone over to the 'Palacio' (the Palace), which was situated in the approximate center of the reconstruction.
"The 'Palace', as it is usually called, is the large building with the four story tower behind the wide flight of steps and that is where our tour is to begin..", Teddy explained.
But before the tour began, Teddy prepared to give the group a 'general introduction to the site' - so Teddy took off his gold rimmed sunglasses, which were no longer necessary anyway as the middy brightness had long passed, and then began speaking...
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| 'El Palacio' - Palenque - Mexico |
Much of the history of Palenque has been reconstructed from reading the hieroglyphic inscriptions on the many monuments, and historians now have a long sequence of the rulers of Palenque in the 5th century, and extensive knowledge of the city-state's rivalry with other states, such as Calakmul and Toniná.
The most famous ruler of Palenque was K'inich Janaab Pakal, or 'Pakal the Great', whose tomb has been found and excavated in the 'Templo de las inscripciones' - (the Temple of the Inscriptions) which we will be viewing later.
The site at Palenque is very large, but it is estimated that less than 10% of the total area of the city is explored, leaving more than a thousand structures still covered by jungle.
Guided by Teddy, Ethan then took the group into the 'Palace'.
"Now be careful, guys, as it's all a bit 'crumbly', and I don't think they've had the cleaners in recently.", Ethan said.
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| Overview - the Ruins of Palenque - Chiapas - Mexico |
"The 'Palace' is not just one building, but rather a complex of different structures, built and modified over 500 years from 400 to 900 AD.
Built on a large artificial terrace - 328 by 263 feet - the buildings are joined with hallways, corridors and staircases.
These, and the four main courtyards and galleries, are elaborately decorated with bass-relief carvings, sculptures, and hieroglyphic drawings.
A subterranean portion of the Palace contains 'sweat-baths', and six toilets.", Teddy continued.
"Yes, but I wouldn't advise using the toilets - unless it's a real emergency...", Ethan added.
Undaunted, Teddy went on with his description of the 'Palace'....
"The tower may have been used as an observatory and lookout, and was built in the 8th century.
It has fine stucco reliefs; however we can't go up and see them, as it's not considered safe.
It is also believed that the tower was used by the ruler and the priests during the winter solstice in order to observe the sun setting directly into the 'Temple of Inscriptions'.
The ordinary Maya, however, unlike the ruler, nobles and priests, lived in small wood and mud huts, with thatched roofs, and it was only the upper, ruling classes who lived in stone buildings.
The commoners' homes were typically clustered together by members of the same family so that they were able to share different aspects of the houses, such as kitchen, garden and storage area."
Teddy paused.
"So OK you guys.... just have a little stroll 'round here, while Ethan and I sort out some more 'visual aids'.", Teddy said, as he quietly called over Jim and Zac.
"We're being watched...", Teddy whispered.
"Oh no... not again...
You mean like at Henderson ?", Jim said.
"Well something like that - but from two positions...", Teddy explained.
"So...
What do we do ?", Jim asked.
"Well, don't show that we know...", Zac advised.
"OK - so take the group to the 'Templo de las Inscripciones', and I'll give them a talk about the Maya religion, and the 'Star Gods' - to distract them, and you tell 'Sigi' what's happening, and see if you two can spot them.", Teddy said.
"Now I'm sorry to disappoint you, but Pakal - the famous ruler of Palenque - is not still in his tomb, but instead, I thought I'd give you some information about the Maya in general.
The visual aid that Ethan is handing out is a reconstruction of this area where we are standing.
Now the Maya are often presented as a 'mysterious people' - but perhaps they would be better described as 'misunderstood'.
Unlike many other historic civilizations, the Maya, and the other Mesoamerican groups, only came to the attention of Europeans comparatively recently.
At first the Maya, as compared to other Mesoamerican groups, were thought, by scholars and historians, to be a peaceful, artistic and very advanced.
They were imagined to be peaceful philosophers, engaged in discovering the secrets of the universe as they observed and studied the heavens.
The tower of the Palace in Palenque was seen as an example of their concern for astronomy.
And then there was their advanced writing system and remarkably advanced calendars.
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| Maya Jaguar Sacrifice |
Also, Maya society was hierarchical in the extreme, with a huge peasant population of workers living at subsistence level, while the small upper class of nobles and priest lived in fabulous luxury.
Perhaps the one thing, however, apart from their poorly developed visual arts, that mark them off as not particularly civilized, were their religious practices.
The Maya engaged in a large number of festivals and rituals on fixed days of the year, many of which involved animal sacrifices.
These practices with their regularity of occurrence, are a unique aspect of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican culture, and is now believed to have originated with the Olmecs, the region's first civilization.
A much less 'civilized' aspect of this activity was the frequent occurrence of 'human sacrifice'.
Ritualized sacrifice was usually performed in public by religious or political leaders piercing a soft body part, most commonly the tongue, ear or foreskin, and collecting the blood to smear directly on the idol or collecting it on paper, which was then burned.
The city of Chichen Itza, the main focus of Maya regional power from the 'Late Classical' period, appears to have also been a major focus of human sacrifice.
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| Maya Human Sacrifice |
Because Maya society was organised as independent 'city states', the local political and religious elites could independently initiate human sacrifices as they saw fit.
A common cause for temple sacrifices in many cities was the occurrence of pestilences, dissensions, or droughts.
In such cases, slaves were usually purchased and held on an altar while the priest swiftly removed the heart using a ceremonial knife.
The heart was then presented to the temple idol, which was also anointed with blood.
Capturing prisoners after a successful battle also provided victims for sacrifice, presumably to propitiate whatever deity had promised victory in the first place, and modern analysis of ancient Maya art indicates a large number of representations of prisoners of war that are now understood to be sacrificial victims.
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| Maya 'Ball Game' |
For the Maya, human sacrifices were also associated with the 'ball game'.
The game, in which a hard rubber ball was knocked around by players mostly using their hips, had a religious and symbolic meaning which was associated with the 'Hero Twins'.
Maya images show a clear connection between the ball and decapitated heads: the balls were even sometimes made from the skulls of decapitated sacrificial victims.
Sometimes, a ballgame would be a sort of continuation of a victorious battle.
Captive warriors from the vanquished tribe or city-state would be forced to play, and then sacrificed afterwards.
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| Wild Jaguar |
And so Teddy continued with his lecture.
Jim, however, paid little attention as he was preoccupied with thought of ' the Boss', his 'guardian' - coming face to face with a wild jaguar in these very same ruins....
Meanwhile Zac was presuming that two obviously Mexican individuals, skulking around in the ruins were members of the 'Dirección Federal de Seguridad' - as it was by then getting late, and there we no tourists in the area.
The 'Dirección Federal de Segurida' - (Federal Security Directorate, DFS) is a Mexican intelligence agency and secret police. Created in 1947, under Mexican president Miguel Valdés, with the assistance of U.S. police and intelligence agencies, (namely the FBI and CIA), as part of the 'Truman Doctrine of Soviet Containment'. The DFS is charged with the duty of preserving the internal stability of Mexico against all forms subversion and terrorist threats, and was subsequently merged with the Mexican 'Centro de Investigación y Seguridad Nacional' (CISEN).
President Truman
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| Funeral of Alexander Johnston in Las Vegas - Nevada |
Now well out of sight, Zac and 'Sigi' observed the 'observers'...
"Well the 'Dirección Federal de Segurida' knew about the jaguar attack that ended in the death of the 'Boss', and they will undoubtedly know about the arrival of myself and Jim from reports from the border officials at Villahermosa International Airport - so perhaps they are thinking that Jim has simply brought some of his friends here as a sort of 'act of remembrance' for Alexander Johnston - 'the Boss'....", Zac suggested.
Meanwhile, back at the 'Temple of Inscriptions', Jim interrupted Teddy.
"Excuse me Teddy -
What you're saying is fascinating, but the light is fading, and it's dangerous to be out here in the evening... ", Jim cautioned.
The others in the group looked at one another nervously.
"Yes Marcus - I'm sure you're quite right...", Novius said, as he took Clare's arm, and the pair of them began making their way down the steep flight of steps of the temple - while the others followed.
"And we can come back tomorrow, as it's so close to the hotel...", Jim added.
with darkness falling, the trip to the Palenque ruins is cut short - but Novius spends time discussing the Mayan civilization with Teddy and some of the others on their return to the hotel. In the morning Mexican 'Police' visit the hotel to interview Jim - later the group return to the 'ruins', and also visit the 'Museo de Sitio de Palenque' - and then arrangements are made to visit Chichen Itza...
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and
All text - © Copyright Peter Crawford 2022
All Images - © Copyright Vittorio Carvelli 2022
Graphic Design - © Copyright Zac Sawyer 2022