Uxmal, near Merida in the state of Yucatan is another of Mexico's best ruin sites. (It should be noted that there are hundreds of ruin sites in Mexico). The best thing about the sites that we visited was that each is different in its architecture and design.

One of the unique features about Uxmal is the detailed design of some of the sculptures adorning the Nunnery Quadrangle. Serpents and mask representations of Chac the God of rain can be seen with a lot of their original detail.

Most people who were at Uxmal on the day of our visit tended to stick to the main ruins in the centre of the complex. This does not however allow an overall appreciation of the layout of the area to be attained. We visited the outlying buildings first, some of which had not been reconstructed and were therefore relatively difficult to climb. However, the effort was rewarded by the views from the higher monuments.

(Note that if you decide to go wandering around such sites, its probably easier to explore the different faces of the building first before you choose your path to the top. This may save a lot of effort, as it is annoying to climb up a difficult slope only to find that the front of the building has stairs.)

For those of you who are considering Uxmal as a possible holiday destination, its probably not worth going to the sound and light show. If any of you have been to the sound and light show at Giza, Egypt it is similar.

View of the Pyramid of the Soothsayer and the Nunnery Quadrangle

Pyramid of the Soothsayer

Nunnery Quadrangle

Mask of Chac, the Mayan God of rain