Ek'Balaam

            After visiting such an enormous site, Ek’Balam was a welcome travel day for us. It was the polar opposite of Chichen Itza – inside a double wall, Ek’Balam rises to meet its visitors with a corbel arch leading to a functional – not ritualistic – ball court. The site is full of lush vegetation: grass, trees, shrubs, and tons of wild birds singing all around you. The true wonder of Ek’Balam is the Acropolis constructed by Ukit Kan Lek Tok which showcases the first found emblem glyph and the tomb of its maker. The Acropolis towers high enough to see rival cities of the horizaon – a sight I enjoyed for a good thirty minutes before descending. Across from the Acropolis was the oval palace, a shorter but equally impressive that Jon almost fell off of. We also saw out first example of East Coast style in a small structure on a hill. This site was welcome refreshment after the tourist’s nightmare of Chichen Itza. The intricate detail of Ukit Kan Lek Tok’s stucco tomb would have never been preserved at a site like Chichen, nor would we have been able to approach it on our climb of the Acropolis the way we did. This has earned the title of my favorite site so far.

Never thinking I could appreciate trees so much,

Dana