After seeing chichen itza?

[elou]

Every since I've seen Chichen Itza, I've been disappointed with other ruins. Saw Tulum, Belize and Kohunlick in Costa Maya. All seem so plain in comparison. Just wondered, since I'm going again to Costa Maya, is Chaccoben worth seeing? I know I'm not to ask this on this board, but don't get answers on port boards

[Cigar King]

I enjoyed it, but, if you're expecting it to be anything close to Chichen Itza, you're in for some more disappointment.

[TigerLady]

Every since I've seen Chichen Itza, I've been disappointed with other ruins. Saw Tulum, Belize and Kohunlick in Costa Maya. All seem so plain in comparison. Just wondered, since I'm going again to Costa Maya, is Chaccoben worth seeing? I know I'm not to ask this on this board, but don't get answers on port boards

 

Have you been to Uxmal yet! We thought it was spectacular. You get to climb up to the top of one of the monuments. The view was breathtaking.. JMHO...

[kymbakitty]

Every since I've seen Chichen Itza, I've been disappointed with other ruins. Saw Tulum, Belize and Kohunlick in Costa Maya. All seem so plain in comparison. Just wondered, since I'm going again to Costa Maya, is Chaccoben worth seeing? I know I'm not to ask this on this board, but don't get answers on port boards

 

I hear you! And mind you, we were able to walk to the top!

 

What's next for us after Chichen Itza? Looks like Machu Pichu. We were going to go last year but ended up going to Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Pretty amazing experience as well.

 

So many places.....so little time.

 

:-)

[OCruisers]

I enjoyed it, but, if you're expecting it to be anything close to Chichen Itza, you're in for some more disappointment.

 

Very True!

 

We went to Chichen Itza a way long time ago when we could still climb around a bit and everything was not completely roped off like it is now. It was awfully HOT and a very long day!

 

The only other we've been is Chaccoben and didn't stay long because we wanted to go to the beach. Since we weren't expecting a lot, we were all right just seeing it. We actually wouldn't have gone but were with friends who had never seen a ruins and wanted to. It's close, convenient, and it is a ruins! :)

 

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[pdmlynek]

Every since I've seen Chichen Itza, I've been disappointed with other ruins. Saw Tulum, Belize and Kohunlick in Costa Maya. All seem so plain in comparison. Just wondered, since I'm going again to Costa Maya, is Chaccoben worth seeing? I know I'm not to ask this on this board, but don't get answers on port boards

 

Well, if you’ve seen the best, it is hard to admire the rest. :)

Out of the hundreds of ancient Mayan sites, Chichen Itza is either number 1 or 2. Maybe 3. If you are cruising, there is nothing in the Mayan world that compares to Chichen Itza. The other contenders for the top spots are Tikal in Guatemala, and Copán in Honduras, neither of which, I think, are visited by cruise ships.

The only Mayan site that is visited by cruise ships that comes close is Uxmal. Most knowledgeable people would place it in the top 5 or maybe top 7. It is very impressive.

I agree that neither Tulúm nor Kohunlich stacks up to Chichen Itza, though many tourists like Tulúm better than Chichen Itza.

As far as Chaccoben goes, my answer is: no. It is not even in the top 100. That is probably among the very last Mayan ruins that one should chose to visit (well, there are some sucky Mayan ruins on Cozumel that are contenders).

[elou]

Thanks to all of you sooo much for your answers. Most people on ships only want to go to the beach. BUT I sure wish more ships would go to more mayan sites. I love to see the history of the places I visit.

[GrandmaHofmann]

Most of the Mexican archaeological sites have been spoiled since the cruise ships have been bringing thousands of people to them. We first visited Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Tulum in 1972. You were totally alone there then with the monkeys and the millions of butterflies. You climbed what you wanted to climb, you photographed what you wanted to photograph. No souvenirs around. Xel-ha was pristine. All there was was a small scuba/cold drink shack. It is kind of a shame what has happened. Even in 1986 when we returned to those places, they were still great. There were only 3 hotels in Cancun then and none at Playa del Carmen other than tiny beach places. Shame.

[pdmlynek]

Most of the Mexican archaeological sites have been spoiled since the cruise ships have been bringing thousands of people to them. We first visited Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Tulum in 1972. You were totally alone there then with the monkeys and the millions of butterflies. You climbed what you wanted to climb, you photographed what you wanted to photograph. No souvenirs around. Xel-ha was pristine. All there was was a small scuba/cold drink shack. It is kind of a shame what has happened. Even in 1986 when we returned to those places, they were still great. There were only 3 hotels in Cancun then and none at Playa del Carmen other than tiny beach places. Shame.

 

Yes, I understand what you mean. Progress happened.

On one hand it is a shame that a visitor cannot climb what they want, and it is a shame that there is little solitude at these great sites.

When we visited Tulúm the first time in early 1990’s, we could go everywhere, see everything, except climb the El Castillo. Last November, when we visited again, we found huge parking lots, tourist shops, crushed-stone unidirectional pathways amid manicured lawns interspersed with Mayan structures as if on a golf course in Las Vegas. My pre-teen kids, who were used to exploring Mayan sites in jungles and climbing everywhere, were totally shocked how artificial the whole site felt. I guess it was good for my kids to see what a site that his heavily visited by tourists can look like. (As an aside: I was pleasantly surprised that the metal bars from the windows of the Temple of the Frescos have been removed, and the Temple looks more natural.)

But on the other hand, I think that it is good that there are thousands of people visiting these sites every day. We now have hundreds of thousands or millions of people around the world knowing something about the history of ancient cultures, and can appreciate that the rich heritage of the Americas. The modern developments around the sites, such as bathrooms with flushing toilets, restaurants, huge parking lots, and countless souvenir shops are a natural extension of the stream of visitors. Ropes to keep people off steep large pyramids (be it for preservation or safety reasons) are also predictable extensions of the sites’ popularity. You do not need to be Indiana Jones trekking for weeks through jungle undergrowth to visit the ancient Mayan sites anymore. And the economic boost that such tourism brings to the local populace is also important.

Overall, despite the costs that you and I have mentioned, I think that this progress is positive.

But what about people like you, I or my kids, who love to climb through ancient Mayan pyramids? Does the prohibition of climbing the Temple of Kukulkan in Chichen Itza, or the Pyramid of the Magician in Uxmal mean that we can’t enjoy ancient Mayan sites as we did 30 years ago? No. It does not. We are in luck! We can go back again. That’s the beauty of the Ancient Mayan civilization: it left behind hundreds of pyramids for us to climb that have not yet been roped off. The cruisers are visiting only a small handful of sites.

Today, there are dozens of Ancient Mayan sites that would remind you of how Uxmal was 30 years ago. For example, Caracol, the best Mayan site in Belize, which at one time was bigger than Tikal has only a handful visitors per day. It has a large number of consolidated structures for visitors to climb, as well of dozens that are overgrown.

So, things are not as bleak as they seem.

[romrai]

can't really blame them for fencing them off. if everyone keeps climbing all over these places, they will soon disappear. it doesn't matter how many signs are put up. we have become our own worst enemies, destroying them.

 

i love the antiquities and i too would love to go up/inside them. there were signs all over the egyptian pyramids, tombs, greek acropolis etc. "don't climb" don't take rocks etc. written in many different languages. when pointed out to those who were doing just that, the response was usually rude and definatly ignored (no it wasn't me who pointed it out). they have closed tombs down because tourists breath can destroy the artwork. same goes for stonehenge and the graffiti. my dream was to touch the stones. can't get within 50 feet now....except on the solstice, even then, i am sure it is certain chosen people. then there are those who totally disrespect the local belief system....you are in their county!! (ex. topless sunbathing in muslim countries) these are their nations, their national treasures and we should respect them and leave them for our families to see in the future.

 

and yes, i have been to places where i have climbed to the top, paid guides to take us places the "usual" folk usually don't get to go and been badly hurt falling in the ramusseum in luxor. i have swam with the dolphins and manatees. i am certainly not perfect. i guess i have got to the point in life, where it isn't all about me anymore.

[Nole0202]

Chaccoben is very disappointing. Not worth visiting if you have been to any other Mayan ruins.

[elou]

Got another question. Since I don't want to stay in port in Costa Maya, has anyone done Dzibanche ruins? Wondered if it was worth seeing.

[keishashadow]

Chaccoben is very disappointing. Not worth visiting if you have been to any other Mayan ruins.

 

:( really?

 

we're going to spend 1-1/2 weeks cancun this summer to see chichen itza and likely tulum and some other sites.

 

enjoyed xunantunich (despite crappy tour gides), was looking forward to seeing Chacchoben upcoming cruise with native choice since the guides get such good reviews. Pretty much our only alternative,as we can't do the futher sites due to ship departure time.

[medicalma'am]

I feel very fortunate to have visited Chichen Itza in 1986 and to have climbed the large pyramid there. We also went to a HUGE ruins Copan in Honduras in '98 that was inland about 2-3 hours by bus. It was HUGE. I figure I have seen the best and am not interested in seeing ruins again.