Chichen Itza: Views From
  the Top of El Castillo
The Yucatan, Mexico
They had the right idea, sitting down to relax and
enjoy the view after a tough climb.  From this angle
it is all jungle.  But atop El Castillo is a great
location to see the other famous structures at
Chichen Itza.
The Platform of Venus looks innocent, but it was
one of several sites at Chichen Itza where human
sacrifices took place.
The Temple of the Warriors is the tiered structure, closed for
repairs on this day.  It is intertwined with the Group of the
Thousand Columns and the Temple of Chac-Mool.  
Chac-Mool is the best known Mayan god, who reclines in a
place of honor above the stairway far below.  He had a taste
for blood, and appears two pages ahead in the human
sacrifice section.     
Although Chichen Itza had 8 ball courts, it is the
main ball court, perfectly preserved, which I
introduce with this view from El Castillo.  The Maya
were devoted to athletic encounters on these fields,
and gave new meaning to the term "sudden death".
If you have a high speed internet connection, watch the
Intrepid Berkeley Explorer's free streaming video of this trip
to Central America and Mexico, "Mayavision", by clicking
on AdventurePics.com .