Day 13 June 4
Part 2
View of the ruins from a nearby treehouse. (What a tall and well-constructed treehouse was doing here is anybody's guess. Perhaps this is where the site's caretakers spend the night, safe from the countless nocturnal insects wandering the forest floor.) |
The jungle floor was strewn with dead leaves and branches, fallen nuts, and
rotting fruit. High above brooded the canopy formed by tropical trees with
sonorously exotic names: ceiba, sapodilla (from which chicle is extracted), ramón (breadnut), mahogany,
chicosapote.
At the other side of the main road, we saw a structure that resembled an observatory-- at least, one whose dome had mostly fallen. It overlooked an abrupt ravine covered by dark, impenetrable vegetation. The juxtaposition of a ruined high civilization with raw and pitiless nature was startling. I had not seen anything more haunting and romantic, and a more powerful reminder of the vanity of human accomplishments. If only for a brief moment, I felt that I had stepped into the ancient Maya's sacred universe, and would have professed belief in even their most improbable myths. "What a jungle!" exclaimed Madjid, pining for the fine living of his beloved Paris. [Postscript, 1999. According to a recent report, the "execrable" road (in the words of one archaeologist) to Uaxactún has been widened, thereby facilitating the once "hair-raising" ride from Tikal. Much of the jungle growth near the ruins has also been cleared for tourists. But the road still remains dangerous during the long rainy season, and Uaxactún continues to resist the crowds.] |
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