Post 3 -The Pyramid
This is Post 3. To start at the beginning, go to Post 1.
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That’s me wearing the sun glasses and my son-in-law is in front of
me.
We listened as our guide explained that the ancients leveled the top of
this mountain and built this huge structure even though they did not have metal
tools and they had not invented the wheel so every rock was carried by hand. We cannot imagine the tremendous human effort
involved in creating this structure.
Those ancient Mayans were amazing people, this was an impressive
achievement.
Our guide told us that we were looking at the sunrise side of the
pyramid, symbolizing birth and life. The
band of symbols half way up the structure told the importance of the king, who
was considered a god. His people
believed he connected them to the unseen spirits that protected them against
their enemies and provided the annual rains they needed to grow their crops.
View
From The Top
Our guide then led us to a trail that took us to the top. From there, we looked out across a vast
rainforest and above the surrounding ridges.
He told us that we were seeing Guatemala in the distance.
Let me introduce you to Virginia, my wife. She is on a platform at the top of the
pyramid.
This is where ancient priests stood when they conducted their religious
ceremonies to satisfy the unseen spirits that the people depended upon to defend
and sustain them. A huge crowd of
commoners would have gathered in the plaza below to witness the ceremonies, and
to worship their god and king.
Notice that the city behind Virginia is quite large and well planned, indicating
the size of the population and the complexity of the society that thrived here
for many hundreds of years.
Also notice the lush rainforest that surrounds us, and that it has been
cleared from the center of city, which extends to the palace in the
distance. These ruins are now part of a national park set aside for
archeological study, and an attraction for the million tourists that visit
Belize every year to view the remains of the amazing achievements left behind
by the ancient people who mysteriously abandoned this city a thousand years ago,
giving it up for the jungle to strangle and to swallow.
Our guide then led us down the trail on the sunset side of the pyramid,
the side of darkness and death, and to undisturbed mounds that cover what had
been homes and shops of a thriving city a thousand years ago. As we stood in what probably was a street, he
explained the activities of the ancient people who lived here, and he also told
us a folklore tale that had been passed down from generation to generation in
his nearby village, perhaps for hundreds of years.
That’s me in the back, my son-in-law is in front of me and my daughter
(with the white shoes) stands beside him.
Someone asked the guide if he had ever come here as a young boy, since
he grew up so close to these ruins. I
remember his exact words.
“No, never. The old folks told
us evil spirits live here.”
Go to Post 4 to read about the ‘evil spirits’ tale.
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