... and Uxmal off the beaten path

Uxmal was a huge city.  And the easily accessible part with the pyramids and palaces -- while pretty big -- certainly isn't the whole thing.  Being the kind of person I am (me) I've always wanted to "poke around the edges", maybe see some less groomed stuff.

The only 24/7 residents of Uxmal today are iguanas, and there are plenty of them.  If you get too close, like about to step on one, they shoot away into the underbrush.  So I figured they know their way around, maybe I'll follow.  Searched out some little paths and thin spots in the underbrush and just walked into the jungle a bit.  Well worth it!





Here's a picture of Uxmal taken in 1890, before much had been cleared.  Piles of rocks, covered in grass, brush, trees. 




And another picture, taken today... 129 years later. Still covered in grass, brush, trees when you get away from center.  Naturally I decided to go inside for a look.  Glad that I did. Beautiful architecture, nicely built.  Glad that these un-restored areas are accessible.


A few minutes into the jungle, down a barely visible path, found a mostly overgrown graveyard.  Wow!  Not off-limits, just not so easy to get to.  Photo of carving on the side of a slightly raised plot.  Not planning to visit here on Halloween thank you.  And below, an un-restored ruin deeper in the jungle near the graveyard.