This is Iggy the Iguana, one of a herd, er - a pack, a flock
- well, a bunch of iguanas that live in and on the ruins of Tulum, the Mayan
city near Cozumel and Cancun on the Yucatan Peninsula. Tulum had at least two
temples, a palace and a castle like fortress. So, there is plenty for Iggy and
his friends to guard.
The city was at its peak between the 13th and 15th centuries
and had a population estimated at between 1,200 and 1,600 people.
Unfortunately, the invading Spaniards brought Old World diseases with the, like
small pox, that ultimately wiped out the indigenous, Mayan population. The
walled city sits high on a bluff, probably 40 to 60 feet overlooking a beautiful
white sand beach and the aqua colored Caribbean Sea. The city ruins are one of
Mexico's national parks and the beach is now a protected nesting place for sea
turtles.
Tulum may not be as large or famous as the ancient Inca
ruins at Machu Picchu in Peru, but it most certainly is a beautiful and
historic site to visit. Hopefully, it will be there for a long time in the
future with Iggy and his friends standing guard. Unfortunately, it's another
testimony of the demise of a city and its culture due to the not so glorious
legacy of invasion and conquest of the
New World by the Europeans.
No comments:
Post a Comment