Chichen Itza Equinox Serpent Event
Today is the day of the official spring Equinox. Chichen Itza was our destination. Even though the pattern of light on the side of the stone serpent is supposed to be the best tomorrow, the weather prediction has been for intermitent clouds so I wanted to be at the Chichen Itza ruins today as well as tomorrow just in case clouds covered the sun and therefore obliterated the magical sunlight pattern on the side of the ancient stone serpent. I figured we would have a better chance of capturing the event on videotape and film if we went more than one day.
As I said in my last post, John was delayed flying into Cancun because his aircraft developed a crack in its wildshield. He drove during the night from Cancun to Merida to make a rendezvous with me. In the morning, we enjoyed breakfast at our hotel in Merida and then headed to Chichen Itza for a late lunch on our way back to Cancun to pick up our daughter, Miriam, who is also an important personality in the movies I am making.
Her plane was also delayed. We did not get back to Chichen Itza until around midnight. However, we all awoke refreshed, albiet John and I almost too late to make it to the Hotel Chichen Itza’s restaurant for breakfast.
In the afternoon, we headed out to the ruins at Chichen Itza. Already crowds of people poured into the site in anticipation of the serpent event. It was a hot day. Miriam commented that she noticed a number of people scantily clad in bikini tops or men without tops because of the heat.
After videotaping establishing shots for the event, we hid out in the shade of some trees where vendors had set up their wares. Miriam loved the brightly painted ceramic bowls and stylized animals. We examined painted clay turtles. She chose a lovely red one to bring home.
We sat, relaxed, and waited until we saw the crowds congregating on the grass on the side of the Pyramid of Kukulcan where the light was supposed to make the diamond pattern on the side of the stone serpent. Its body rises up the height of the pyramid.
Next began the jockeying for the best viewing and photographing position. A group of Japanese women well covered in flowing hats or carrying umbrellas sat in front of me taking pictures. A lovely Mexican girl and her adoring boyfriend embraced and looked into each other’s eyes beside me. A Chinese grandmother ran after a cute little toddler in a pink cotton cap.
We waited. I don’t know if he did this on purpose or if it just happened so but I’d like to think that John graciously stood beside me to cast a shadow over my head to protect me from the blistering sun.
We waited. John pointed out that the diamond pattern was becoming more pronounced. Miriam came to sit beside me and said that she hoped she wouldn’t be disappointed. The three of us continued to click shutters and videotape.
One of the men officiating told people who were standing to either move back or to sit down. John had to leave me to the heat of the sun.
Just as the pattern almost became perfect, a cloud covered the sun. Moans rang out through the crowd of hundreds of people. After a few minutes, a number of people left.
The rest of us sitting on the grass jockied for better viewing positions. I inadvertently sat on a young girl’s hand. One of the Japanese women shoved in front of me and told me to leave a place for her girlfriend. A young red-headed man with his lovely girlfriend stepped over all of us and sat right in the middle of our view.
We continued to adjust and readjust ourself in anticipation of the sun coming out of the clouds again.
A few minutes later, the sun peaked out again and the pattern of light on the serpent almost looked perfect. Camera shutters clicked and video cameras whirred.
However, in only a few more minutes, shade covered the site. The wind bega to blow. After hours of intense head, the cooler air felt refreshing.
I looked behind us and saw a bank of grey clouds. It was over. Most people stood up and brushed the dry grass and dirt off of their trousers.
After stopping at the Chichen Itza ruins restaurant for fresh orange juice and water, we went back to our hotel satisfied that we had seen the light pattern. I learned from people in the crowd that the last two years had been a total disappointment because of rain.
The weather report for tomorrow is also partly cloudy. Hopefully the sun will continue to shine a bit longer. Nonetheless, I am very happy to have been among all those people and to have shared the spectacle to almost perfection.
Carol Chapman
Copyright (c) 2009 Carol Chapman
