Itzamna and a Mayan Village

Last night, we visited our friend Victor Olalde. He had been our guide in Chichen Itza a year ago. He always knows a lot and shares with us.

I’m looking for an image of Izamna, the Maya equivalent of Christ – son of the creator god, Hunab K’u. Victor said we would find the image carved on the east wall of the Nunnery building beyond the Observatory at the Chichen Itza ruins.

We woke early, checked out of the hotel and headed to the ruins. it was strange to walk along the entrance path and NOT see any craft vendors. Some were setting their stalls up but none approached us to buy their wares. It felt good.

We knew, from our Moon handbook, that the Nunnery Building would be a long walk on this huge site, which is traditionally known as Itzamna’s ceremonial center.

We finally got to the building and saw the carving over the doorway just as Victor had said. Only a couple of German tourists shared the space with us. I set up my video camera on its tripod so I would be sure to get the image without any camera movement.

After a couple of minutes, an ancient Mayan guard turned up and told me I could not use a tripod. So, I took the camera off the tripod, telescoped the tripod legs and took the rest of my footage. The old guard also said the image was not Itzamna. I don’t know who to believe – Victor or the old guard.

We also quickly took footage to illustrate information I’d learned in the archives of Hacienda Chichen yesterday – that August Le Plongeon had excavated the Platforma de Venus. We also photographed and videotaped the chac mool that I believe Alice Le Plongeon, his wife, found with her psychic powers. Did I tell you that Alice also had memories of Atlantis and that was one of the reasons the Le Plongeons were in Chichen Itza . . . because they thought the site had an association with the lost continent.

At 10, we had an appointment with Jose at Hacienda Chichen. Miriam is considering being a volunteer with local Maya people for a month or so, which the Hacienda arranges. Jose is not only an elder-in-training, but also the head of their volunteer program.

He told us that he is presently too young to be consider as an elder. You can only be an elder after the age of 52.

Jose took us to his village where we saw children in the local school, the room where they ate and the infirmary associated with the school. The school meal area has been improved by Belisa Barancache, the “keeper” of Hacienda Chichen.

I loved the beautiful children’s inquisitive eyes. The little ones crowded around the back of the video camera to see the moving image being recorded.

My favorite part of the tour with Jose was a visit to a very traditionally Maya village in which women, in a business cooperative, were making the beautifully embroidered traditional white dresses called huiptil on sewing machines outside under the protection of a roof of a building in the village center. They spoke in Mayan. I asked to take their “photographia . . . OK?” They nodded.

I got some great pictures of some lovely women. I feel so happy to have seen the women – about a dozen of them – drawing the patterns on the cloth and then embroidering the design in bright colors on their sewing machines.

Carol Chapman

Copyright (c) 2009 Carol Chapman

Interview with Hacienda Chichen “Keeper”

I sit tapping on the keyboard beide the beautifully lighted pool at Dolores Alba Chichen Itza hotel after a very fulfilling day.

Today, I met and interviewed on videotape the owner of the Hacienda Chichen. Belisa Barancanche, who calls herself the “keeper” of the 300 hectare ecologically preserved area, described her respect of the Maya and all they have to offer us.

Her family have owned the Hacienda Chichen for three generations. The Hacienda was originally built with stones from Mayan temples by the Spanish in the 1500s. During the 1800s, it housed such impressive Chichen Itza explorers as the Le Plongeons. In the 1920s, the Carnegie Institute made the Hacienda their home.

I had read that Alice Le Plongeon had told workers where to dig in the dirt to find a certain chac moll statue. I did not know, but learned today from Belisa, that Alice Le Plongeon was a talented psychic. She remembered having been in Chichen Itza during its heyday, which is why she could tell workers exactly where to dig for certain artifacts.

One of my personal heroines, Tatiana Proskouriakoff, a wonderful artist who drew sketches of what the ruins looked like while the ancient Maya lived in them, also lived at the Hacienda. Tatiana also made important breakthroughs in deciphering the meaning of the mysterious Mayan glyphs.

Belisa had many wonderful stories to tell. Her husband, Bruce, who is an American, is devoted to making the lands ecologically sustainable, for example, purifying the waste water of the hotel to be used on fields growing animal feed.

Hacienda Chichen is adjacent to the official ruinas Chichen Itza. A private entrance leads from the hotel grounds, which used to be used by archeologists staying there. Although the Hacienda grounds are separated from the official ruins, there are also many ruins on the hotel property.

Belisa has made part of the grounds available to Mayan elders to perform their sacred ceremony. This is where I attended the Equinox ceremony yesterday. She said that the government will not also the Elders at the actual official ruin site.

I felt very happy to have the opportunity to meet and talk with Belisa and Bruce. Here is a link to the a site with information about the Hacienda, the Mayan Elders, archeologist, ecologicaly sustainability and much, much more . . . http://www.yucatanadventure.com.mx.

Carol Chapman

Copyright (c) 2009 Carol Chapman

Equinox Ceremony with Mayan Elders

I know I said we were going to the ruins at Chichen Itza today for the big March 21st event. However, this morning I had the opportunity to attend a traditional Spring Equinox ceremony presided over by Mayan elders.

I felt afraid that my video camera might provide an intrusion in the sacred ceremony. However, when the grey-haired elder saw me, he asked that I tape the ceremony. I felt so happy to be of use to him.

It involved a walk into nature where five ceiba trees were planted – one for each of the cardinal directions and one in the center. I wish I could convey the mystical fragrance of the copal that was burned throughout the ceremony.

After the elder ceremoniously planted the trees, he continued with the second half of the event by smudging all of us with the fragrant smoke and then we were brushed with a small branch of green leaves dipped in water. The water splashed against my face to my surprise. The elder also brushed our torso and limbs.

Finally, we were given liquids to drink in gourds. One liquid contained the bark of the ceiba tree, cinnamon, honey, and purified water. I did not get the second drink because they ran out of it but Miriam did. She said it was made out of corn and water. Corn is very important to the Maya.

When we returned to the hotel, and after lunch, we were so tired that we slept all afternoon. I assume we had received a healing and our bodies were processing the changes. It had been important that we were in the sun and heat so that we were sweating during the ceremony.

During the event, I felt so moved that at times I was almost in tears even though I could not understand a word that was said since the event was in Mayan. I felt so grateful and full of love for the elder who was the leader of the ceremonies. There was also one man who kept feeding the clay burner containing the copal. He also sang at various times. Two men blew on conch shells whenever a ceiba tree was planted. Another man played hypnotically on a hollow log drum.

After the ceremony, I asked, through a translator, if I could ask the elder about 2012. He graciously accepted and told me his understanding of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for all of us.

It wasn’t only the healing that kept us from the event at Chichen Itza. Most of the afternoon was overcast. Clouds filled most of the sky. In the end, we awoke from our afternoon sleep just as the sun broke through the clouds at 5 pm, the time of the light on the serpent. It lasted for five minutes and then it began to rain.

When we drove to the restaurant for dinner, we were amazed at the number of people pouring out of the Chichen Itza ruins. Not only were they walking three abreast on the shoulders of the road, but an overflow parking area had been created where over a dozen buses were parked. It must have been crazy in there, just as a tour guide had said when we saw the light on the serpent yesterday. We were fortunate to have seen the light pattern on the side of the serpent for over 30 minutes yesterday.

Love and blessings,

Carol Chapman

Copyright (c) 2009 Carol Chapman

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

The Adventure Begins!!!

We are in Merida. And, my, what an adventure John had to get here.

My experience was relatively simple. I simply got lost in the Mexico City airport, could not find anyone who could adequately understand my English to give me proper directions, ended up outside the airport, had to go through security again,almost missed immigration, and got to my gate just at EXACTLY the right time to walk straight onto the plane!

When I got to Merida, I found a Taxi stand outside the airport building – something new, you pay before you get in the taxi – remembered to get my “recebo,” was soooooo grateful that in the darkness of the early evening I had a taxi because I would have never otherwise found the hotel which was down a very narrow one-way street after a harrowing half hour drive through very crowded streets and cars and trucks jutting out into traffic and loads of pedestrians on the sidewalks and crossing the streets.

On top of all that, you would have never even known there was a hotel at the spot where the taxi stopped. No neon lighted sign. No big painted sign. Only a very discreet awning with three inch high letters saying, “hotel” and engraved on the window glass, “Dolores Alba.”

As I entered the lobby, I first saw a striking reproduction of a self-portrait of Freida Kohla, the great Mexican artist. She looked gorgeous dressed in a red dress with her hand brushed tentatively on her neck with gorgeous red flower on her head. I have seen the movie about Frieda, loved it and felt instantly at home when I saw this painting.

However, Frieda was a strange internally distressed human being, fluttering between bi-sexuality, angry with the infidelities of her fellow-artists husband, and tortured by a tragic bus accident that left her crippled and in great pain for most of her life. Her self-portraits, with her black single eyebrows staring back at me, felt slightly disturbing.

My feelings were not unfounded because John should have been waiting for me at Dolores Alba and he was no where to be found. He was supposed to fly into Cancun at about 1:00 p.m., rent a car, and drive to Merida. We would meet at Dolores Alba in Merida and would be on the same schedule the rest of the trip. Where was he?

After I checked in and showered, he still had not arrived. I was very hungry but felt too tired to walk the “three block and one over or five blocks in the other direction” to find an open restaurant in the darkness. Furthermore, I felt that if I left the hotel, John might arrive and I could miss him.

I decided to buy a package of “japonais” flavored coated peanuts in the vending machine, buy a bottle of water – made the mistake of starting to brush my teeth before I remembered to use only bottled water – felt I was too tired to go out so, after standing outside the hotel for a while hoping John might drive the busy narrow street without obvious hotel markings and flag him down.

He did not drive by. I had half the package of peanuts in my room, drank some “agua purificado” from the bottle, brushed my teeth with the same water and decided that wherever John was, I needed to get my sleep to better look for him, if he did not turn up, the next morning.

I reminded myself that John is a very hardy individual and has survived retying ropes to his beloved sailboat during hurricane Isabel, was lost in Paris for five hours while I waited for him to pick me up and because my intuitiion was working at a full ability “knew” he was lost on the circular and triangular Parisian streets so left my luggage with the concierge and went for lunch at a nearby bistro.

The long and the short of it was that I turned the a/c on in my room and fell asleep.

A wakened to hear tapping sounds on the door. John’s voice whispered, “Carol, it’s me.”

He’d made it. I shuffled to the door. It was him!

My first thought was, “What time is it?” Isn’t it strange what you think of to say first. Not, “Thank God, you made it,” or “Darling, darling!” It was obvious he’d made it and obvious I missed him since we were hugging.

“3 AM,” he said.

He told me that his plane, out of Miami, had turned back after being one hour in the air. Later, the co-pilot explained that the windshield of the plane had developed a crack and they had to turn back.

In the end, he was delayed by seven hours arriving in Cancun.

I am really proud of myself that I did not go into a warp-drive panic. Maybe my intuition was working in spite of how tired and exhausted I felt from a day flying from Richmond to Dallas to Mexico City and finally to Merida.

More on John’s adventures driving here and finding the hotel later.

Carol Chapman

Copyright (c) 2009 Carol Chapman

Yucatan Here I Come!

Well, I’ll be in Merida, Yucatan later today. And then, off to Chichen Itza for the Spring Equinox event when the sunlight makes triangle patterns on the stone serpents. Should be many people there. Hope I get pictures and video footage. That’s what I’m after.  

Carol Chapman —

Orbs Photos from a Spiritual Retreat in India

Hi again,

I promised you more orbs photographs from recipients of this enewsletter. Here are some of them.

These orbs photos are from Michael Day. As before, I’ve also included close ups of various orbs. By the way, for your information, you can see these photograph in an enlarged format if you click on them.

This orbs photo shows a close up of the orb floating above the man in blue with his hands in a prayerful pose. I’ve used Photoshop‘s “brighten and contrast” feature to bring out the patterns in the orb. By doing so, I inadvertently exposed more orbs than were previously visible.

Although these photos were submitted specifically to show orbs in a photograph, I also enjoy the opportunity to view the experience of being at a spiritual retreat in India. This photograph also shows a couple of golden orbs.

A close up of the large orb in the above photograph.

I like this close up because it shows a number of orbs superimposed one on top of the other. I also like that you can see how transparent they are and the patterns within the orbs. 

This final orbs photos shows a cloud of orbs. If they truly are spirits, as some people believe, there certainly were many attracted to this spiritual retreat in India.

A close up of the glowing orb above the man’s head in the above orbs picture – lovely.

Thanks, Michael Day, for sending these orbs photos to me so I could share them with others.

There are still more Orbs Photos to come and I will post them when I get home from Yucatan. I’m leaving tomorrow to take the final footage for my 2012 movie.

Carol Chapman —

Copyright (c) 2009 Carol Chapman

Chichen Itza Equinox Event

This time, when I’m in the Yucatan, I plan to be at Chichen Itza during the amazing spring Equinox event when sunlight makes a diagonal pattern on the side of the stone serpent whose body rises up the side of the Pyramid of Kukulcan.  

Carol Chapman —