Njengoba ngigwedla endleleni ewubhuqu enqamula ehlathini, inkawu ekhalayo izwakalisa umsindo obandayo womgogodla ngaphezu kwami futhi ngabona ithempeli lami lokuqala lamaMaya.
Yakhelwe uhlaza oluswakeme, u-El Gran Jaguar ophakeme, owaziwa nangokuthi iThempeli I emanxiweni aseTikal eGuatemala, ubukeka bukhulu futhi bungaqondakali itshe elimpunga elinoboya obuluhlaza.
Le sayithi edumile yamaMaya, ohlwini lwami okumele ngilubone ngaphambi kokuba ngife iminyaka, ayidumazi.
Ngenxa yokuwohloka kwezimali eNew York, ukuhambela kwami kwenye yenhloko-dolobha enkulu yempucuko yamaMaya ebhidlikile kubonakala kuwukuphela okufanele kuka-2008, indlela yokubeka izinto ngombono. Futhi leli zwe laseMelika Ephakathi, elake lakhungethwe yimpi yombango, manje seliyindawo ethandwa kakhulu ezokuvakasha enamahhotela ezitolo kodwa liseyindawo ethengeka kakhulu. Enye ibhonasi: Enye yama-rums ahamba phambili emhlabeni, i-Zacapa, yenziwa lapha.
Ngakho-ke, ohambweni lwami lwezinsuku ezinhlanu lukaZibandlela, ngemva kokufunda ukusika umoba endaweni yokugaya i-rum kanye nokuhlola amanxiwa e-Spanish colonial e-Antigua yomlando, ngiya e-Tikal. Indiza yami yehora leshumi ekuseni isuka eGuatemala City ngiya esifundazweni esisenyakatho yePeten yimizuzu engama-10 kuphela, isikhathi esincane kunengithatha ukuze ngizulazule esiminyaminya sezimoto zaseMelika Emaphakathi endleleni eya esikhumulweni sezindiza.
I-Tikal National Park isendaweni ephansi yehlathi lasePeten emaphethelweni e-Maya Biosphere Reserve enkulukazi, eyakhiwa ngo-1990 ukuze kugcinwe ihlathi elikhulu kunawo wonke - nakuba lincipha - elise-Central America, izilwane zalo zasendle ezingavamile kanye nezindawo zamaMaya eziyishumi nambili.
Ibhasi eliya emnyango wepaki (ukungena ngama-$20) kanye nesikhungo sezivakashi esiqhele ngamamayela angu-10 kuthatha ihora. Umgwaqo udlula iChibi elikhulu, eligcwele izingwenya, iPeten-Itza futhi uphahlwe izitezi zezithelo ezincane nezimpawu zomgwaqo ezisixwayisa ukuba siqaphele izingwenya.
Izinkawu zesicabucabu
Izindlela zasehlathini ezimazombezombe ziholela esizeni esikhulu, esingenakho ukuhweba ngenjabulo. Ngibona amathoucan amibalabala nezinkawu zesicabucabu zishwibilika kusukela esihlahleni kuye kwesinye njengoba ngilandela umhlahlandlela wami oya enhliziyweni kaTikal, i-Great Plaza, lapho ngikhexiswa khona i-Temple I, iphiramidi enamazinga ayisishiyagalolunye cishe ezitezi ezingu-20 ukuphakama. Izithombe azikuvezi ukubaluleka kwayo okukhulayo. Izivakashi azisakwazi ukukhuphukela egunjini elincane eliphezulu ngenxa yokuthi eziningana zafa ngemva kokuwa ezitebhisini eziwumqansa ezimbozwe ubulembu.
Imindeni yaseGuatemala iphiknikhini kulesi sikhala esinotshani esibanzi esakhiwe inxanxathela yezakhiwo ze-limestone - izigodlo, ama-altare, amathuna kanye neThempeli I elibhekene neThempeli II. Njengoba izingane zidlala umacashelana ngemuva kwetshe eliqoshiwe eliqoshiwe, ngizama ukucabanga lokhu njengedolobha elikhulukazi elaligcwele ngo-800 AD Khona-ke, kwakuyidolobha elicebile nelinamandla elinabantu abangu-100,000 abasabalele ngaphezu kwamakhilomitha-skwele angu-25 amakhosi abo abhoboza idolobha labo. imithondo enama-stingray spines ngaphambi kokuya empini. Yayinolimi olubhalwayo, amakhalenda kanye nezibalo. Abapristi bakhona babengabikezela ukusitheka kwelanga, kodwa ngemva kweminyaka eyikhulu leli dolobha lalithule, lishiywe dengwane, ligwinywe ihlathi.
Ithempeli elide kunawo wonke
Izitezi zokhuni ziholela phezulu kweThempeli II, nakuba nginquma ukonga amandla ami eThempelini IV. Kumamitha angu-212 (amamitha angu-65), yisakhiwo eside kunazo zonke sesayithi, uhambo lwemizuzu engu-10 endleleni yasendulo yamaMayan. Ngenhlanhla, namuhla kupholile futhi liguqubele, nezifafaza ezimbalwa zemvula. Ngo-December kuya ku-February yizikhathi ezingcono kakhulu ezizayo. NgoMashi no-April, amazinga okushisa angafinyelela ku-95 degrees, futhi umoya oshisayo ugcwale omiyane.
Umqondisi wami, u-Edin, umfundi wezemivubukulo eNyuvesi yaseSan Carlos, uthe isazi sezinyoni esihlola ama-falcons ayezalela eThempelini IV sabona umfantu phakathi nendawo yalo ngoNovemba odlule. Ukubuyisela kwaqala ngokushesha. Ngiyakhukhumala futhi ngikhuphuka ngezitebhisi eziqinile zokhuni eziholela phezulu ukuze ngithole ukubukwa kwehlathi, uphahla lwethempeli lugqobhoze phezu kwe-sapodilla eluhlaza kanye nezihlahla ze-mahogany. Kunginika umbono wokuthi abavubukuli besayithi kumele ngabe bazizwa kanjani eminyakeni eyikhulu nengxenye edlule.
Isiphetho esingaqondakali
Kungani impucuko yamaMaya yawa kuwumbuzo osekunesikhathi udida izazi. Umcabango wamanje uthi kube ukuhlangana kwezinto, okuhlanganisa isomiso, ukugawulwa kwamahlathi, ukusetshenziswa ngokweqile komhlaba, ukwanda kwabantu, ukwanda kwezimpi, ubuholi obumpofu, ukushintsha kwesimo sezulu. Ingabe okunye kwalokho kuzwakala kujwayelekile?
Ngiyazisola ngokuthi angizange ngihlele ukuhlala kwelinye lamahhotela asezingeni eliphansi epaki, noma ngabe ugesi uhamba ngo-9pm Kodwa njengoba ngibuyela ehhotela lami lezinkanyezi ezinhlanu ($190 ngobusuku) elakhiwe emanxiweni Isigodlo sezindela sangekhulu le-16 e-Antigua, ngijabule futhi.
Ngizulazula ezindleleni zegceke lase-Casa Santo Domingo kanye nezinsalela zamatshe zesonto elikhulu ezikhanyiswe ngamakhandlela evoti. Izingoma zikaGregory ezidlala kancane ezipikheni nasemithonjeni egelezayo zidala umoya opholile, wokuzindla wokuzindla ngamanxiwa. Ngibuyela ekhaya kusasa, kodwa ngisamile embonweni omude ka-2009.
LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:
- In light of the financial meltdown in New York, my visit to one of the greatest capitals of the collapsed Maya civilization seems an appropriate end to 2008, a way to put things in perspective.
- I-Tikal National Park isendaweni ephansi yehlathi lasePeten emaphethelweni e-Maya Biosphere Reserve enkulukazi, eyakhiwa ngo-1990 ukuze kugcinwe ihlathi elikhulu kunawo wonke - nakuba lincipha - elise-Central America, izilwane zalo zasendle ezingavamile kanye nezindawo zamaMaya eziyishumi nambili.
- flight from Guatemala City to the northern province of Peten is only 50 minutes, less time than it takes me to navigate the choking Central American traffic on the way to the airport.
