Ek Balam

Ek Balam: Dark Jaguar
About 18km (11 miles) north of Valladolid, off the highway to Río Lagartos, are the spectacular ruins of Ek Balam, which, owing to a certain ambiguity in Mayan, means either "dark jaguar" or "star jaguar." Relatively unvisited by tourists, the Ek Balam ruins are about to hit it big. On my last trip a brand new road was built from Highway 295 straight to the ruins. This can mean only one thing: tour buses. See these ruins as soon as possible.

In the last few years a team of archeologists have been doing extensive excavation and renovation. What they have found has the Mayanist world of scholars all aquiver. Take Calle 40 north out of Valladolid to Highway 295; go 20km (12 miles) to a large marked turnoff. Ek Balam is 13km (8 miles) from the highway; the entrance fee is $3, plus $4 for each video camera. The site is open daily from 8am to 5pm.

Built between 100 B.C. and A.D. 1200, the smaller buildings are architecturally unique -- especially the large, perfectly restored Caracol. Flanked by two smaller pyramids, the imposing central pyramid is about 160m (520 ft.) long and 60m (200 ft.) wide. At more than 30m (100 ft.) high, it is easily taller than the highest pyramids in Chichén Itzá and Uxmal. On the left side of the main stairway, archaeologists have uncovered a large ceremonial doorway of perfectly preserved stucco work. It is an astonishingly elaborate representation of the gaping mouth of the underworld god. Around it are several beautifully detailed human figures. Excavation inside revealed a long chamber filled with Mayan hieroglyphic writing. From the style, it appears that the scribes probably came from Guatemala. So far this chamber is closed to the public. From this script, an epigrapher, Alfonso Lacadena, has found the name of one of the principal kings of the city -- Ukit Kan Le'k. He is still working on deciphering the full meaning of the text. If you climb to the top of the pyramid, in the middle distance you can see untouched ruins looming to the north. To the southeast, you can spot the tallest structures at Cobá, 50km (30 miles) away.
Also plainly visible are the raised causeways of the Maya -- the sacbé appear as raised lines in the forest vegetation. More than any of the better-known sites, Ek Balam inspires a sense of mystery and awe at the scale of Maya civilization and the utter ruin to which it came.