Chichen Itza

For those of you who don't recognize the name...maybe you'll recognize the place?

If that still doesn't do it for you...WIKIPEDIA.

Also, to help you out with pronunciation...wikipedia gives this lovely contraption: /tʃiːˈtʃɛn iːˈtsɑː/.

If you know what to make of that...good for you.

We only had a couple days in Cancun, and Chichen Itza is like the biggest thing to do there, so we figured we just had to squeeze it in. We took off on Valentines morning to go check out these ancient Mayan ruins. It is amazing to walk around and think about people actually living and working in this city that is now basically crumbling stone.

"Let's see...where was that massive pyramid thing? I could have sworn I just saw it..."

The thousand columns

Ancient Mayan tic-tac-toe. Looks like the Os won.

There were lizards like this ALL OVER the place. I steered clear while Dallin got as close as possible to take pictures.

El cenote- used for religious and (depending on which tour guide you have) sacrificial purposes.

**side note: Dallin would not give me the camera. That's why I'm in all the pictures and he's in like, none. Side note over.

The famous Mayan Ball Game court. I have no idea how they got a ball through that circle using only their elbows, hips, and knees. Could they fly? They must have flown.

Finally! Proof that Dallin was there!

Anyway, this was a great little trip. We got back and Dallin and his bro rented some jet skis, while I took the calmer route and hung out on the beach. Hey, I even got to see a V-day wedding on the beach. Coolness.

Later that night, all of us went out to eat at Outback (American-ish, I know. Don't hate). This is the only picture I have:

And then we went to the only laundromat we could find, since Dallin's aunt and uncle had some laundry to do.

It was a little sketchy lookin, but it got the job done!

Since it was Valentine's Day, Dallin and I romantified our night a bit by taking a moonlit stroll on the beach. Ah, that's life.

The next day was Sunday, so we ventured off to church. We found a ward meeting at a good time, and joined them for sacrament meeting. It was pretty sweet, and I was very proud that I actually understood most of the talks. Ole!

After that, we hunted down one of Dallin's old mission companions, and they chatted for a while while the rest of us met some of the other members of his ward.

All too soon, it was time to go back to the airport.

The trip home was a little boring...we didn't have any problems getting on the plane or switching around luggage or anything. Where's the fun in that right? Also, we were flying standby and the plane was fairly full so we didn't get to sit next to each other. Boo. That gave me plenty of time to get some reading done for school. Yeah, The Autobiography of Malcolm X was just what I wanted to do with those 4 hours.

So that was our trip! It was fantastic. It was pretty short, yes, but it was a wonderful getaway and it was great as always to get to see my in-laws! We are grateful to them for letting us mooch off their vacation.

And now the saga of my trip from almost a month ago is complete. Holla! Maybe next time I'll write about something a little more recent...I guess we'll see.