2001-12-27-valladolid-yucatan-mexico.md (8132B)
1 +++ 2 title = "Valladolid, Yucatán, México" 3 date = "2001-12-27T00:00:00Z" 4 slug = "valladolid-yucatan-mexico" 5 tags = ["Mexico", "Travel"] 6 +++ 7 8 In 1543, Francisco de Montejo (the nephew of Mérida’s famous Francisco de 9 Montejo) descended on the ceremonial centre of the Zací (Hawk) Maya, waging war 10 on the *Cupules*, a group of Maya that hadn’t taken kindly to the Spanish 11 conquistadors. When the battle was done and the town had been razed, he renamed 12 it Valladolid in honour of the Spanish city of the same name. Today, Valladolid 13 is one of the most beautiful colonial cities in the Yucatán, with a mix of 14 Spanish and Maya influences. Maya from local pueblas and from the city sell 15 traditional *huipiles* near the plaza downtown. The city is still roughly 16 centered on the *Cenote Zací* that was the ceremonial centre of the original 17 Mayan settlement. 18 19 {{< figure src="/post/2001-12-27-cenote.jpg" alt="View of Cenote Zací. Stalactites and vines hang from above. A few swimmers can be seen near the edge of the pool. A path leads upwards through the trees." >}} 20 21 The cenote is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. To get to it, you hike 22 down a passage into a cavern, then wind your way down the side to get to water 23 level. The water is a deep turquoise colour, and is absolutely crystal clear. 24 In the shallow areas, you can easily see fallen stalactites lying 30 metres 25 below on the bottom. In the deep parts, you won’t see the bottom—it’s more than 26 100 metres deep. The same little blind fish that are present in the cenote at 27 Dzibilchaltún will nibble your toes in this cenote as well. 28 29 Above the cenote is a little zoo with spider monkeys, who spend most of their 30 afternoon playing with toys, and getting fed potato chips by laughing groups of 31 kids. What was more interesting, however, was that they had a raccoon in the 32 zoo. You don’t see them in México at all, and most people we asked didn’t know 33 what the Spanish word for it was, until an old man we ran into told us it was 34 *mapache*. 35 36 The main plaza of the city is gorgeous. With ornate lamp posts, hanging baskets 37 full of flowers, and beautiful hedges, it was the Yucatán’s answer to Victoria. 38 The streets downtown are kept immaculately clean by a crew of street cleaners 39 who run through the streets every morning at 5 am. The government of Spain has 40 apparently deemed Valladolid to be one of the most Spanish cities in the 41 Americas, and donates money to help in its preservation. 42 43 {{< figure src="/post/2001-12-27-cenote-top.jpg" alt="View from above, looking down into Cenote Zací. Vines hang down to the water from above. A stone staircase leads up from the dark blue-green waters. A few scattered fallen leaves litter the surface of the water." >}} 44 45 Probably the most exciting thing that happened while we were there was the 46 rain. We had gone off in search of what is supposed to be an absolutely amazing 47 cathedral and graveyard somewhere in the southwestern part of the city. In 48 typical Mexican fashion, everyone we talked to was able to tell us in 49 approximately what direction it was, so we were able to slowly make our way 50 there stumbling randomly from one Vallisoletana to the next. We never did find 51 it, but not for any lack of determination, but because it started to rain. Now, 52 when I say rain, I don’t mean the rain we get in Victoria. I don’t even mean 53 Vancouver rain. To fully appreciate a Yucatecan rain storm, you really need to 54 experience one. Imagine the streets filling with water, then overflowing onto 55 the sidewalks until the whole city is two feet deep in rainwater. We did the 56 only thing we could do: jump into a corner store. The guys in the store reacted 57 the same way any other Mexicans all over the country would react: toss over a 58 couple chairs and invite us in to watch some TV. We bought some cookies and 59 juice and sat for 45 minutes or so, watching the water level in the street 60 outside rise closer and closer to the edge of the door before we finally 61 decided that we were going to make a break for it, only stopping once for a 62 slice of cheesecake in a bakery along the way back to the hotel. 63 64 Valladolid is also famous for the cenote at Dzitnup, about 10 km out of town. 65 While we never did make it there, we heard some amazing stories about it from 66 Nick, an Irishman from Cork we met in San Cristóbal de las Casas. What is so 67 incredible about it is that it’s at the bottom of a dark cavern, with a small 68 opening in the roof. At the right time of day, the sun shines through this 69 opening and into the turquoise waters of the cenote, making it apear as though 70 you’re bathing in light. The actual name of the cenote is *Kiken* which is 71 Yucatec Maya for 'pig,' because the cenote was originally discovered by a farmer 72 whose his pig had fallen in through the hole in the roof. 73 74 Valladolid is also famous for its uprisings. What transpired in Valladolid in 75 June of 1910 helped to spark the Mexican Revolution that erupted in the rest of 76 the country that November when Francisco Madero flew across the border into 77 Piedras Negras, Coahuila. The revolution wasn’t over until 1920; but as they 78 say, the opening chapters were written in blood, here in Valladolid. 79 80 {{< figure src="/post/2001-12-27-truck.jpg" alt="The rusted carcass of a truck parked on the side of the street. Painted across the front: Duele mas andar a pie (it hurts more to walk). On the bent and twisted remains of the bumper: Asi como me vez te veras (one day, you'll look like this too)." title="'It hurts more to walk'" >}} 81 82 Unhappy with Spanish control of a land they considered their own, a small band 83 of revolutionaries had worked together for months, planning the overthrow of 84 governor Moñoz Aristegui. On the night of June 3rd, 1910, all those committed 85 to the plan met in the Plaza de la Santa Lucia at midnight. Under the command 86 of Ruz Ponce and José Kantún, one group stormed the police quarter, killing the 87 guard outside and taking everyone else prisoner. Another group, led by Claudio 88 Alconcer and Atilano Albertos took the office of the Mexican Guard, killing the 89 Sergeant of the Guard, Facundo Gil. The governor, Felipe de Regil, asleep in 90 bed at the time, woke up to the sound of gunfire outside in the streets. He 91 immediately jumped out of bed and, a gun in each hand, ran into the street 92 firing on the revolutionaries. He fought bravely until the end, when he was 93 finally killed and left lying in the street. 94 95 At this point, there was no turning back for the insurgents. They now had the 96 support of nearly the entire city, and within three days had amassed an army of 97 no less than 1500 men, armed with guns and machetes. Most had no military 98 training. Local landowners provided weapons, ammunition and food. 99 100 In Mérida, this uprising had not gone unnoticed. While the locals were 101 preparing in Valladolid, the government had sent a column of 65 men eastward 102 with 300 guns, recruiting villagers along the way. Under the command of Colonel 103 Ignacio Lara, they marched easward to Tinum, 12 km outside of Valladolid, where 104 they waited for reinforcements to arrive. The cannons of Morelos arrived in 105 Valladolid on the 7th. On the 8th, Lara led his men to the outskirts of the 106 city, where, at dawn on the 9th of June, they began the assault on Valladolid. 107 A batallion of 600 federal troops arrived on the 10th. Poorly equiped, 108 untrained, and out of ammunition, the rebels fell under the three ferocious 109 onslaughts. The death tolls were high on both sides: more than 100 110 revolutionaries and over 30 government soldiers had been killed. This was the 111 highest balance of deaths of any battle ever fought in México, and would remain 112 so until the Revolution began that November. 113 114 The leaders of the revolt were eventually rounded up, tried and sentenced to 115 death. In the courtyard of the Shrine of San Roque, Kantún, Albertos, and 116 Bonilla faced the firing squad. That November, Francisco Madero launched the 117 Mexican Revolution, and by the following April, 17000 people had taken up arms 118 against Porfirio Diaz and his government. The rest is [history][history]. 119 120 [history]: http://history.acusd.edu/gen/projects/border/page01.html