Show rc Iq UW h t I f I 4 IM L G 4 r i f V 1 p wp 4 MEXICO CITY'S Palace of Fine Arts features performances of the world famous Folk lore Ballet for visitors to the old centuries city Touring Ancient America Yucatan Green Jungles And Sparkling Villages by William B Wallis Editor We arrived in Merida an March 1 Yucatan has been called the land of the pheasant and the deer Here are no dramatic mountains deep gor gor- gor gorges rushing rivers In its own flat fiat way Yucatan Is just justas as beautiful as the most spec Mexican scenery Most of the country Is cov covered red with low green jungle broken by sparkling white villages and by the Windmills that constantly taunt the pass pass- passing ing clouds with their whirling arms As all the rivers In Yucatan are their windmills operate artesian wells next to almost every house deep natural wells fed by the underground waters break the green mono mono- monotony tony of the jungles The pure dark blue of these open caves show their Incredible depth myriads of butterflies form yellow clouds around the edge Many of these have been transformed Into plc pic swimming pools YUCATAN IS possessor of an Incredible wealth in arch arch- sites Ancient build build- buildings ings at Chichen Itza Kabah and other cities make dramatic silhouettes against the sky The state of Yucatan Yuca yucca plant tan place of of is situated on the northern part of the peninsula of the same name The lower part of the peninsula is occupied on the west by Campeche state on the east cast by the territory of Quint Quint- Quintana ana Roo It Is bordered on the south by Guatemala and British Honduras The whole peninsula which Is the south south- southeast east tip lip of the Mexican lie that juts up into the Gulf of Mexico Is bathed by this gulf on the north and west and by the Caribbean Sea on the east Merida capital of Yu catan is nearer Havana Cuba than it S 'S Is to Mexico City and within short flying distance from Miami Florida MERIDA IS one of the most captivating cities in Mexico It ItIs Itis Is an Interesting old city found ed cd in 1541 At one time Merida Melida was the site of a Mayan settle settle- settlement ment It has remained untouched ed by outside Influences The sites are reached from Merida Most famous is Chich Chichen n Itza Ilza 75 miles cast where we visited the Temple of th the Warriors the Sacred Well of Sacrifices the observatory and other structures structures of the Maya Toltec civilization On our way to Merida we flew by prop plane from Mexico City to Villa Villahermosa hermosa and from rom there drove to P Palenque where we spent a night EARLY NEXT morning we visited some of the most In ruins found on the North American continent the Temple of the Crosses Palace Museum md and Temple of the In with a beautiful tomb inside At Palenque deep In the jungles we not only found one pyramid but numerous structures where ancient cere cere- cere ceremonies monies were conducted by the Mayan nation The ancient buildings were covered with a heavy growth of vegetation Palenque is a Mayan holy city whose ruins encompass some 15 to 20 square miles of jungle pl plateau and include an Imposing palace of many rooms and patios a tower and many manyI temples built atop a pyramid I i In the Temple of the Is a royal crypt whose walls are decorated with stucco figures Original name of this holy city i is unknown but it itIs itis Is known that It was built In the seventh century and believed to have been abandoned in the twelfth A SIDE trip from Merida is isa isa a flight to the Island of Coso Cos- Here Jere is where Cortez made his first landing In Cen Cen- Cen Central America to begin a aI I Itral I campaign of destruction and andI massacre that Is perhaps un un- un unequalled I equalled In American history Even today centuries after the visit of the Spaniards there Is a feeling of bitterness and hatred for the atrocities inflict inflict- inflicted ed upon the natives of this area by these armies from Spain Cozumel Is a delightful trop trop trop- tropical ical island In the In the early days was a orate resting place for pirates It Is a recreation area where the climate and the enticing beaches are enjoyed by many vacationers from the north Swimming fishing and log Ing are some of the popular pastimes After spending a few more days in Merida and a visit to Chichen Itza we will fly to Guatemala where we wm will spend d a few days In this pro yince |