Psalm 60:6
"God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth."
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Reading Between the Lines
Chess: "Tikal"
Tikal
| The magnificent site of Tikal lies amidst the lush rainforests of northern Guatemala in the heart of the region known as the Petén. Here, where the forest canopy today towers up to 50 and 60 meters (150-180 ft.) in height, a city of 60,000-70,000 people surrounded by verdant corn fields once bustled with activity. Tikal has long been regarded by archaeologists as the "capital" of the Maya, although for a people whose political organization did not evolve beyond the level of the city-state, this may not be a totally accurate characterization. In any case, it does represent one of the most impressive architectural achievements of the Maya civilization, being dominated by five sky-scraper-like pyramids each exceeding 60 m (200 ft.) in height. Although its history spans the entire "Classic Period" (indeed, its earliest dated monument (A.D. 292) has often been cited as the beginning point of that epoch), its hey-day was reached in the eighth century A.D. when the five imposing pyramids were constructed, all within roughly a fifty-year span of time. Scarcely less than a century later, Tikal, like most of the other Maya city-states, was abandoned and the jungle began to encroach on its temples and palaces. (At the right is a photograph of the 20-story pyramid which the excavators of Tikal have labelled Temple I.) |  |
Archaeologists have speculated as to why Tikal was built where it was, especially
since it lies so near (25 km, or 16 mi.) to another older city (Uaxactún) of
like size and importance. As I point out in my book, both cities are aligned to
peaks in the Maya Mountains (located in present-day Belize) at the winter solstice
sunrise: Uaxactún to Baldy Beacon (1020 m, or 3346 ft.) and Tikal to Victoria
Peak (1120 m, or 3674 ft.) It would appear that Uaxactún was constructed first,
in the belief that Baldy Beacon was the highest mountain in the range, but with
the subsequent discovery that Victoria Peak exceeded it in elevation, the Maya
opted to build a newer and larger "capital" aligned to it. In any event, both
Uaxactún and Tikal lie atop the drainage divide between the Gulf of Mexico and the
Caribbean Sea.
If one finds it amazing that the Maya could raise such great structures as the
five "sky-scraper" pyramids of Tikal without the use of the wheel or the block and
tackle, one finds it almost as amazing that the archaeologists who excavated
the site should have failed to appreciate the significance of the pyramids' precise
spatial arrangement. When I visited the site in 1979, my principal objective was
to determine how and why they had been positioned as they were. Standing atop
Temple I, I quickly realized that Temple III lay directly west of it, marking the
sunset position at the time of the equinoxes. (In the photograph above we see
Temple II in the middle-foreground, Temple III to our left in the middle-background
and Temple IV to our right in the far background.) Conversely, of course, a priest atop
Temple III could observe the equinoctial sunrise above Temple I. Also from
Temple I, a sight-line to Temple IV (the highest of the five pyramids: 67 m, or 221
ft.) marks the sunset position on August 13 -- "the day the world began", according
to the Mesoamericans.
As one stands atop Temple IV, it is readily apparent that only one man-made structure
intersects the horizon, and this is Temple III. However, it does so only with an architectural
embellishment known as a "roof comb" (a false front added by the Maya to their otherwise
squat buildings to give them more imposing height) -- in this case, a triple roof comb whose
azimuth marks the winter solstice sunrise position over Victoria Peak, which is often invisible
in the morning haze.
At first glance, Temple II (which is slightly offset to the left, or south, across the
central plaza from Temple I as seen in the middle photograph above) might be
regarded as simply an architectural "counter-weight" to the latter. However, it is
not until one mounts Temple V, located on a hill to the south of the main complex,
that a couple of other spatial relationships become apparent. Temple I, as viewed
from Temple V, defines an azimuth of 15.5º east of north, reinforcing not only a
right-angle to Temple IV but also marking the same alignment as the "Street of the
Dead" at Teotihuacán. On the other hand, Temple II as seen from Temple V marks
an azimuth of 352º, or 8 degrees west of north -- a key alignment also observed at
the ancient "Olmec" site of La Venta and whose significance is explained in my book.
Thus, all five of the great pyramids at Tikal form part of an ingenious "astronomical
matrix" with which the city's priests could calibrate all the major dates of their ritual year.
source : http://www.dartmouth.edu/~izapa/tikal.html
Wikipedia says :
Etymology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tikal
Sand and Sea To Spare In Costa Rica
THE Nicoya Peninsula juts off Costa Rica into the Pacific Ocean like a misshapen ear. It is rugged terrain, formed by the string of volcanoes inland. Other than a few large beach resorts in the far north, Nicoya's coastline has missed much of the development that has spread across the country.
In a search for an affordable, relaxed beach vacation, I first visited Nicoya in January 2002, traveling to Montezuma, a small town on the bottom tip of the peninsula, and returned last year. Once an active fishing village, Montezuma has developed a reputation as a backpacker haven, a beachside Katmandu.
One can fly from the capital, San José, to several spots on the Nicoya Peninsula, but on my first visit my three friends and I chose a combination of buses and a ferry ride. With the closest landing strip about 18 miles away, everyone completes the trip to Montezuma by road.
The town is at the base of a steep line of cliffs, a few dozen buildings cozied up against the Pacific Ocean. A string of long beaches stretches to the south; a picturesque lava-rock coast backed up against thick jungle lies to the north.
Montezuma itself is a cosmopolitan oasis, dominated by young visitors from Europe and South America. Its two main streets form an L and serve as an intimate town center. I counted one late-night bar, one mini-supermarket and one town drunk.
We settled into two simple rooms at Cabinas Mar y Cielo, a six-room operation behind one of the main gift shops. I soon discovered more elegant, affordable accommodations north of town, but I stayed faithful to Mar y Cielo. It was centrally situated, yet generally quiet. I could open my door and see the ocean a few hundred feet away.
Soon enough, I settled into a pleasing schedule, alternating the natural and the urbane. After a morning dip in the surf, I might head to town for a mango and papaya smoothie. I'd take a hike to the waterfall. Then I'd return to town to check my e-mail. By sunset, my friends and I might meet on the beach and go to La Playa de los Artistas, the best among Montezuma's handful of good restaurants.
We had intended to move around Nicoya, but Montezuma got the best of us. We stayed there for 10 days and vowed to return.
On my next visit in January 2003, I found myself less enamored of Montezuma. The town had grown slightly, sprouting a new supermarket and a couple new lodgings, but I suspect my tolerance for Montezuma's culture had simply diminished. I found the active night life unappetizing and during the day I found myself longing for a beach with fewer young backpackers.
I proposed that my friends and I travel to Nosara, a small town about halfway up the Nicoya Peninsula.
Most of the roads in Nicoya are slow, winding and poor. All of them are set in the region's vertiginous landscape. Rather than endure a dusty five-hour car ride we decided to charter a boat for the two-hour trip up the coast.
The ocean was choppy, but from the water we had arresting views of the untouched coastline. We negotiated for some fishing time, which meant our 18-year-old captain idled the boat while we ineffectually cast lures for about 45 minutes.
Because of the currents, our boat landed about 10 miles south of Nosara in Sámara, an upscale beach town popular with well-heeled Costa Ricans. As we approached Sámara's wide cove, our young captain recommended we stay in Sámara rather than arrange for a car to drive to Nosara. ''Nosara is very quiet,'' he said, scrunching his face. ''Sámara is more fun.''
I wanted to leave for Nosara as soon as possible.
Less than a town, Nosara is more like a sprawling settlement. There are no paved roads, and handmade signs for tourist chalets dot the roads. We followed the signs to Lagarta Lodge.
If not for its location, Lagarta Lodge would be a forgettable place: a collection of seven simple rooms, a modest pool and an open-air patio. But the patio happens to be situated several hundred feet above a private nature reserve that stretches north for miles and is bordered to the west by the Pacific. It is a stunningly vast view.
Lagarta is run by a friendly couple: Myriam, a native of Colombia, offers a generous dose of Latin hospitality, while Marcel, a Swiss national, keeps order in the house.
I worried about losing the culinary quality of Montezuma, but Marcel and Myriam eased my fears the first night with their weekly buffet ($12), which attracts people from around Nosara and features a generous barbecue of meats and 12 homemade salads. Their simple breakfasts of fresh fruit and homemade cereal ($6) were equally satisfying.
And really, I hadn't come to Nosara for the food but for the outdoors. I soon learned I had my pick of the beaches. Playa Guiones, a long, white stretch of sand, lies to the south. To the north, visible from Lagarta, is Playa Nosara, which has the best surf. Beyond that was Playa Ostional, which is home to popular nesting grounds for thousands of olive ridley sea turtles. I stuck to the one within short walking distance, Playa Pelada, an intimate crescent lined with palm trees.
I loved the 15-minute stroll down to Playa Pelada. It began on an invariably empty dirt road and led to a monkey path through the jungle that ended up at an invariably empty beach. There my friends and I commandeered a makeshift bench under a lonely tree in the sand. We called it our recording studio and brought down a guitar to play during the hottest hours of the day.
Early one morning, I spent some time exploring the Reserva Biológica Nosara, the 125-acre protected area below Lagarta Lodge. The air soon became muggy and filled with the sounds of howler monkeys. I explored the handful of trails through the valley of mangrove trees and tangled vines.
Another day, Myriam arranged for a friend and me to go horseback riding through the reserve and around Nosara. We found the small area where the surfers hang out as well as a few other isolated tourist spots like our lodge, and a good number of ''For Sale'' signs, but otherwise Nosara was pretty much empty. We headed to the ocean for a gallop on the beach.
Along the Nicoya Peninsula
Among the airlines that fly from the United States to San José are American, Continental and Northwest. To get to the Nicoya Peninsula from there, you can rent a car, take a bus (it is about a five-hour trip by road and ferry to Montezuma) or fly. Sansa, www.flysansa.com, and NatureAir, www.travelair-costarica.com, fly to landing strips at Tambor, Sámara and Nosara . The major airport in Liberia is near the northern part of the peninsula. The international dialing code is 506.
In Montezuma, it's hard to find a place that isn't near the ocean. I stayed at Cabinas Mar y Cielo,
The attractive Hotel Los Mangos, Web site www.hotellosmangos.com, features a pool with an incredible view and individual bungalows ($81); book well in advance.
Hotel Amor de Mar, , has a wonderful lawn and tide pools and comfortable, simple rooms
Among Montezuma's restaurants, La Playa de los Artistas serves the best dinner in town ( and Pension Lucy's has a simple lunch with great ceviche for about $3. El Sano Banano has good fruit smoothies ($2).
In Nosara, the seven rooms in the Lagarta Lodge, , www.lagarta.com, . A popular dining choice is Olga's on Playa Pelada. TED ROSE
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