Yaxha

Yaxha is, in my opinion, the best site to see in Guatemala. Its pretty impressive if you consider that the Maya never advanced beyond the stone age, and had no domesticated beasts of burden like cows, ox's or horses. (Western Temple of North Acropolis)

Yaxha is a very large site and is still being excavated.

A doorway to one of the rooms. At the bottom of the frame it has been worn away. It is believed a Black Panther was being kept as a pet or by the owner, and the rope around its neck filed down the doorway.

This room was restored just a short time before I arrived. Its uncommon to see inside rooms now because they get covered up after restoration is complete in order to protect the ruins from the elements.

Red dots have been painted on the plaster wall. It is not clear what they mean. It should be noted that the method the Maya used to make plaster required burning trees from the rain forest. So much plaster was used in Mayan buildings over the centuries, that the entire rain forest on the Yucatan peninsula was cut down from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean. Without the rain forest the rain stopped, and decades of drought followed. The drought was the single reason for the collapse of the Maya civilization.

After restoration, the rooms are covered up again.

In Plaza A structure 216 is 100feet tall.

And its an amazing view of Lake Yaxha from the top. The lines cutting through the field are ant trails.

This mound is believed to be a dressing room for ceremonies.

The North Acropolis is made of three temples facing each other. This is the North Temple.

East Temple.