The Ruins by Moonlight

The next day we were both sick, mainly from exhaustion (lack of sleep prior to the trip) and overheating in the hot sun at the Chichen Itza ruins, but Shine was also nauseous and weak. She decided to guide me through the process of trying to heal her with colors. First, she told me to "shield myself" so that I wouldn't take on any illness that she had. Then I placed my hands on her stomach and she told me to imagine that I was channelling healing colors into her, first yellow and green, then orange, then black briefly, and finally white.

Well, apparently I'm not much of an adept, so that afternoon we ended up taking her to see a doctor at the local clinic. Through my very mangled Spanish we got him to understand the situation and he prescribed Kaopectate, antibiotics, electrolyte solution packets, and anti-nausea tablets. She took the electrolytes and the anti-nausea tablets and was feeling better by the next morning.

Back during our first day at the ruins, Shine informed me that she felt called to perform a ritual at Chichen Itza at night when the ruins are closed to the public. Initially, I resisted the idea for various reasons-----respect for the wishes of the archaeologists, a desire to get a good night's sleep, an aversion to spending the night in a Mexican jail-----but  after about three seconds of deep deliberation I acquiesced, thinking how nice it would be to have the place to ourselves and be able to climb on those ancient pyramids. Okay, so it wouldn't be the greatest example of low-impact eco-tourism, but what the hey, all in the name of Shine's spiritual evolution, right? Good thing I don't have any vows against trespassing.

That day we went back to explore some more, including another water-filled cenote and some smaller, more obscure ruins in the jungle. I saw a lot of big bold iguanas lurking all over the place, especially on the ruins where they enjoyed commanding views of their territory. And we kept an eye out for good hiding spots and areas where we might be able to sneak back in after dark. There were tons of great places to hide---caves, the jungle, in the ruins themselves---but we decided to come back in the evening and try to sneak off during the nighttime light show.

Unfortunately, when we came back for the light show, there were very few people---maybe fifty in total---and we were all ushered into a small roped-off area with chairs set up in rows, watched closely by the guards. We initially tried to head toward the big Pyramid of Kukulcan, but were quickly intercepted by a guard and redirected toward the chairs. The light show was not all that impressive and the narration was naturally all in Spanish, so we didn't get much out of it, especially since we spent most of the time trying to figure out how we could sneak off into the jungle.

I sat there practicing what I would say if the guards caught us sneaking around the ruins that night. I didn't know how to say "healer" in Spanish, so all I could come up with was: "Ella es una bruja de la salud. Ella necessita hacer una ritual al Cenote Sagrado." ("She is a health witch. She needs to do a ritual at the Sacred Pool.") I finally settled on the simpler "Somos brujos del agua." ("We are water witches/wizards."----rain shamans?) because "brujos del agua" were mentioned a lot at the light show.

The show finally ended and everyone headed off for the exits. I pulled the old shoelace tying trick so that we could straggle behind everybody else and then, after a few tense moments trying to figure out where the guards were, we dashed off into the jungle when no one was looking. There was an especially nerve-wracking moment when I actually got stuck in a fence we were climbing through because the plastic water bottle on my backpack got caught on the wire, making a lot of noise.

So we hid on a jungle path for a little over an hour, hoping that there would be very few guards patrolling the grounds at night. Fireflies drifted through the evening, emitting bright white lights that often made us jump whenever we thought that they were a guard's flashlight off in the distance. Winding roots did their best to impersonate snakes as we tried not to imagine what other beasties might be lurking in the jungle shadows. The moon rose higher, lighting our little glade and making the leaves glisten in the moonlight.

And in our silence the jungle noises really came alive for us. Insects everywhere were buzzing, whirring, and clicking. We realized that what I had originally thought was a guard blowing a whistle was actually some kind of strange bird calling through the night. Heavy unseen wings flapped overhead, perhaps an owl or a large fruit bat. And then as we listened to some women chatting as they walked along the main path, they suddenly let loose with piercing screams. I expected to hear them laugh or scold a friend who had scared them, but there was nothing. Just chilling silence. That really increased the eerie tension. I guess I should have checked on them, but a motorcycle (a guard?) rode by on the main path a couple of times, so I assumed that if there had been a real problem he would have seen it. Those screams set a surreal tone for the night. And we were only just getting started.

We finally got up the courage to head back into the ruins and edged along the jungle next to the main path. We didn't come across any bodies, so that was a good start. But at one point we had to hit the ground and lie as still as possible as two bicyclists came out of the darkness and rode by us. I was actually more worried about being detected by the dogs that roam the site than by the guards.

We continued along and the forest opened up to reveal the main clearing with the majestic Piramide del Kukulcan dominating the milieu. Impressive by day, the pyramid is even more majestic when bathed in the magical glow of the moonlight. All of the ancient stone structures in the area radiated that pale light, making for an other-worldly dreamscape.

 

At first, Shine felt called to the Cenote Sagrado, but as we began to make our way across the courtyards of the Mercado ("Market"), she decided that the Tumba del Gran Sacerdote ("Tomb of the Great Priest") was another good alternative for the rituals she needed to perform. So we changed direction and headed west toward my favorite temple with its twin serpents adorning the stairways on all four sides of the pyramid. (We have since learned from a helpful Mayan fellow that snakes represent intelligence, jaguars symbolize power, and eagles signify freedom.)

We made it to the Tumba del Gran Sacerdote without any problems and circumambulated the base of the pyramid. I convinced Shine to accompany me to the top of the temple, so after making obeisances to the rain god Chac Mool and the plumed serpent god Quetzl Coatl, we climbed the steep stone stairs, walking up to the night sky. At the top, we were treated to a sublime view out over the jungle and ruins awash in that mystical moonlight.

Shine removed the darker clothes that were camouflaging her white clothes and performed her rituals in a walled central chamber. (She has asked me not to give any details about the rituals, but I can vouch that no animals or vegetables were harmed in the process.) I sat on a wall atop the pyramid and meditated, experiencing one of the deepest meditative states I've ever had. When Shine was finished, we climbed back down the Tomb and she repeated her rituals at the base of the pyramid. And again, I went into a deep meditation.

When she was done, Shine was ready to leave the ruins, but I convinced her that we should go to the Cenote Sagrado since she had felt so strongly called there earlier. We headed north, circumnavigating that magnificent Pirimide del Kukulcan one last time and threaded our way through the pillars at the Templo de los Guerreros ("Temple of the Warriors"). Having encountered no guards, we were pretty relaxed as we walked the long path to the Cenote Sagrado until we saw some lights on at the sacred gift shop near the Sacred Pool. We made our way quietly to the Pool and sat for a short midnight meditation.

Then when we moved to another area so that Shine could perform more rituals, some dogs finally detected us and unleashed a barking ruckus. I expected that we would soon be busted, but no guards came out. With the dogs still barking, we decided to call it a night and took another path north. We climbed under a barbed-wire fence and I deftly managed not to get stuck this time. We reached the highway and walked about two miles back to the small dusty town of Piste.

When we got back to our lodge, we discovered that Shine had accidentally left her jade necklace at the Cenote Sagrado. On reflection, she decided that it was an appropriate offering since the ancient Mayans had often offered jewelry and other belongings (besides virgins) to the Sacred Pool.

And then Shine told me that she needs to perform nighttime rituals at the Mayan ruins at Palenque and Tulum too!

 

"It would have convinced you to join me even faster."
---Shine, responding to my initial objection that she hadn't told me that the trip would involve breaking into the ruins at night

"I can see the headlines in Israel now: 'Israeli Woman Arrested at Sacred Mexican Ruins on Top of a Pyramid at Midnight with a Beggar Monk Because Voices Told Her To Perform a Ritual There'."
---Shine (she's Israeli)

"I wonder if there are still jaguars in the Yucatan?....Oops!"
---me, realizing that this line of thought would not really help ease the tension as we waited in the jungle

"Don't be afraid---you're with me. I'm not afraid. Of course, that's because I can run faster than you."
---me, reassuring Shine

"But it's all illegal, baby!"
---me, gesturing to all of the ruins after Shine objected that it was illegal to climb the pyramid

"Five more minutes and I might not have come back."
---me, referring to my meditation on top of the pyramid

"Everything is unfolding exactly as it is supposed to, exactly as it is."
---the answer I received in my meditation when I asked how I can be of service

"There's a limit to everything."
---Shine, after I asked her if she wanted to continue with the ritual even though the dogs were barking and we thought the guards were coming

"What gives you the idea that I'm unprofessional?! Maybe when I got stuck in the fence?"
---me, responding to Shine's comment that my stealth abilities don't measure up well with Israeli commandos

"Yeah, maybe an old, blind, fat cat!"
---me, responding to Shine's comment that she walked as silently as a cat

"And you walk like a rhino-corn-asaurus!.....How do you say it?"
---Shine, attempting to say "rhinoceros"