Culture

Near Merida, in the archaeological zone of Chichen Itza, about 121 km (75 mi) east of the White City, you can witness one of the most amazing phenomena to take place in a pre-Hispanic city: El Descenso de Kukulcan (The Descent of Kukulcan). During the vernal equinox (between March 20-23) the sunlight projects a shadowy image of a serpent’s body on the banister of a flight of stairs and on the corner of the Kukulcan Temple. Kukulcan, which means feathered serpent, was a Mayan god. As you watch this unfold, it seems like the image is descending from the pyramid in an inexplicable manner.