Chichen Itza, Mexico 1999

Finally... dreams come true!

I had been longing to visit Mayan ruins since my childhood. when i finally had a chance to see it myself, i was totally thrilled.
it was my first excursion of wannabe Indiana Jones. :p
still can recall a vivid memory of every moment while being there.
This piramid was a lot more steep than i thought and was slightly scary to climb without holding onto the rope. but the view from the top was surely worth climbing up!
extrmely strong sun shine left me a big impression too. there was not much of shade to hide myself and rest a bit away from the sun. in the end, I was over exposed to the sun and felt ill. nevertheless, experience of stepping onto such a legendary old place resides deep in my heart as a great excitement and gratification.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chichen_Itza

A large pre-Columbian archaeological site built by the Maya civilization located in the northern center of the Yucatán Peninsula, in the Yucatán state, present-day Mexico

The Maya name "Chich'en Itza" means "At the mouth of the well of the Itza." This derives from chi', meaning "mouth" or "edge", and ch'e'en, meaning "well." Itzá is the name of an ethnic-lineage group that gained political and economic dominance of the northern peninsula. The name is believed to derive from the Maya itz, meaning "magic," and (h)á, meaning "water." Itzá in Spanish is often translated as "Brujas del Agua (Witches of Water)" but a more precise translation would be Magicians of Water.