Best Photo of 2009

El Rodeo Lagoon from Xochicalco Archaeological Ruins

Xochicalco Eagle

Do anything, but let it produce joy.
From "Tropic of Cancer" by Henry Miller.
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Underworld

Temple of The Feathered Serpent
Xochicalco is a pre-Columbian archaeological site in the western part of the Mexican state of Morelos. The name Xochicalco may be translated from Nahuatl as "in the (place of the) house of Flowers". The site is located 38 km southwest of Cuernavaca, about 76 miles by road from Mexico City. The site is open to visitors all week, from 10am to 5pm, although access to the observatory is only allowed after noon. The apogee of Xochicalco came after the fall of Teotihuacan and it has been speculated that Xochicalco may have played a part in the fall of the Teotihuacan empire.

The architecture and iconography of Xochicalco show affinities with Teotihuacan, the Maya area, and the Matlatzinca culture of the Toluca Valley.
The main ceremonial center is atop an artificially leveled hill, with remains of residential structures, mostly unexcavated, on long terraces covering the slopes. The site was first occupied by 200 BC, but did not develop into an urban center until the Epiclassic period (A.D. 700 - 900). Nearly all the standing architecture at the site was built at this time. At its peak, the city may have had a population of up to 20,000 people.

Of special interest are sculptured reliefs on the sides of some buildings. The Temple of the Feathered Serpent has fine stylized depictions of that deity in a style which includes apparent influences of Teotihuacan and Maya art. It has been speculated that Xochicalco may have had a community of artists from other parts of Mesoamerica.

Other monuments at the site include several other step-pyramid temples, palaces, three ballcourts, sweat-baths, an unusual row of circular altars, and a cave with steps carved down into it. The site also has some free-standing sculptured stelae; others were removed from their original location and are now on display in the INAH museum in Mexico City and at the site museum.

At some point around A.D. 900 the city of Xochicalco was burned and destroyed. Many of the excavated houses and temples have layers of burning and destruction that cover the deposits from the main Epiclassic occupation. Underneath destruction layers, numerous objects were left in place in the houses, indicating that the site was destroyed and abandoned quickly. A small remnant population lived on, however, on the lower slopes of the hill. Later, around A.D. 1200, the site was recolonized by the Nahuatl-speaking Tlahuica peoples, ancestors to the Nahuatl-speaking populations of the modern state of Morelos.

Xochicalco is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a tourist destination. The site also has a well-stocked museum, designed by noted Mexican architect Roland Dada. [Wiki]
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Animal Celebration Mexico 2009 - II

Aguila Real (Aquila chrysaetus Linnaeus) Golden Eagle

Flying high over Xochicalco

Endangered species
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has calculated the percentage of endangered species as 40 percent of all organisms based on the sample of species that have been evaluated through 2006.

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Xochicalco

Rodeo Lake

Temple of the Feathered Serpent

The Path

Xochicalco Eagle

The Xochicalco archaeological site which is located about 38 Kms. from Cuernavaca, by way of the Alpuyeca exit of the Mexico-Acapulco Highway 95.

Xochicalco was founded in about 650 AD by the Olmeca-Xicallanca, which are a Mayan group of traders from Campeche, giving them an excellent position along several of the major Mesoamerican trade routes. It was an important fortressed commercial and religious center in the period of time following the decline of the great Meso-American city states. Its name means "Place Of The Flowers."

The main part of Xochicalco is located 132 mts (430 ft) above the valley. Its' underground solar observatory is one of the main attractions for visitors to the site. When the sun passes through its zenith on May 14th and 15th and July 28th and 29th, a ray of sunlight passes through a narrow shaft in the ceiling of the observatory and projects itself upon the floor.

Another main attraction is the Quetzalcoatl pyramid, or Temple of the Feathered Serpent, which features friezes depicting the Plumed Serpent God coiling around the sides. This structure measures 21 by 19 meters at its base and 17 meters in height and is situated in what is known as Xochicalco's Main Acropolis.

Of special interest are sculptured reliefs on the sides of some buildings. The Temple of the Feathered Serpent has fine stylized depictions of that deity in a style which includes apparent influences of Teotihuacan and Maya art.
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