The Nohoch Mul Pyramid

At 140 feet high, this is single most striking structure in the park. It has seven levels with rounded corners and more resemble the style of Tikal in Guatemala that the ruins at Chichen Itza or Uxmal. There is another temple at its base and the longest sacbe' yet traced (it goes from here to near Chichen Itza) begins at the foot of its stairs.

"On bikes it didn’t take long to reach the farthest point we were likely to reach - the Nohoch Mul Pyramid.

It is reportedly the tallest structure in the area - taller than pyramids at Chichen Itza and Uxmal, but with only one side restored and the rest overgrown it more resembles a giant staircase up a mountain.

The stairs are steep but not too difficult (or is it the more pyramids you climb the easier it gets!) and the view from the top is stunning - a carpet of green broken in the foreground by a couple of the nearby ruins and the expanse of jungle extending to the horizon.

Opposite views - looking up and looking down the steps.

(120 stairs to the top)

There’s a small temple at the top and we got someone to take our picture there. Janet went down ahead of me and chatted with a one-legged man on crutches that we had seen earlier while I took my time with my camera."

The Temple of the Descending God on top of the pyramid.

(The carving is above our heads over the door.)

The view from the top with other ruins in the background.