one guy standing, four guys seated. 

these guys, whose names i am sadly forgetting, all climb to the top of this 50 meter platform and then one of them stands on top and plays a flute-drum(strange combo i know) while dancing in a circle on a very tiny platform.  

view from a small pyramid 

circle of death, basically. now there is some mystical powers inside (think vortex in sedona). but really, one captured enemy would enter with and two warriors would follow him in and kill him while the people watched. only one prisoner ever killed the two warriors and escaped. so they say 

zempoala. this is where cort�z made his first allies among the natives. then he destroyed most of their temples, smashed every icon he could get his grubby little hands on and transmitted disease to the inhabitants. �bienvenidos! 

more z�calo, huge ancient cathedral in the background 

back to veracruz. the z�calo at night. the building in lights is about 450 yrs old. tons of people, not just foreign tourists, meet in this square every night to listen to music, watch dancing, or just stroll. pretty cool place. every city has a z�calo, and i prefer the one in oaxaca. a bit bigger and just, i dont know, better. 

but, if you stand off the bridge and take the picture.... 

this is a bridge that almost seems like it is 500 years old. if you do not step directly in the center, the whole thing wobbles. thus, it is extremely difficult to take a picture while anyone at any point on the bridge is moving because the whole thing shakes. 

the river that cort�z sailed up; about 500 meters from the house. 

possibly the oldest church in the americas 

willbilly in the front doorway of the house 

phenominal how big these trees are 

these huge trees grow right up from the top of 15 ft high walls. amazing. their roots stretch all the way down and burrow into the ground. guess they maintain the integrity of the wall with the root structure, otherwise, the whole place should come crashing down from the weight 

picture of roots and window from inside the house 

different angle of front. trees, big ones, actually grow out and through the window openings. that is the front door in the middle 

this is a view from inside. the trees are literally taking over the place 

casa de cort�z front view. yes, the street and sidewalk make it seem like a normal house in a normal town. there is debate over whether cort�z ever even lived here. for sure troops and other spanish army did though 

stalagtites, stalagmites, disease. many people who stayed here died from the viruses, fevers, mosquitos, etc. this is a cell, in all its glory 

me and viri and one of the huge towers in the background 

a pic from the outside on the sea side. 

hallways. the stalagtites growing from the ceiling are a testament to the age, almost 500 years, and the dampness of the place 

a pic from inside the fortress 

water normally fills the area around the fortress, making it an island, but they are doing construction so they drained it. boo 

the brit, viri and me outside of the fortress/prison of san juan de ul�a(the spelling is probably off)