Ancient Mayans and human sacrifice

​I’m so excited to have a new book coming out. So it's the perfect time to share the inspiration behind the scenes in my new Maximum Exposure series. This series has three stand-alone, heart-thumping, romantic suspense novels all set in a wonderful remote location that I’ve visited.
 
The first book - Out of Reach, is set in Mexico’s Yucatán jungle. I've been to Mexico five times and in 2015, I went to Chichén Itzá, which is a UNESCO World Heritage listed, 1400-year-old complex of Mayan ruins in the middle of the Mexican jungle. Chichén Itzá was one of the largest mythical Mayan cities and I found it hard to believe something so magnificent was abandoned and left to be swamped by the relentless creep of the voracious vegetation. But it was.

My visit to the temple, was just one of approximately 1.4 million people who visit the ancient site each year. And whilst the bucket-list experience was truly incredible, it had me pondering how wonderful it would be to be the first to discover an ancient temple. Can you imagine that? Well, that was the initial thought that inspired Out of Reach.

​Anyway, back to the ruins. They were remarkably well preserved despite the centuries of abandonment and the robust vegetation that’d made the ruins their home. Consequently, archaeologists were able to piece together a fascinating history from over a thousand years ago.

An immense step pyramid, known as the Temple of Kukulcan, overlooks the ancient city, and is probably the most photographed of all the ancient Mayan temples.  Here I am with the Temple of Kukulcan in 2015.

The step pyramid contains 365 steps, one for each day of the year. The ancient Mayan's were very talented stone masons and one incredible feature on this temple is the illusion of a snake body that only shows up when the late afternoon sun strikes at the Spring and Fall equinoxes. How they did that is beyond me.
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​Oh, and how’s this for amazing, at the top of one of the ancient buildings was three windows. Each one has been positioned perfectly for viewing other planets like Venus.

Rows and rows of carved columns lead to The Temple of Warriors.

Check out these rows of intricately carved columns depicting warriors and astronomical signs. They once supported a roof that led to a broad stairway at the The Temple of Warriors where human hearts were once offered to the Gods. I love this stuff, don't you? 

The Sacred Cenotes. Major source of water and site for human sacrifices. Looks yummy!

​The demise of this ancient city is yet to be truly established, although one theory had me fascinated. The Yucatán Peninsula is pockmarked with natural sinkholes called cenotes and the Sacred Cenotes at Chichén Itzá is an impressive 70 feet deep and 200 feet wide well. It was the major water source for the city inhabitants. But, during a time of severe drought, the King ordered human sacrifices to convince the Gods to bring the rain. Archaeologists found the skeletal remains of dozens of children and six-foot warriors at the bottom of the Cenotes. Trouble was, by tossing the sacrificial humans into the well, the silly buggers were also poisoning their only water source. Woops.

​So there you go. I hope this travel blog has inspired you to visit this incredible New Seven Wonder of the World. Hopefully you’re also interested in reading my new book.

Out of Reach

When an ancient lost Mayan temple is discovered by a team of archaeologists deep in the Mexican jungle, Liliana Bennett is given her first clue to a family mystery that’s taunted her since her father’s sudden death. 

Click here for more details. 

Please also check out more of my travel blogs and stories that inspired my books. Next time, I’ll take you deeper into the Mexican jungle where only ATV’s and crazy people like me go.

Oh and hey, I love hearing from you, so drop in a comment below and I'll get right back to you. Cheers and happy reading.