In 1996 two friends and I undertook our first backpacking experience. We traveled from Costa Rica to Guatemala in six months. We originally planned to travel for a year, but half way decided to do something more useful with our presence in Central America and applied for volunteer jobs in Honduras and Guatemala. The travelers we met during our adventure traveled from South to North Central America and were very different from the travelers you would meet now on the same route.

Most people were, like us, looking for a real escape. It would have been rare to find anyone traveling for less then three months. As a matter of fact, most people had started in the northern region of the continent, or often in Mexico and were planning to travel as far south as Peru or Patagonia. They would give themselves eight months or more to do so. The main reason for their trip was not so much traveling in itself; most backpackers were looking for a different lifestyle. They had already found the lifestyle they were looking for and had been successful in becoming accomplished adventurers.

Chichen Itza is the largest and most famous Mayan site in the Yucatan Peninsula. Because of the sheer size and scope of the ruins, it’s best to have an idea of what you want to see when you arrive. Walking around randomly will only confuse your senses and perhaps make miss out on something you’d enjoy more. To help you figure out what are the most popular things to see at Chichen Itza, I’ve compiled a short guide.

There are 7 different ball courts at Chichen Itza; the grandest of them all is named the Great Ball Court. Archaeologists aren’t sure of the exact rules, but they have uncovered evidence that many of the players were sacrificed at the end of the game. If you want to have a truly rewarding visit to Chichen Itza, then a stop at the Great Ball Court is a must.

The Mayas had a "musical scale" very different from the five Western notes, experts said. They analyzed 125 instruments, including flutes, ocarinas, trumpets, horns, ceramic, conch shells, an official source said. EFE, Mexico

"These artifacts emit musical sounds whose scale is not as the Western scale, that is, it has its own range, which experts have preliminarily defined as of Mayan type," the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) said in a statement.

One of the most magical trips that you could possibly take is a trek to visit the mystical Mayan ruins. Built by civilizations as old as time itself, the Mayan ruins offer you a step backward into time.

The cities of the Mayans may be abandoned now, but they still hold vast lessons and ancient mysteries yet to be uncovered in the Mayan ruins. Their cities of stone have been emptied in the past, refilled and then emptied again. The history of the Mayans is generally divided. Three time spans are recognized; the Pre-classic, the Class, and the Post Classic Periods are those that are generally dealt with historically.

October can be described as one of the spookiest times of year. In most North Americans minds it brings about images of witches, pumpkins, and most of all candy. But south of the American border the time is celebrated in a much different manner. It’s called the Day of the Dead.

In Mexico the celebrations isn’t just one day, it last several. From October 28 to November 2nd. Many outsiders see the Day of the Dead as a strange embrace of death amongst an entire nation. In reality, it is a celebration of life, how precious it is, and how each life must eventually come to an end.

The Mayan culture is one of the most interesting in the world. It has undergone significant changes through the centuries, and the history of the Maya is very interesting for people today.

The Maya were one of the Mesoamerican civilizations that lived in the lands of Central America before the Spanish conquistadors came. The Maya were familiar with cultivation as far back as 3000 BC, and their main source of food was maize and game, as well as fish.

The ball court at Chichen Itza is one of the oldest known game courts in human history. The game is often referred to as Tiatchtli, and has been played since 1,000 B.C. Modern versions of the game are still played to this day by local populations, but the how the details of the game and how it was played by their ancient Mayan ancestors is still unknown.

Most people recognize the famous stone goals; this is actually a later addition to the game. The original version is even more mysterious than the late versions; seeing that we have no idea how they kept score before the stone hoop was added. The few rules we do know of belong to the time after a stone hoop was instituted. A single successful hoop could make a win, and being able to touch the ball to the vertical stone hoop scored individual points.

Tulum in Mexico is a great place to visit. It not as popular as some of the other places on the Yucatan Peninsula such as Cancun or the largest resorts on Riviera Maya, but this is also part of its beauty.

Tulum has a lot to offer to the adventurous traveler interested in Mayan ruins and nature – secluded beaches, a relaxing atmosphere, delicious cuisine, snorkeling and enjoying the crystal clear waters, interesting flora and fauna species and Mayan ruins to visit and explore.

This picturesque old Mayan settlement is located just south of Playa Del Carmen, so there is always convenient transportation and accommodations available. Here are some of the most interested places to visit if you have some time to spend in Tulum: