Manuel Crescencio Rejón International
Airport
Location: The airport is located five miles (8km) from
Merida.
Time: GMT -6 (GMT -5 between the first Sunday in April
to the last Sunday in October)
Getting to the city:
Authorised taxis or vans connect the airport to the city. There
is also a bus service run by ADO.
Car Rental:
Car rental companies represented at the airport include Hertz,
Europcar, National and Exective.
Airport Taxis:
Taxis are available from the airport.
Facilities:
Airport facilities include a bank, currency exchange, shopping
(including duty-free shops), restaurants and fast food outlets.
Parking
Parking is available at the airport.
Spring Equinox
Equinoccio de la Primavera, the Spring Equinox, draws
thousands of people from around the world to witness the shadow
that seems to crawl down the El Castillo pyramid in the Chichén
Itzá temple complex.
The shadow represents the snake god, Kukulkan and
takes the form of a giant, slithering snake that slowly descends
the stairs of the largest Mayan pyramid in the country. Sunlit
triangles appear to work their way down the stairs, finally
illuminating the snakehead at the bottom and forming the giant
sunlit serpent.
The spring equinox is celebrated by many cultures in
many countries, but the Mayan ritual is one of the oldest and most
famous, particularly as the pyramid is associated with brutal human
sacrifices. The archaeological site of Teotihuacan, near Mexico
City, is also a favourite spot to celebrate the arrival of spring
and thousands of travellers visit the site for the equinox,
traditionally dressed all in white.
The Mayans were famous for their advanced use of
calendars, making this an apt national celebration. Festivales de
Primavera, spring festivals, are still celebrated all over Mexico,
commonly with children's parades where participants dress up as
flowers or animals to welcome the season of fertility and
rebirth.
Venue:
El Castillo, Chichen Itza
Kukulkan at its finest during the March
Equinox
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