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The Ruins at ZempoalaPlace of the 20 WatersZempoala was a city built by the Totonac, on the convergence of several rivers. The Totonac flourished at the time of the Spanish conquest, and most of the ruins are from the 1300s and 1400s. The buildings have stucco walls and were whitewashed so they shone white gleaming in the sunlight. This excited the Spaniards when they arrived, who imagined great stores of precious metals within the impressive glimmering walls. They didn't find any gold, but they did make friends with the Totonac. The Totonac indians were willing to make friends because "the enemy of my enemy is my friend", and they resented the Aztecs, who were predominant in the area at that time. The Spaniards set up shop just down the road from Zempoala, in Antigua. Antigua became the center of Spanish power until 1600, which was about 75 years. Today Antigua is a small village used as a weekend getaway for city folks from Veracruz. It's about 14 miles north of the city. Buildings at the ruins of Zempoala include Temple of Quetzalcoatl, which is the feathered serpent, also present at Teotihuacán. What remains now is a square platform, which was the foundation for the temple at one time. There is also the Great Temple, which is another similarity to Teotihuacán, since it strongly resembles the Temple of the Sun at Teotihuacán. Other ruins at Zempoala are the Temple of Ehecatl, who is God of the Wind. TipsAdmission to the ruins at Zempoala cost $4 and the video camera fee is about the same. A good time to visit these ruins is on the weekends and during Mexican vacation times. At these times, you are likely to see voladores, who are ritualistic acrobats from Papantla. Zempoala is about a 40 minute drive from Veracruz, located just north of Cardel. There are also buses from Veracruz, which take substantially longer. |
•Mexico Ancient Ruins &Culture |
