Maintenance at the Top of Ek’balam

  • Ernie Cecchetto

If you have ever been to Mexico, you know that the Mayans had a major influence on many parts of the Mexican culture.

On a recent trip, I took my daughter to Ek’Balam, one of the best-kept secrets in Yucatán. The pyramid and peripheral buildings were in immaculate condition. We toured with the locals throughout the entire site. My daughter was in awe of its grandeur, she couldn’t comprehend how something could have been built so long ago, yet be in such pristine condition.

I had to burst her bubble a bit and remind her that the site had been purposely covered up for hundreds of years by rubble and the Mexican government was spending tons of money to restore it to its original condition.

That said, she was right about one thing…despite the “restoration”, the base construction was immaculate. The organic material used to re-clad the roof structure was perfect for the environment and was as “green a solution” as one could possibly imagine.

Additionally, there were scores of people walking the site and ensuring the tourists and students didn’t disturb the condition of the grounds and buildings. Maintenance staff were working diligently to remove debris, pluck vegetation from mortar joints, re-parging any loose stones and ensuring the water-shedding materials were properly in place. All that maintenance obviously pays off!

Next time you vacation in Mexico, be sure to take the couple-hour drive to Ek’Balam and see something incredible… maintenance at its finest!