this post was submitted on 23 Mar 2025
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Summary

A German tourist was arrested and attacked after climbing the Temple of Kukulcan at Chichen Itza, Mexico, during the spring equinox.

Video footage shows locals shouting insults and physically confronting the man as National Guard personnel detained him.

The temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, is off-limits to climbers due to preservation laws and safety concerns.

Violators face fines up to $16,000 and possible prison time.

The incident occurred amid a crowd of 8,000–9,000 visitors.

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[–] HerrVorragend@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

Would bet 5€ that the idiot is some kind of 'travel influencer' or something similar.

[–] MisterNeon@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

Don't fuck around in the archeology zones!

[–] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 0 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

Its just like strippers. You can see, but never touch or you'll regert it for your next tattoo. No regerts!

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[–] Pyr_Pressure@lemmy.ca -1 points 1 week ago (6 children)

You got to wonder how much damage that thing gets just being constantly exposed to the weather

Normally ruins like that have jungle right up to the edges or its partially buried.

At any point would it be worth trying to put some sort of protective coating on it like a type of historically accurate stucco to recreate what it looked like in the past?

[–] Muyal@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

Stucco is much more fragile and degrades rather quickly.

That's why it usually hasn't survived in these monuments and why it usually isn't restored, it would cost way too much on maintenance.

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[–] wreckedcarzz@lemmy.world -2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Wow, they made the temple in Forza Horizon 5 a real thing! How did the tourist get around the invisible walls though?

/s

E: fun fact actually, in the game it isn't covered by an invisible cube, but rather a pyramid shape that starts at the X and Y of the temple corners but is about 1.5x the height of the temple. Strangely enough, other temples do use a cube/rectangle barrier that far exceeds the height of the asset it is protecting (mostly structures at Ek' Balam). This suggests that this temple was unique and handled seperately, but the lower protection is really strange. Maybe just an oversight, maybe a requirement from Mexico officials, worried that the usual system wasn't enough to keep players from messing with it - which, amusingly, allowed players to get above it, but other structures are immune.

[–] poopkins@lemmy.world -5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (4 children)

It's great that we're enforcing laws that are there to protect our anthropological heritage. It's not so great that it means this violator is attacked by the locals.

As an aide, I feel like Mexico themselves have quite a ways to go to protect the heritage site. The grounds of Chichen Itzá are absolutely overrun with "tour guides" telling dumbed down or outright fabricated stories and literally hundreds of souvenir stands with obnoxious sellers that don't shy from any tactic to try to get your attention.

Walking around in that area should be serene, educational and immersive. Instead, it's like being in a kindergarten, where hordes of salespeople are incessantly calling out to you ("where are you from, sir, where are you from?"), literally throwing cheap Chinese junk in your direction, playing drums and pan flutes or squeezing squeaky toys and gimmicks that are meant to sound like monkeys. It's a cacophony of cheap garbage and harassment from locals (and nonstop clapping to hear the temple's acoustic effect) that takes you out of experiencing your surroundings in an inkling of tranquility. In fact, only from specific angles is it even possible to capture a photo of the Temple of Kukulcán without the brightly colored eye sores of a hundred nearly identical souvenir stands visible directly adjacent to it.

Mexico should also take more pride in this site and treat Chichen Itzá with more respect.

[–] muh_entitlement@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Virtue signaling BS. That motherfucker deserves his ass to be beaten to shit

Honestly wish he fell from the top

[–] poopkins@lemmy.world 0 points 1 week ago

Good grief, this is such a toxic community.

[–] Muyal@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

No matter how much you try, Chichen Itzá will never be tranquil, it is visited by thousands of tourists every day, so it will always be crowded and full of voices.

Vendors are usually local indigenous people, and selling to tourists is their only source of income, it would be silly on their part not to take advantage of the situation.

[–] poopkins@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Perhaps you've not visited this place, so for an impression: the area itself is very large and open and the site has restricted access with a fairly pricey admission fee.

Voices don't carry very far in this environment, however the issue is that there are literally hundreds if not close to a thousand vendors literally screaming for attention. My objection is to the authorities who have permitted this kind of presence at a heritage site. Of course locals have taken advantage of the situation, that much is very clear.

[–] Muyal@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I've been there many times.

"My objection is to the authorities who have permitted this kind of presence at a heritage site"

Not allowing them would wreck the local economy. It will not happen.

[–] poopkins@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

So that's it? We concede that this is the acceptable way we as a species best want to present our anthropological heritage? Forgive my comments on how we can strive to do better.

[–] Muyal@lemmy.world 0 points 1 week ago (1 children)

If you want Chichen Itzá to turn into a quiet library it's not going to happen.

It's one of the seven wonders of the modern world, you have the same experience if you visit the Vatican or the pissa tower.

There are many other sites in Yucatan that don't receive as many visitors like ek' balam and mayapan. Those are usually less crowded.

[–] poopkins@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

I'm not sure why you've chosen to be obtuse and misinterpret my comments. I've not said that Chichen Itzá should become a library.

The Vatican and Pisa are actually terrific examples of sites that are not overrun with tour guide and market stand mafias running every tourist scam under the sun.

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