It looks like the gateway to a calm, serene, sapphire-blue world. A world of the gods, perhaps just as the Maya imagined it.

You seem to glide weightlessly through the caverns. Where the sun’s rays touch the surface, the water turns turquoise. In the glow of the torches, however, it appears crystal clear; otherwise, there’s only total darkness.

No current, total silence, broken only by the mechanical hiss of the regulator. Were it not for the damp cold creeping into the wetsuit, you wouldn’t feel the water at all. And sometimes a small fish reminds us that we have dived into its world.

The beam of the torch cuts through the darkness. The air bubbles cling to the ceiling like silver Christmas baubles, reflecting the cold artificial light. There is no beginning and no end. As if the surroundings were reflected on the surface of a lake – only from below.

What are cenotes?

The older the cenote, the more likely it is that the ceiling has already collapsed, creating an opening to the surface. Younger cenotes are usually still found in caves, of which there are more than enough in Yucatan; estimates suggest there are over 7,000. Although most contain fresh water, at least in the upper part, there are cenotes where both sea water and fresh water are present, yet they do not mix due to their different densities.

The Mayan world is divided into three parts: the underworld, the earth and the heavens. All caves and caverns are regarded as gateways to the underworld, and although it is called the ‘place of fear’, the underworld is simultaneously a source of life, of the origin.

Researches identified the cenotes as sacred sites due to the many offerings they found in the caves, and even today, though rare, ceremonies are still held. Yet although human sacrifices were made, Xibalbá cannot be compared to the hell of the Christian faith.

It is not a hell, but a testing ground. The deceased pass through the nine levels into which Xibalbá is divided until, after trials, struggles and imposed sufferings, they are permitted to leave the place. The most direct route is via the Ceiba tree, Ceiba pentandra, a sacred tree that connects Xibalbá to the heavens through its roots, trunk and crown.

In fact, all the deceased must pass through the underworld; only those sacrificed, those who have sacrificed themselves, and women who die in childbirth travel directly to the gods in heaven.

Yet as awe-inspiring as the history of the Maya is, today’s reality at the water’s edge often looks far more mundane: it is a multi-million-dollar business.

Holy Tourists

Where priests once made sacrifices to the gods, souvenir shops now line the path to the water. The cenotes remain vital to survival, but no longer just for their drinking water; they are now tourist attractions. Unfortunately, things have reached the point where exorbitant entrance fees are charged, and these are constantly being raised. The owners’ argument? The tourists are willing to pay, so if they don’t like it, they should just visit cenotes abroad. There are indeed cenotes elsewhere, but the problem is that most (and the most impressive) are in Mexico.

Since we’re already in the area, we thought we’d go for a dive. We book a dive online. Most diving schools don’t even have an office you can pop into anymore. We opt for the cheapest deal: two dives in the same Dos Ojos cenote for 170 US dollars.

Almost cheap compared to other online offers. And not much less than the Galapagos, although there we also had a boat trip and lunch included. The value for money is really nowhere near justified in Quintana Roo.

In return, we get to spend the night for free at the fire station and leave the car safely parked there too. Definitely well worth it.

Near Valladolid, there’s a little-known gem: a campsite with a private cenote run by two German expats. We headed there – and weren’t disappointed.

This cenote is the complete opposite of Dos Ojos – not a tourist in sight. They’ve also created a unique entrance: down a spiral staircase, through a rock tunnel and across a (certainly not safety-certified) rope bridge, you descend into the earth’s interior.

There it lies beneath us, Cenote Xnuuk, in the middle of a cave. Only two small light wells let a few rays through at midday when the sun is at its highest point of the year. Fortunately, we no longer rely on daylight, as they have wired and lit everything up. The artificial light is what really brings the cave’s vastness to life. Inside, it’s always 28°C – and as it was so cold during our stay, it felt like a proper spa experience.

This is exactly how we imagined it. Drifting on clear water, alone in a cave. Amidst a silence that permeates everything, interrupted only by the splashing of condensed water droplets. As you watch the roots of the trees in search of the elixir of life, you almost feel as though you can see a Mayan god from Xibalbá venturing up into the world of the living.

A two-year-old girl grimaces as her mother blows tobacco smoke directly into her face. Then they continue to dance around the fire. Meanwhile, the grandmother stands with her back to the fire in front of the main temple, smoking tobacco leaves and singing softly to herself.

Music plays and others circle the fire pit, performing alternating dance steps, sometimes with and sometimes without feathers. Suddenly, all falls silent, the shaman kneels down and recites a prayer.

We watched them for two hours in the main square of Tikal. It looked so authentic that we asked what was happening. Apparently, it was a real ceremony of this Mayan tribe. Rosalía, the 85-year-old grandmother, had requested it. Also Mayas need a permit to perform ceremonies like this, especially when involving fire.

One of these impressive cities was Tikal, where Rosalía was celebrating her fire ceremony with her family. The temples are impressive, the steps are steep, and the jungle is dense – also a perfect playground for spider monkeys.

At six o’clock in the morning, we walked alone through the ruins. The few other tourists had all climbed the 70-metre-high temple to watch the sunrise through the mist. We, on the other hand, let the impressive buildings, accompanied by the sounds of parrots chirping and howler monkeys roaring, work their magic on us.

It is estimated that up to 120 000 people once walked these same streets, at least during Tikal’s heyday. Remarkably, this was achieved in an area located in the middle of the tropical jungle with no natural water source. The people there lived exclusively on stored rainwater, which is another testament to the city’s advanced planning.

In general, Mayan culture was much more advanced than researchers had previously assumed. Tikal covers an area of up to 60 km², but most of it remains hidden beneath the tree canopy. It is difficult to see. This explains why it remained unknown for so long. 

People lived here for around 1 500 years until they suddenly left around 900 AD. Overpopulation and deforestation due to the use of firewood suddenly made the area uninhabitable, forcing them to leave. Although some regions collapsed, not all Maya regions did. Some even survived or grew larger after the classic ‘collapse’, such as Chichen Itzá, which lasted until 1500 AD.

The ruins of Tikal were probably not completely forgotten, but they were no longer in use. The first expeditions to the region did not take place until 1840, starting from Guatemala. Guatemalan Ernesto Méndez takes credit for rediscovering the archaeological treasure. Major excavations followed, with the help of US universities, especially from the 1950s onwards.

Slightly smaller, but more intimate

However, our first Mayan site was not Tikal, but Iximché, which is near Guatemala City. This was the 15th/16th-century capital of the Kaqchikel Maya. The Kaqchikel people still exist today. They now mainly live in the Guatemalan mountains, and there are up to 400 000 Kaqchikel speakers. Their language and culture are therefore still thriving.

And very impressively so. Iximché is a small site compared to Tikal, Palenque or Teotihuacán. We only went there because we had visitors and wanted them to experience some Mayan culture. For us, however, it was a stroke of luck, as we were able to experience the culture up close once again.

When the Spanish conquerors arrived in Guatemala, they settled in Iximché. They made it their capital. The Nahua people called the area ‘wooded land’ (Quauhtemallan). Since the Nahuatls were allies of the Spanish at the time, the Spanish adopted the name for the entire area: now known as Guatemala.

The guardians of colour

Incas, Mayas or Quechuas – for most people, these names conjure up memories of history lessons or images of wonders of the world such as Machu Picchu and Chichen Itzá. But who has ever heard of the Lencas? As we wind our way through the misty highlands of Honduras, one thing becomes clear: we are on our way to meet a people who have almost been forgotten.

A turn into another world

Deep in the mountains, near the village of Intibuca, we pass simple stone houses and cows pasturing on green fields. It is foggy and cold – unexpected for Central America.

Children and men walk along the side of the road, on their way to school or work. At a sharp bend, we see a lorry unloading a calf. Right behind it is our destination: a small weaving mill.

The building is unassuming, and the sign is almost illegible. However, when we ask timidly, a woman waves us into the parlour in a friendly manner. Inside, there are seven wooden looms strung with brightly coloured threads. It is a stark contrast to the grey mist outside.

The work here follows its own rhythm. The women come and go, sitting down at the loom for ten minutes, letting the shuttle fly and then taking another break. The process is entirely manual: stretching the warp threads takes a whole day, and another day is needed to weave the pattern. The end products are magnificent scarves, tablecloths and throws in checked patterns.

Tradition versus ‘Made in China’

While we’re chatting, we notice the women’s accent. They speak Spanish, but their actual native Lenca language has been lost. Only a few phrases and individual words survive, and there are only a few speakers left. The origins of the language are unclear, and it is unfortunately clearly not far from becoming extinct.

And rummaging around, we discover a sticker on one of the balls of wool: ‘Made in China’ it says. Even here, in the most remote corner of the Honduran highlands, the global economy has left its mark.

We soon leave the land of the Incas behind us. Their culture was our constant companion – from Argentina to Colombia, we stumbled across Inca stones.

But before we say goodbye to this empire, let’s look back at what this advanced civilisation meant for the region. And why we learn so little about it in school in Europe – except that it was great, built Machu Picchu and had a lot of gold.

Tawantinsuyu – The land of four parts

The name ‘Inca’ often stands for an entire people. In fact, the Incas were originally a small tribe in the neighbourhood of Cusco, that believed they descended from the sun god Inti. However, within just 100 years – roughly between 1438 and 1533 – they created the largest contiguous empire that ever existed on the American continent: Tawantinsuyu.

This ‘land of four parts’ stretched from what is now the southern border of Colombia to Chile and Argentina. The empire covered over 2 million square kilometres. It was characterised by a multitude of indigenous peoples, languages and landscapes – connected by a central administrative system and a gigantic road network.

They conquered areas where other impressive peoples lived, who are even less well known in Europe. The Chachapoyas in northern Peru adopted the quadrangular architectural style of the Incas, the Uros fled from the Incas to their reed islands on Lake Titicaca and in Samaipata they took over a sacred stone. The course of expansion was immense – until the Spanish conquered the entire area.

A road network that still exists today

One of the most impressive legacies of the Incas is the Qhapaq Ñan, the Royal Road System. It is estimated that it comprised more than 40 000 kilometres of roads that meandered through the Andes, along the coasts and into the jungle. Many of these roads are still passable today, some are still used by locals, others are hidden and forgotten next to modern roads.

We also came across Inca trails ourselves – in search of snakes in the cloud forest in Ecuador, we travelled through deep gorges, known as chaquiñán, which were created by centuries of walking. Of course, the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is one of them. Although we didn’t walk it. Instead, we marvelled at the extremely precise architecture of the Incas in Pisac.

Unity through administration, not language

The empire was multicultural, but the Incas created a unified administration that held the empire together. In contrast to Europe, they knew no money, so no taxes were levied. However, the people had to perform hard collective labour. Especially the peasants, as the nobility and clergy had privileges. Nevertheless, they were well organised and distributed their goods and services throughout the empire so that disasters could be relieved and everyone was fed.

Quechua was made the administration’s language, although it was not spoken by everyone. However, it was so widespread that Quechua is still spoken today in many parts of the Andean region – not only is it an official language in many countries, but the number of speakers is even increasing.

The fact that an empire of this size and efficiency could exist without writing is a remarkable aspect – and could be one reason why the Inca Empire is often only dealt with superficially in European history lessons. The first written sources come from the conquistadors. Without written sources of their own, without chronicles from the perspective of the Incas themselves, much has only been preserved from Spanish reports – often distorted and incomplete.

The focus in European history lessons is on the fall of the Inca Empire, as the Europeans left their traces behind up until today, and not its rise.

A legacy that remains

On our journey through South America, the presence of the Incas was not always obvious – but it was constant. We continually learnt more about what ‘Inca’ actually means. We drove through the valley of the Incas’ last resistance, we walked along an old Inca trail, and we constantly saw the agricultural terraces that are still being cultivated 500 years later.

What remains is the impression of an empire that has not simply disappeared. It was defeated, yes – but it never completely dissolved. It lives on in the language, the paths, the architecture and the people.

The Inca Empire was more than Machu Picchu and gold. It was a complex and well-organised network in a huge region. For us, it was an immersion into the living history of a culture that seemed conquered and forgotten, but which still strongly characterises everyday life.

‘You can see everything here: their sarcophagi, their culture, their remains,’ explains Sonia Bautista as we arrive at the top of the cliff. Sonia is taking us on a day-long journey through the culture of the Chachapoyas. At the very end of our journey through Peru, we come across an ancient civilisation that is virtually unknown in Europe. There was a lot of hype about them a few years ago when new sarcophagi were discovered.

But don’t expect to see huge Egyptian pyramids in the sand. The Chachapoyas lived in a mountainous region of the Andes and their final resting place was in the steep rocky slopes. Accessible to everyone – as long as you are fit and can cope with the rough terrain. The jungle protected the Chachapoyas, hiding them from conquerors and grave robbers, and today they are slowly reappearing due to deforestation.

It was only in 2006, Sonia explains, that the villagers discovered the graves, but did not know what to do with them. It took another couple of years for the site being accessible. A teacher was sent to the village of San Gerónimo in 2012. He rediscovered the graves and knew how important they were. The teacher was able to motivate the village community to built a path and small bridges and even brought in Peruvian television. But they never became very well known, so they are not overcrowded. What a stroke of luck for us – and for them.

The only clue: a location on Google

The village of San Gerónimo is 5 kilometres from the burial site. The road up there is steep and winding, actually more of a track, but in pretty good condition. We get lost once because we follow Google Maps instead of the signs.

After an hour’s drive, we reach the village. A small mountain village with a surprisingly beautiful school. It is inhabited, quite lively and we have to ask because we don’t see any signs to the Cerro del Tigre, as the burial site is officially called. However, the villagers know how to help us immediately. They call the person in charge and make us wait.

Thirty minutes later we are told to drive up the hill, about 1.5 kilometres, where someone will be waiting for us. Sure enough, Sonia is standing a little higher up the road waving to us. We almost missed her. We are sceptical at first, but we stop and talk to her for a while. The car park is just off the road – hopefully the slope is stable enough.

We find it a bit expensive; we are used to other prices in Peru (except in Cuzco and the surrounding area). It costs a whole 20 dollars for two with a private guide. But we’ve only heard good things, and as we haven’t seen the sarcophagi yet, we decide to go.

Later, Sonia explains why it was so easy to find her in the village: They pay 5 soles to anyone who calls them. The price is justified, because another 10 soles per person go directly to the community, which is now building a new meeting house with noble material. That’s what they call concrete. The guide keeps the rest for his working hours. A total of 80 soles, or 20 dollars.

Meadows, forests, graves

We walk up a muddy path. Sonia in flip-flops, a small water bottle in her hand, we in walking boots and rucksacks. We continue over meadows, under quinine trees, down again, over a small wooden bridge and then steeply up into the forest.

About 3.5 kilometres in about one hour, with lots of photo stops, then a turn to the right and voilá: The remains of the temples in the middle of the rock. Former fireplaces, human bones and adobe buildings.

The Chachapoyas culture dates back to the 9th century and left many cave paintings and other temples and tombs. Around 1470, the Chachapoyas became part of the Inca Empire. Right at the beginning, where we came through, you can see the round buildings, which shows that it belongs to the Chachapoya culture; if it’s square, like further down the valley, then it’s Inca,’ says Sonia. The round tombs are still painted, everything is as we found it, even the paint is still there. They got the paint from tree bark, it was good paint.

The most famous Chachapoya site is Kuélap. But because it is so far south, we decided not to go there. It’s more touristy and less adventurous. Then we saw this place on the map and thought it would be a good idea to give it a try. Once again, it was worth it.

Mausoleums and sarcophagi in the rock

The most remarkable feature of the Chachapoyas were their tombs. There were two types: mausoleums in small caves as communal graves and sarcophagi as individual graves. The latter were always placed on rocky slopes that were even more difficult to access. Just like where we are now.

After the first buildings, we continue along the slope. There are several caves with human bones. They are all still there. As I said, nothing has been touched, just a rope to prevent people walking over the remains. A little further on we stand under a rock overhang. Sonia shows us a small wooden walkway that leads to a tree. The stability of the platform looks a little doubtful. We have to climb up one by one as it’s not safe for two people. The whole thing is a bit wobbly and doesn’t feel very safe—but if you’ve come this far… you’ve got to go through it.

Hold on tight, up the ladder, turn around, sit down and, wow! There they are, less than ten metres away: thirteen small, shiny sarcophagi. The remains of the aristocratic families were buried in them, the commoners in the caves. It is incredible that they are so well preserved, with paintings 500 to 600 years old.

Unbelievable that no tomb robbers have taken them. I ask Sonia: One day a little mummy just disappeared from the temple. But the sarcophagi are not so easy to get at, fortunately. There are apparently more sarcophagi further up the rock, but that would be a much bigger adventure. They have tried several times to find a safe route from the village, without success. We briefly consider asking her if she knows anyone who could lead us there, though we don’t have time for that much adventure.

The somewhat different offering

We still enjoyed every minute there. We waited for the rain to stop and for Sonia to make her small offering at the altar. Three human skulls surrounded by alcohol and cigarettes. ‘I always take some coca, make the sign of the cross and place it in front of the altar, so that our ancestors protect us and give us strength and energy,’ says Sonia.

We don’t have the usual gifts with us, but Michael finds some gummy bears. We give place them as our offering. Maybe the ancestors will be pleased and give us some of their strength for our journey. We could use it.

Now that we think about it, maybe they have already given us something, because this was one of those tours that we will remember and talk about for a long time.

It was during this period, at the height of the Inca Empire, that Machu Picchu was built: one of the Seven Modern Wonders of the World, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the example of Inca architecture and engineering.

And indeed, it is incredible. Both the ancient architecture and the modern organisation that guides thousands of tourists through the ruins every day are remarkable.

We tried to visit the ruins of Machu Picchu as independently as possible. So we drove to Santa Teresa, where the hydroelectric platform is located, left the car in a secure car park and started the first hike at 5 am.

There are other treks that last several days, such as the Salkantay trek, but apparently it is quite touristy and it was more complicated to organise ourselves without depending on an operator. So we opted for this other option.

We followed the tracks of the train. It was a beautiful walk at dawn, with no one but the four of us (we were with a young German couple). Until we reached Aguas Calientes.

Aguas Calientes can be seen as the fortress that awaits Machu Picchu. All visitors have to pass through it and it was built for the sole purpose of getting people to the ruins and satisfying the whims of the visitors.

When we arrived in the village at 7am, we saw an endless queue of people waiting for the bus to the entrance of the site. We had to wait in another queue to get a number to get one of the thousand tickets available for the next day. We were given numbers 70-73 and told to come back at three in the afternoon.

In the meantime we ate the worst and most expensive breakfast of our trip and looked for a relatively cheap hotel for the night (35 US$). At three we went back to the office, queued up and got our tickets. Afterwards we celebrated with several rounds of Pisco Sour. At least this one was tasty.

The next morning, reluctant to spend 25 dollars on the bus, we did the second hike. One hour, 1.7 kilometres, 500 metres uphill.

We arrived out of breath and had to wait the 15 minutes (there was no one else there) until 9 o’clock, as the ticket slot said, to get in. So all the tourists whose turn it was at 9 o’clock went in at exactly the same time.

Nevertheless, we were very lucky. The sky cleared and the sun even came out, so we were able to enjoy Machu Picchu in all its splendour (making room between the others) and queuing for a good photo (it doesn’t happen too often that we have to queue).

But yes, there is something magical about this place. It’s not clear if it was a spiritual place or a palace, or both. The secret is still hidden among the stones. What is known is that it had good communications with the other Inca cities in the region; even the Spaniards knew about it, although it seems that they did not go to the city to collect the annual tributes, but had them taken to Ollantaytambo.

As time went on, Machu Picchu became more and more isolated. However, it never fell into complete oblivion, as is often thought. The site was known in the region and mentioned in various sources over the centuries, although it was never again the city it once was. The American explorer Hiram Bingham simply recognised its importance and encouraged its excavation in 1911.

Today it is Peru’s main tourist attraction. It welcomes up to 1.6 million tourists a year, about 4000 per day, of which 1000 tickets are sold the day before and those available in advance usually sell out quickly.

Frankly, the number of tourists is insane and they try to control it by restricting access to the site and guiding the masses through established circuits. It works pretty well. The big tourist impact is most noticeable in the town of Aguas Calientes, where there has been an uncontrolled growth of hotels, lodges and restaurants.

After visiting Machu Picchu, we were glad to get back to our car and escape the crowds, having walked back along the train tracks for two hours in the rain. This time we were met by several guided tour groups. No more walking back quietly as we had done the previous morning.