It was our last night at Camping St. Nicolas in San Cristóbal de las Casas. During our stay, we met several interesting people. One of them was a man from Manchester, UK who travels the world alone on a bicycle. From England, he crossed Asia, cycled all of Australia, and now he was on his way to South America. He could not just change plans like we did, the goal was paramount to him. Guatemala closed borders two days ago. Now, the only option for him was to wait for the border to reopen and continue his journey. We noticed he was getting frustrated already. Living in the cabin was clearly not, what he intended to do in his life.

We are not used to sit in one place for the extended period of time. After three nights, we decided to leave San Cristóbal. It was time to move on and see the Maya ruins. After over 3 hours’ drive we found ourselves in Toniná, the powerful kingdom of the Classic Period.

In the height of its glory, around AD 900, the pyramidal structure in Tonina reached seven platforms and contained thirteen temples. The central stairway leading to the Temple of Smoking Mirror contained 260 steps. At 74 meters/ 243 ft it was taller than the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan. The enormous Tonina’s structure contains palaces from where dynastic families ruled. It was also a place where priests, military commanders, and astronomers lived.

Toniná was involved in many wars until it became the dominant power in the western part of the World of the Maya. When Tonina conquered Palenque and captured its ruler, it was here that he was beheaded. He was not the only ruler of other Maya cities who was imprisoned and killed here. This is reflected in local art. Many sculptures found here depict prisoners with their hands tied.