Many of the stories from Mexico stem from the mysterious Aztec and Mayan religions, whose violent and bloody sacrifices are not understood in modern society.
traduzca una historia por favor:
Veracruz - Fort at San Juan de Ulua
This place has quite a history. Even a year prior to the arrival of Cortez in
Mexico, another Spanish explorer landed here to find Aztec priests making
sacrifices on the site. With the arrival of the Catholics (and no doubt small
pox and guns), a Franciscan chapel was built, then a fort. The place has seen
grisly deaths, war, torture, and human agony of all sorts. It is, however
vaguely stated, reportedly "haunted".
Guanajuanto - Tombs at Acambro
Ancient tombs on the cliffs of the Hill of the Bull are reportedly haunted by
bizarre apparitions, visitors report. Locals fear the place, where artifacts
have been found so closely related to ancient Egyptian artifacts that for years
they were dismissed as frauds.
Yucatan - Chichén Itzá
I
was lucky enough to visit this beautiful gem that pokes out of the dense forests
near Cancun and Playa Del Carmen. Guided tours abound in the vast ruin, and you
can even climb the pyramids. Just don't do what I did and have a panic attack
when you reach the top...
A monumental discovery, the ruins here are theorized to be one of thousands that
have yet to be discovered in the thick jungle canopy of coastal Mexico. The
Mayan people still live in the area, their diminutive size making them obvious
on the roadsides along the way.
Features
of Chichén Itzá, other than the huge pyramids, include a court which seems to be
the precursor of a basketball court - with the hoop hanging sideways. Games
would take days as Mayan players would try to fling the softball sized ball
through the tiny stone hole - and it is disputed whether the winner or loser was
put to death as a sacrifice to the gods. (at least that's what the guide said)
Near the court there is a wall which has the carved expressions of hundreds of
skulls, once a burial mound.
An extremely deep cenoté, or water filled sink hole, lays near one pyramid .
Purchased at one time by American Edward Thompson for $500, the water hole,
Thomson knew, was where the virgins - heavily laden with jewelry - were tossed
in as a sacrifice to the Mayan gods. Thomson made several attempts at reaching
the bottom of the 60+ feet deep hole (this was long before Jacques Cousteau),
And finally managed to hit a cash cow on one trip; he was so deep that his
eardrum popped and he lost the hearing in that ear. (*don't use this for a term
paper, kids - I got all of this from our very animated tour guide...) The
Mexicans are, of course, still very pissed that he took his findings right out
of Mexico - as did several other early discoverers. Many artifacts sit in
London. And you know how those Brits are about giving back ancient artifacts
(just ask Egypt).
Anyway, on to the ghosts. The area that is reportedly haunted is
the ruin of the observatory. Visitors have seen apparitions of what they
describe as Mayan priests and sacrifice victims inside this building.
The only odd feeling I had when visiting there was the taco that I bought from a
street vendor tearing my guts up...
On
another side note, if you are there, try to visit a cenoté while you're there.
Our tour stopped at one near the ruin and actually let us go and swim in it - it
was absolutely one of the most surreal and beautiful places I've ever been. The
light shines up through the turquoise water from other openings underground,
making the water glow - and tree roots from the crust of the ground above the
cave dip 100 feet into the water, and look like giant ropes hanging from the
ceiling. Absolutely stunning.
There are multiple tour companies that go to the ruin at Chichén Itzá. It's
about an hour by car from Cancun. The roads are well marked, but primitive in
most places. However, if you're driving - the Mayan people walking along the
roads and riding their horses make for a very unique and scenic drive.
Durango - Near Caballos
25
miles out of Caballos is the Area 57 of Mexico. This area is called "The Dead
Zone" because a group of oil company workers searching for drilling sites found
that no radio or TV communication could be transmitted here. Also called "Mar de
Tetys", electromagnetic waves are blamed for the anomaly. Multicolored balls of
light, alien like creatures. and the apparition of a tall fair haired man have
been reportedly seen here.
Mexico City - Centro Bancomer
This huge bank headquarters is haunted by el chamaco, or "the little kid". In
one of the 3 restaurants, staff reportedly saw a little boy run through the
wall. Staff says that a little boy calls on the phone repeatedly, asking for
someone to play with him. One management person working in the basement heard a
huge rabble, like a group of people loudly talking, outside his office. When he
walked outside, no one was there. Later he heard it again, yelled at whoever it
was - and a corkboard fell from his wall. Immediately after he saw a vision of a
little boy on his ceiling.
Monterrey - Barrio Antiguo "Haunted House"
This house has such a reputation for being haunted, that it's now open for
tours. Since 1933, the ghost of a woman in white and her little girl have kept
the neighbors fascinated, and the home un-lived in. Still in it's albeit
crumbling, depression era decor, the house was the site of a grisly murder of
the two. The woman's pet parrot's perch is still in the tree outside. As the
story goes, the talking parrot was able to repeat the names of the murder to la
policia.
1026 Jose Aramberri street
Throughout Mexico - La Llorona
La Llorona is a tale told throughout Mexico and the American southwest. It has
been told since at least 1550, as that is when the earliest recorded version of
it takes place. The story is of a woman who kills her children, then herself -
usually in dispair or to get back at a lover. She is seen wandering around,
wringing her hands and weeping. She is thought to be a bad omen when spotted.
Other versions of the story are told as the vanishing hitchhiker scenario.
Mexico City - El Pedregal District
This expensive suburb of Mexico city is built atop a huge pyramid - theorized to
be the largest in the entire world - that has long been covered by volcanic
rock. The pricey apartments and homes in the area are reportedly haunted by
apparitions of ancient priests.
Guanajuanto - the Museum of the Mummies
The greedy bastards who run the adjoining cemetery to this "museum" charge
families of the dead rent to keep their loved ones buried - for eternity. If
there's no one who can or will pay the fee, they dig the poor sucker up and prop
him or her (even babies) in the "museum", where they then charge tourists a few
dollars to come in and gawk. The dry climate and properties of the soil mummify
the corpses, and thus - instant sideshow! I'm all for capitalism, but this is
ridiculous!
Not surprisingly, there are ghost stories, including the cries of babies, an
apparition of a "tall" lady, and strange whispering sounds.
Guanajuanto - La Calle del Truco
This city street is haunted by Don Ernesto, dressed in old style Mexican
clothing, with his sombrero barely covering an unearthly face and "smoldering"
eyes. The legend says that he hurriedly walks down the street at night, and
knocks on a door 3 times. As the story goes, Don Ernesto entered the then
gambling hall, and unwittingly gambled away his wife to Satan himself.
Mexico City - the subway "the Metro"
Said to be haunted by Aztec warriors and the spirits of beggar children. A rumor
regarding these apparitions became so widespread that the city officials once
had to give an official statement that they did not sacrifice 1,000 children to
appease the gods when they built it.
Tamaulipas - Yerba Buena
Bizarre, drugged up cults terrified the U.S. in the 1960's, and Mexico too.
A cave in this town was a meeting spot for a cult who followed the beliefs of
the Aztecs, and as everyone knows - the Aztecs liked to sacrifice a lot of
humans. Before stoning to death, then cutting the heart out of cult member
Celina Salvana (with a serrated knife, for God's sake), the group drank their
usual ritual mix of human blood and pot. Celina, maybe still trying to figure
out what just happened, has been seen as a specter wandering near the area with
a cavernous hole in her chest.
Yucatan - Ruins at Uxmal
The "pyramid of the magician" is the area where sightings of a feathered and
painted Mayan priest have been reported. South of Meridia.
Tours leave from Cancun.
Veracruz - Forests of Mount Orizaba
This whole area has a legend of spirits known as Cheneque who try to lure little
children into the woods to play with them.
Almost described as an elf or sprite - very tiny in stature- the beings have
been reported for centuries. As recently as 1970, a 6 year old who went missing
for a month showed up again unharmed - saying that the Cheneque had taken care
of him the whole time.
After this publicized case, truckers who drove through the area reported seeing
the beings, who would quickly vanish. In a bizarre twist, these truckers decided
that they wanted to catch one of the Cheneque, and whoever did it first would
have the bragging rights. A huge hunt for them ensued. One trucker claimed that
he had a group of them "cornered" on a road one night, and one of the Cheneque
shot a beam of light at his truck - which then burned to the ground. Some of the
ash was sent to the National University of Mexico, whose thermodynamic
department concluded that whatever generated the heat to vaporize a truck in
such a manner was "not known to modern science". Wow.
Disculpeme, pero estoy seguro que si supiera lo que su camiseta dice en inglés, no la usaría en público...
back to Ghosttraveller: International Ghosts
bibliography
Hauck, Dennis William: The International
Directory of Haunted Places
http://www.mexicotravel.net/demo2/index.cfm?fuseaction=article&article_id=22
http://www.ghosts.org/mexican-ghost.html
http://www.anomalies.net/ghosts/monterrey.html
http://www.ghosts.org/faq/4-1.html
http://www.donquijote.org/guanajuato/info.legends5.asp
