Tourist faces backlash after dancing on Mayan pyramid in Mexico
Tourist faces backlash after dancing on Mayan pyramid in Mexico
By Snejana Farberov
November 22, 2022 | 2:32pm
An angry mob in Mexico poured water on a clueless female tourist, hurled insults at her and demanded that she be locked up after she ascended the ancient Mayan pyramid and was filmed dancing on the stairs.
The unidentified woman, who is said to be a Spanish national, sparked an outrage Monday when she ignored the rules barring visitors from climbing Mayan Temple of Kukulcán in Chichén Itzá, which was named in 2007 one of the New 7 Wonders of the World by UNESCO.
After reaching the top, she gyrated her hips and waved her arms in celebration, drawing loud jeers from a large group of tourists observing her wild antics from the ground. Some of them were heard calling the disrespectful visitor an “a–hole” and an “idiot” in Spanish.
TikTok screenshot of the incident
A TikTok viral video shows a tourist believed to be from Spain dancing on the steps of the off-limits Temple of Kukulcán in Chichén Itzá, Mexico.
TikTok / @angelalopeze
TikTok screenshot of the incident
The woman disregarded rules prohibiting tourists from climbing the pyramid.
TikTok / @angelalopeze
Furious onlookers watching the woman’s ascent called for her arrest.
TikTok / @angelalopeze
The woman entered the temple, before descending the 365 steps.
TikTok / @angelalopeze
Chants of “jail, jail, jail” and “lock her up” in Spanish could be heard in the background.
The blonde woman, sporting bright-red tights and a blue T-shirt, ducked into the temple room, before descending the pyramid’s 365 steps. She was met at the base by officials with the Mexican Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), along with a furious crowd.
In viral videos that have been circulating on TikTok and Twitter, irate onlookers are seen dousing the insolent tourist, who has been dubbed “Lady Chichén Itzá,” with water from plastic bottles, and calling her “stupid.”
Other tourists booed the rule-breaking tourist and hurled profanities at her.
TikTok / @monigee61904
She was met at the base by officials with the Mexican Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), along with a furious crowd.
TikTok / @angelalopeze
As she is taken away by officials, some bystanders appear to knock the woman’s hat off her head and yank her hair.
The unnamed woman was arrested by the local police and slapped with an unspecified fine for climbing the world heritage site, which has been off-limits to visitors since 2008 to protect it from destruction, erosion and graffiti, Riviera Maya News reported.
Penalties established by Mexico’s Federal Law on Monuments and Archaeological, Artistic and Historical Areas range anywhere from $2,500 to more than $5,000, depending on the severity of the damage to a protected site.
An angry mob knocked the hat off the woman’s head and yanked her hair.
Twitter / @ferchavagil
The Spanish national was arrested and slapped with a fine for her conduct.
Twitter / @ferchavagil
The National Institute of Anthropology and History said Monday that the temple, also known as El Castillo, has not been harmed.
The step-pyramid was built by the Maya civilization sometime between the 8th and 12th centuries AD to serve as a temple to Kukulcán, the Feather Serpent god.
The centuries-old temple was named in 2007 one of the New 7 Wonders of the World by UNESCO.
REUTERS
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The incident comes nearly a year after a woman from Tijuana, Mexico, was fined for climbing the same pyramid while allegedly drunk.
FILED UNDER ARRESTS , MEXICO , TOURISTS , UNESCO , VIRAL VIDEOS , 11/22/22
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Tourist doused with water after dancing on off-limits Mayan pyramid in Mexico
