Mayan Pyramids

Another of Crichton's adventures took him to Uxmal, Mexico, where he climbed the Pyramid of the Magician. The pyramid was built near the end of the Classical Mayan period, which is around 950 AD. It has 90 steps at 60 degree angles, making them very steep, and difficult to climb. Crichton remarks in the book that the rising sun illuminating the pale buildings of the ancient city was an ethereal sight. Among the ruins of the Pyramid of the Magician is the House of the Governor, House of the Turtles, and the House of the Pigeons. The pyramid stands 125 feet tall. The House of Turtles is named for a row of turtles on its front, and the House of Pigeons is named because its roof could have been a dovecote. Crichton reflects that even though the structures have names, no one really knows what they were called, or what when on in them. He then goes forth to say that the closer we look at history the less coherent it becomes. He says in his book that "The internal psychological pressure to make up a story, to explain the ruins before one's eyes, is powerful indeed." He is implacable because he wants to know what when on, but he never really can. He makes the analogy that "The Dark Ages weren't dark; it is hard to be sure what the Middle Ages stood in the middle of; and that the Renaissance is as much a birth as a rebirth. Crichton thinks that history books and tour guides beguile people into thinking they know more than they really do.

Wild Animals in Rwanda

Rwanda is one of the many places Crichton visits in his inspired memoir, Travels. Wether due to caprice, or ennui, Crichton decides to go on a wild animal safari in order to catch an ephemeral glimpse of the ever rare, mountain gorilla. The mountain gorilla is said to be the rarest of all apes, with only about 600 left in the mountainous region near Mgahinga in Rwanda. Crichton recalls that seeing a huge, salient mountain ape in its natural habitat was his greatest wildlife experience. In Swahili the mountain gorilla is called "Sokwe." Most grow up to six feet tall, and weigh in at about 300 to 425 pounds. The average lifespan is 40 years. They are vegetarians that live in dense forest, and whose only predator are humans. Crichton reflects in the book that he thought no other animal had the cachet of the mountain gorilla. He remembers the awe he felt, as only one mountain gorilla exists for every ten million humans.