The crowd cannot hear the victim’s screams above their own. The priest, altar and attendants are splashed with blood as the still-beating heart is tossed down the temple steps towards the ritual-maddened crowd. Pandemonium ensues. The gods smile. They are pleased.

Such may well have been the scene quite often in Tulum, situated only about two hours south of Cancun on the coastal road headed towards Belize. The ruins here are a definite must-see during your time here. It’s heavily commercialized now and a bit of a hassle to do the trip. You’ll need a guide ($150 pesos) and you can no longer climb the ruins like I used to. Until a few years ago, you could still see the bloodstains on parts of the altar and the original paintings on the coral carved walls. Despite costs and inconveniences, it’s still an interesting site to visit. If you’re really an early bird, sea-side cabañas thatched with palm are available a little further south near the biosphere reserve at Chac-Mool de Sian Ka’an.