A foreigner in Mexico infuriated locals by ascending the stairway of a Mayan temple.
The unidentified woman was spotted dancing at the peak of El Castillo, also known as the Pyramid of Kukulcán, in the Mexican state of Yucatán, while an angry mob yelled insults at her from below.
Hostile Crowd Attacks Tourist
Since 2008, visitors to the Chichen Itza monument have been banned from ascending the 82-foot pyramid, which formerly served as one of the most significant centers of the Mayan civilization.
The woman was confronted by a hostile throng at the bottom of the 91 stairs, with some members of the crowd yelling “jail, jail, jail” and “lock her up.”
As she waded through the crowd, others threw water bottles at her.
Climbing a Mayan temple in Mexico caused a tourist to provoke locals.
A disrespectful tourist climbs an ancient Mayan pyramid in Mexico and gets booed pic.twitter.com/ZMAnwf0Euo
— Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) November 21, 2022
The traveler seems to be requested to come down by a fellow who has ascended part of the stairs in a video posted yesterday that has been seen more than 8 million times.
There is footage of her dancing and twirling her hat at the audience as she descends.
They crowd around her as she attempts to pass at the bottom, and the bystanders can be heard yelling at her.
TURISTAS BURLAN SEGURIDAD Y ESCALAN EL CASTILLO DE KUKULCÁN#VIDEO A empujones sacan de la zona arqueológica de Chichén Itzá a pareja de turistas nacionales que subieron al Castillo de Kukulcán pese a la restricciones.
Video publicado por Pisté comunica pic.twitter.com/kBHv7WTyiR
— Yucatán Ahora (@yucatanahora) November 21, 2022
The crowd disturbs her equilibrium by knocking her hat off and hurling water from plastic bottles at her.
The people surrounding her are using their phones to record the event.
The traveler was escorted away from the gathering by the archaeological site’s security guards.
Only a few hours after the video went viral online, the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) published a statement clarifying that the monument had not been destroyed.
The damage done to the temple by those who climb it might result in fines between $2569 and $5138.
One to 10 years in jail is possible for violators of Article 47 of the Federal statute on Archaeological, Artistic, and Historical Monuments.
People React in Disbelief
The event has not been reported by INAH officials, according to the Latin American news agency.
The video was met with a range of reactions throughout social media.
One individual said that they were relieved this was the result since it shows how rude people can be.
One person commented that entitled tourists are one of the most humiliating types of visitors.
Other people took to the internet to rally to her defense.
Someone said they couldn’t touch her since they didn’t have permission.
Chichen Itza is indeed a UNESCO World Heritage site that has been around for more than a thousand years and welcomes more than 2.5 million tourists every year.
In the year2021, a visitor climbed all the way to the top of the temple stairs before being apprehended by the guards.