Tuesday, August 30, 2016
"The Witte Museum, established in 1926 under the charter of the San
Antonio Museum Association, is located adjacent to Brackenridge Park in
Midtown Brackenridge, San Antonio, Texas, USA, on the banks of the San
Antonio River."
It feels like the first week of school as I exclaim about my new friend. I met someone online named Jay. Now, before you all start teasing and sending me ideas for wedding centerpieces, it has been established that we are just friends and I have no pictures to share. He's lived in the city for about 3 years and has taken on the task of site seeing with me. Although Jay lives in the neighborhood near Witte, he had never been either. We agreed to meet on Tuesday because we were both available--and entrance is free on Tuesdays from 3p-8p. We were set to meet at 430pm but Siri took me around and around. While I waited for Jay to arrive I watched the wide array of folks coming and going. I was eager to hear where the deep sounding wind chimes were coming from and view the Maya exhibit.
Jay showed up and we were on our way. The museum is currently under renovation so there were several inaccessible areas. We followed winding path along a narrow stretch of the San Antonio river and eventually made it to the eastern most building. A very kind gentleman welcomed us and explained the route to take to best enjoy the exhibit. The Mayan experience involved almost every sense. There was plenty to read, videos to watch, and music to listen to. It was quite interactive and held my attention for a couple of hours.
My favorite were the hands on displays. There was a replica of a rubber ball that was created by the Mayans--the game was to be played without hands--feet and hips only to maneuver the ball and score points. There were two "broken vases" that we were able to put back together. And my favorite was learning about their gem studded teeth! Yes, these guys had the original grill!!
I was able to discover my Mayan name which is "First Flower". I also printed out what my stela would look like. A stela is a large sculpture or monument that displays ones name, Mayan birthdate and important message. The display wrapped up by reviewing the culture's burial procedures, which included burying your loved ones in the floor of your home.
Jay and I ended our visit in the overpriced gift shop and there were the beautiful chimes! I fought the urge to buy a thing, Jay kindly walked me to my car and we chatted about what we'll do next time.
I'll definitely return to Witte.
Overall it was an educational, fun, inexpensive evening out. And I even made it home without Siri's help-then set my dinner on fire, literally.
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