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As you continue you arrive at Plaza Duende, a beautiful open area with a picnic shelter. The duendes are the phantom protectors of the forest and appear to some as small men with beards and large hats. Duendes only have four fingers and are extremely jealous of humans because we possess thumbs. |
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| Plaza Duende is a public plaza covering almost an acre (50 x 70 m, 164 x 230 ft.) with only one major structure, the pyramid, in the northwest corner. This pyramid had at least two major building episodes, exposed in a looter's trench. It was also used by the Maya as a tomb. We know this because looters beat us to the tomb and badly damaged the west and front side of the building. You can barely distinguish the area where the trench has been refilled to save the structure. |
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| Plaza Duende is a great point for a break and picnic. A sturdy galleria stands where a traditional thatched champa once stood as the field headquarters and first caretaker home. A small path behind the picnic structure leads down to another set of restrooms. | ||
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Moving along the Nohol Trail to the south end of Plaza Duende, you will be looking up a smooth rise towards Plaza Copal. If you look carefully to both the right and left, you will see the defining foundations of Plaza Copal. The sloped area between these foundations is the monumental entrance to Plaza Copal, perched almost 5 meters (16.5 feet) above Plaza Duende. This entrance has been remodeled many times throughout its history. At times it was a ramp, at other times a stairway, ultimately it was both. | |
| The large open plazas, such as Duende and Copal, provide an ideal gathering area for large important festivals. Imagine these areas without the sounds of birds and animals, but with music, conversation, and dance. We are reviving these ceremonial gatherings with the Fiesta El Pilar, an annual event initiated by the BRASS/El Pilar Program and now hosted by the Amigos de El Pilar in Belize and Guatemala. The fiesta is held in anticipation of the summer rains. |
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