Agua Azul

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Up very early. 6am, the crack of dawn, luckily there was no chance of sleeping at this time anyway due to the cockerels. We had booked a tour to a few waterfalls and the ruins at Palenque. Agua Azul was the first. An beautiful river flowed creating several falls and some rapids, collecting in pools where people swam. Smaller bubbling streams joined with the main river. Where the water collected the pools reflected the sky in combinations of blues and turquoises, people bathed in the cool clear water. I hadn't bought my swimming trunks so I just had to soak up the scenery.

Jungle surrounded the river, providing rich sounds and smells to the area. The squeal of some kind of giant cricket continuously reminded us that we were in the jungle the whole time. A small village near by catered for the tourists needs, jewellery, food, drink and accommodation. I drank from a coconut for the first time. The green husk was quickly hacked off and a straw added to get at the refreshing liquid inside.

Where puddles evapourated in the sunshine, butterflies congregated to drink up the salt. Some kind of trance like state must have been reached by the delicate insects as they wouldn't move when cars and trucks passed through the puddle, leading to the deaths of many of them.

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