Blogs from Chiapas, Mexico, North America - page 60

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The best possibility for some pictures in gentle light are in the early moring hours. With the pleasing coolness of the night still present the ruins of Palenque would be more enjoyable than in the hot sun of noon. Thinking that I was at the entrance of the archeological site at six in the morning just to find out that some stupid regulation says you need a "special permit" to enter at this early time and the regular opening time is at eight o'clock. Not for you, my friend, I thought and vanished into the bushes... after about half an hour of tough orientation training in a half-dark jungle I found the first traces of the ancient maya site. Some trimmed white stones under the leaves on the ground were the first sign that I was ... read more

Feeling un-inspired for things to say. So just going to give you all some brief news and fill you in for the last few days fo travels. We lazily booked ourselves onto a full day tour from Palenque that took in three sights, being bussed between and left us in San Cristobal at the end of the day. Hassle free. Or that was the plan, Isla's bag was very nearly lost by the tour group though, so we add some heated Spanish arguments in the middle of the day, but all was later resolved. Palenque ruins are beautifully kept. The lawn is neatly mown between towering temples, the plaques are well translated and they even comb the stones on the path in between people walking along them. Ot feels more like a city park than an ... read more

Hello out there, Well we made it to San Cristobal de las casas. After a ten hour bus ride through the Guatemalan Mountains we passed the Mexican border without trouble. Mexico definitely has a different pace of life. This city has a modern culture behind its 17th century Colonial archetecture. The streets are crowded with teens wearing Iron Maiden t-shirts and Von Dutch Caps with Puma sneakers. Actually Puma shoes are the most popular shoes in all Central America! Yesterday we went to the Nabolom Museam/Hotel. The famous painter Frida Kahlo stayed in one of the rooms at the hotel. The museam displayed select photos dating from the forties to seventies of indigenous people from Mexico and San Cristobal. The pics were selected from some 55,000 photos taken by one woman who origionally owned the property ... read more

The Mayan Route is a well traveled (but not well defined) path that winds its way through Southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras, linking together sites of cultural importance, like traditional Mayan villages, with the many archaeological sites that dot the area. While there are several places, such as San Cristobal de Las Casas, Palenque and Tikal, that end up on most peoples' itinerary, the overwhelming number of archaeological sites on the route mean that everyone's journey on La Ruta Maya is different. I spent most of my teenage years studying the Mayan world and dreaming of exploring the hidden depths of the Mayan jungles (I know, I was a nerd) and my time has finally come! My journey on La Ruta Maya started in the highland Chiapas town of San Cristobal de Las Casas. San ... read more