Mayan Mexico

After my visit to the impressive ruins of Teotihuacán I left Mexico City and spent the rest of my holiday in what used to be the Mayan empire - the Yucatan peninsula.

That's the Yucatan; as soon as you escape the horrors of the Riviera Maya, where no theme is too tacky, you enter one of the most laid-back regions in the world. Besides the Mayan ruins dotted all over the peninsula, there is almost an over-abundance of beauty: rolling miles of emerald jungle, punctuated by deep cenotes and fringed by the Caribbean
Alice Waugh, The Telegraph, 9 March 2009

Palenque

Surrounded by a dense jungle forest in a dramatic mountain setting, the vast and mysterious ruins of Palenque are widely regarded as the most atmospheric and impressive of the Mayan ruins. Evidence of occupation dates back to about 300 BC. Most of the buildings however were constructed between the 7th and 10th century AD. Then, mysteriously, the great city was abandoned and reclaimed by the jungle.

One of the best things about Palenque is that so very little is off limits. I was allowed to climb on and in most of the building. Only a small part of Palenque has been cleared from the trees. When I followed a path into the dense jungle it was easy to spot many unexcavated temples which were completely overgrown.

I spent half a day at the ruins before I visited the interesting museum just outside the ruins. It was late afternoon when I returned to Palanque to sort out my onward journey to Flores in Guatemala.

The easiest, safest and fastest option to get there from Palenque is to take an organised tour. There is a choice between a direct transfer (1-day) or a 2-day trip which includes a stop at two remote Mayan sites, Bonampak and Yachilan. I chose to do the latter and booked my trip at Yaxkin Hostel (M$ 1100, including all transfers, entrance fees, an overnight stay and all meals during the a 33h trip).

Bonampak and Yaxchilan

As agreed, I was met by the minibus driver at 6am outside my hostel. We followed the Frontier Highway, had breakfast along the route and arrived at Bonampak around 10am. Although it is not overly impressive in terms of size, Bonampak is well-known for its brilliant murals. The murals, which were preserved by a coating of calcite washed down from the ceilings, depict scenes from Mayan court life, rituals and battles during the 8th century. The minibus stopped for one hour only, however this was enough time to visit the small site. Back on the minibus, we drove another 30km or so before we reached Frontera Corozal, a rather dusty and boring border town where we had lunch.

Yaxchilan is an ancient Maya city located on the bank of the Usumacinta River. To reach the site, it is necessary to take a 45min boat ride from Frontera Corozal. Yaxchilan contains impressive ruins, with palaces and temples bordering a large plaza upon a terrace above the river. More buildings are spread out in the jungle. I found it exciting to follow the small paths and literally stumble across buried walls and unexpectedly end up in front of beautiful buildings somewhere in the dense jungle.

After two hours, my group met again at the boat and we returned to Frontera Corozal. That night, I stayed in a basic wooden shed (bed, mosquito net, shared facilities) on the banks of a small stream near Lacanha Chansayab. The place was run by Lacandon who served me dinner and breakfast the next day.

The refreshing water of the stream was ideal to cool down after an exciting day of trekking and climbing in the jungle.

The next morning, I took a boat across the Usumacinta River and arrived in Guatemala. I spent a week there and in Belize before I returned to Tulum in Mexico (re-entry visa M$100).

Tulum

Spectacularly located on a cliff overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea, Tulum was a small Mayan settlement that flourished as a seaport until the arrival of the Spanish. Though it was a walled city, most of the inhabitants probably lived outside the walls, leaving the interior for the residences of governors and priests and ceremonial structures.

I spent two nights at Tulum town and visited the cenote Aktun Chen before I continued to Valladolid. Valladolid makes an excellent base to visit both Chichen Itza and Ek Balam. Further, the city itself is quite charming and doesn't see many foreign tourists. During my stay, I visited two of the several cenotes within the area including the vast limestone cathedral that is Cenote Dzitnup, the most famous of the swimmable cenotes.

Ek Belam

Ek Balam is known for a spectacular tomb on its acropolis. Because part of the acropolis was covered over with a fill of rubble and limestone soon after its construction, the temple and its stucco decorations were protected from the elements and preserved intact. The site was forgotten for 800 years; exploration and restoration did not begin until the 1990s. This little gem is still rarely visited.

Chichen Itza

The most famous of Mexican ruins it is besieged daily by thousands of tourists. Although I was lucky enough to visit on a quiet day, Chichen Itza was by far the busiest site I visited in all of Mexico. As a result it is no longer allowed to enter or climb any of the structures.

Chichen Itza has some of the largest buildings of the ancient Mayan cities. The city grew rich from trading in jade, salt and turquoise. With a population of over 40,000 it became the most powerful city in the whole of the Yucatan between 750 and 950 AD.

Today, the site contains many fine stone buildings in various states of preservation. The buildings are grouped in a series of architectonic sets: the Great North Platform, which includes the monuments of El Castillo, the Temple of Warriors and the Great Ball Court; and the Central Group, which includes the El Caracol and the Edificio de las Monjas.

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Accommodation

• Palenque: Yaxkin hostel, friendly and clean (dorm bed M$ 160)
  
• Tulum: Hotel Maya, between the bus station and the Weary Traveller Hostel (M$ 200, the single room was both cheaper and better than the one at the well-known Weary Traveller)
  
• Valladolid: Hotel Zaci, a quiet and well-kept hotel with a small pool, centrally located (single room M$270)
  

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