palenque and the lancandon jungle

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we traveled along winding mountain roads by bus to palenque to see the ancient palenque ruins and also the lancandon jungle. it was raining most of the time but i guess that's what happens when you're in the jungle. neither tages nor i had ever been to a jungle before. you could hear howler monkeys in the distance and their defense mechanism sound was that of a tiger so it sounded like there were a bunch of tigers in the jungle. it was an experience never to be forgotten.
we didn't stay in palenque long for a few reasons. we were all pretty undecided on where to go next and we needed to purchase bus tix asap before the busses filled up heading to our next destination. we decided this would be our eastern most destination, skipping guatemala and heading west to Mexico City. the palenque ruins were breathtaking especially within the jungle setting. we could have spent at least another day exploring the ruins. graham climbed all of them.
14 hour bus to mexico city, here we come!

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Photos

jungle roadtrip!
we wished we were in that van heading to Guatemala!

Palenque Museum
tablet of the sun

Palenque
The ancient city of Palenque began as a small farming village in 100 BC and grew steadily throughout the pre-Classic period. Around 600 AD the city began to flourish, reaching its height of prosperity in the next 200 yrs.

Palenque
Palenque owes much of its success to King Pacal (sun-shield or white macaw in mayan)who inherited the throne from his mother, Zac Kuk in AD 615 at the age of 12.

Palenque
Pacal lived into his 70s and was succeeded in AD 683 by his elderly son Chan-Bahlum (jaguar serpent). It was during the rule of these kings that most of Palenque's construction took place.

Norwegian friends
We initially met this couple from Norway on our tour to Chamula in San Cristobal. We met up with them again in Palenque and were staying at the same cabanas. Her grandfather is from Bergen, which is where some of Graham and my ancestors came from.

Palenque's ancient Ball Court
A century after Chan-Bahlum's death in AD 702, Palenque fell into oblivion, perhaps due to a seige at the hands of the rival Totonacs or another Mayan city.

Palenque
The musuem also suggests the possibility that Palenque was abandoned intentionally because elders felt its time was over.

Palenque
The ruins at Palenque were impressive and breathtaking. The jungle setting was amazing.

Oaxaqueña restaurant
we really missed oaxaca food so we found this restaurant and ate there twice.