Palenque Ruins

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We learned a quick lesson today that in central America your hotel need not have a shower as at this time of year nature is quite capable of providing one for you.

We got off our bus and realised it was definitely air conditioned, a heat wave hit us as we exited in the small town of Palenque. We have dropped down in altitude now from Mexico city and San Cristobal de las Casas and finally Leanne feels at home in the stinky hot humid heat.

Palenque is a small town with not much happening but set on the outskirts is the picturesque and very fascinating Palenque ruins. These ruins are an ancient Mayan city dating back from 100 BC to 900 AD and lost to the jungle for almost 1000 years. With only the ruins to see, our first job yet again, was to organise our exit strategy. So after booking a 6am bus to Flores in Guatemala tomorrow we then found the nearest and cheapest hotel and quickly jumped into a collectivo (public minibus) and out to the ruins. We were told it took 3 hours to visit and with only 3 hours until closing we were once again almost pushed for time.

We arrived right on queue for the black clouds to empty their contents with some welcoming thunder thrown in. In this rain you don´t move, so after a few minutes we saw a gap in the down pour and headed into the ruins. Set amongst the jungle trees and with towering pyramids 25m high it seemed a perfect environment with the smell of fresh rain and low lying mist. We walked on top of and around the ruins and upon hearing the familiar clap of thunder made a quick exit for the museum.

Arriving right on time for the last viewing of the day we really enjoyed the movies and excavated exhibits which helped explain the background to what we had just seen. Perhaps we did this in the wrong order but we have a feeling that this won´t be the last Mayan ruins we will see. We especially found the photo collection of particular interest as it showed the site close to how it was discovered, covered in jungle with most of the site buried under trees.

A short stay in Mexico but not to worry we will return, or at least we had better as we need to catch a flight from here.

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Photos

Waterfall
Set amoungst the Ruins

Comments

[Helen Codd]

Hey guys, I've been here!! Yeh, I may recognise some of your photos from now on in your travels.