Ruinas and the Jungle

The early morning bus pulled out of San Cristobal, into the mountains of Chiapas. Hardly a Mexico of Hollywood: pine clad forrest more like County Donegal than a cactus filled dessert, with valleys below engulfed in early morning fog. After a morning of twists and turns, we emerged at Aqua Azul. Now I finally understand where theme parks found the inspiration for that uber-blue water in waterslides. I had a nice walk up the falls and a nice chat with a German I was travelling with, and then was off to the waterfall Misol-Ha. A nice enough place for a stop, and then the real adventure began with the lovely ruins at Palenque.

A really breathtaking site, worth all the hassle to get here. Oh, and did I mention that it is hot here? San Cristobal was lovely and all but it is sort of nice to be sweating outside in January.

From there I spent a night in Palenque Town, where they oddly enough are having a Oaxaca festival (I thought I had seen my last grasshopper taco for awhile). An early morning shuttle took me to a boat dock on the Usumacinta River - and the Guatemalen border. I boarded the boat in the croc infested waters and 45 minutes later was at the ruins at Yaxchitlan (that is Guatemala on the other side of the river in this photo). The ruins themselves weren´t that impressive but the howler monkeys screeching in the trees and some impressive bas relief frescoes made it a worthwhile journey.

From there it was on the Bonapak, with its painted chambers still holding onto paintings from 1100 years ago. Then, a night in a cabaña in the bush, and today a day hike over streams to see Mayan ruins still owned by the jungle and a few more lovely waterfalls with a cool Austrian couple. I am now back in Palenque Town, awaiting an overnight bus to the Yucatan city of Merida.