Jungle Ruins

It was another early start as we tried to get to the ruins of Palenque before the crowds. We took a colectivo minivan, and although it was just about 8:30 by the time we were inside the ruins, there were already tons of people there. Oh well. The ruins of Palenque are massive, covering an area of more than 15 square kilometres. But only a handful of the buildings have been excavated; the remaining buildings are still covered in earth and trees, or completely buried. They are set in a lush, thick jungle along a clear, cool river, an absolutely stunning location. We didn´t find much to interest us in the first buildings and temples we came to. We climbed the steep stairs to several of the temples, wandered around the ruins of the palace and saw several replicas of carvings found at the site (disappointing knowing they are only ´remakes´). But once we crossed the river, the site became much more beautiful. All of the buildings were in their original form. That is, they haven´t been rebuilt with cement and plaster. The jungle has truly taken over here, making us really use our imaginations as to what the place would have looked like. The area in which Palenque sits is the area of highest rainfall in all of Mexico, so both of us had a slip here and there on the mossy, wet stones. Winding down the hill, the buildings lie on either side of the river, and towards the bottom is a series of gorgeous waterfalls and small pools. The Mayans had bricked off some of the water to make the pools. The water was incredibly clear and inviting, a perfect place for a swim or a bath.

After wandering around the site, we spent nearly an hour inside the museum. It is a fantastic display of artefacts found with in the ancient Palenque, including the originals of the replicas we saw, which we were happy about. Seeing all of the totems, carvings, masks, trinket offerings, jewelry, pottery, tools and hieroglyphics found at the site, we had a much better understanding of the life of the Mayans, and the culture became much more colourful and lively to us. Nearly 5 hours after arriving, we headed back to town, ate too much for lunch again, and spent some time relaxing under the fan in our hotel room. We used the internet, drank some beer, had a fruit smoothie for dinner and headed to bed.