Mexico - Mayan ruins at Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak

We arrived in Palenque town just as the sun was rising after a marathon journey that had started in Southern Belize at just after 9:00am the previous day. The purpose of our visit was to explore the beautiful Mayan ruins at Palenque and take a tour to the less visited ruins of Yaxchilan and Bonampak.

Feeling a little light headed, slightly wind-swept after a night of bus blasted air-con and wearing the familiar stuck-on facial expressions of sleep deprived weary world travellers we opted for the first cheap hostel that came along and crashed out before starting our Mayan ruin extravaganza.

Palenque is a charming and colourful town that has steadily grown as it has fed the constant stream of visitors to the famous archaeological site nearby. Added intrique for the visitor is fuelled by the fact that it is in the state of Chiapas, the southernmost state and one of Mexico´s poorest. It is estimated that nearly one million Indigenous people live in the state, descendants of the great Maya civilization of 250-900AD. Subsistence has been a way of life for centuries but land has steadily been taken away and their ability to provide for themselves has suffered exponentially following displacement from the southern highlands into rural communal production units (ejidos). The situation has been exacerbated by poor access to healthcare which has resulted in a high infant mortality rate.

Their plight was brought to the attention of the world after the Zapatistas (Mayan Indians) revolted and claimed 7 towns in 1994. A shaky ceasefire has been in place since 1996 but Chiapas is still a hotbed of discontent with no land and healthcare reforms seemingly forthcoming. When visiting Chiapas it is worth considering and heeding to respect the fact that much of what the Zapatistas are fighting for is symbolized by their desire not to be anthropoligical objects or tourist curiosities.

Built on a series of artificial terraces surrounded by dense jungle the Mayan ruins at Palenque are incredible. Palenque achieved greatness between AD 600-800. Your eye naturally gravitates to the equally impressive and imposing Temple of the Inscriptions which until recently you could climb to a height of 75 feet to view the sarcophagus of Lord Pacal. However, there are plenty of other ruins to explore which offer stunning views of the jungle and the site as a whole, particularly, the Temples of the Sun, Lion and Cross. As with most of the Mayan ruins it is worth arriving early to avoid the deluge of tourists but also make the most of the better light for photographic opportunities. Palenque also offers some welcome respite from the heat in the form of a beautiful waterfall set deep into the jungle amongst other unexcavated buildings.

To visit Yaxchilan and Bonampak it is best to take a tour from Palenque which whilst encompassing an energy sapping 13 hour day is well worth the effort. Yaxchilan is built along a terrace and hills above the Rui Usamcinta and a stones throw from the Guatemalan border. The temples host some of the most ornately carved lintels of ceremonies, conquests and examples of carved hieroglyphic scripts in the Mayan world and the trip down the river to reach the ruins offers another opportunity for crocodile spotting.

Bonampak is famous for its murals in the Acropolis, dated after AD 600, which relate the story of a battle and the bloody aftermath with the sacrificial torture and execution of prisoners. It is amazing that the vivid hues of blue, red and ochre are still clearly noticable some 2500 years on!