The Jungle City

The ruins of Palenque - My favourite Mayan ruin

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First class all the way! That was the decision, and it proved a good one as our coach took 9 hours to reach the town of Palenque. The town is nestled in the jungle and upon finding the town square we discovered a restaurant with a nice balcony. Listening to the birds at dusk was amazing, the noise! We also met a Japanese traveller who had travelled a bit too long me thinks! Eccentricity does him no justice. Good value though. He was done up like a hippy and was trying to find his soul. Haven’t seen it, I said, but I’ll keep an eye out, must be hard to miss. Pete, meanwhile, was insulting everyone, guests and wait staff, by demanding beer after beer to anyone who looked remotely Mexican! Another rowdy night!

It was for the Mayan ruins of Palenque for which we had come. Well, I had anyway. I think Pete was getting a bit ruined out, so to speak. I can understand the malady, though it happens to be churches in my case. I can probably look at ruins and castles til the cows come home, but to me churches are very similar, the outside façade being the only difference between them all. Blasphemer!

A peek through the jungle

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Rising early, we caught a bus to the entrance, hoping to have gotten there early enough to escape the masses. Alas, this wasn’t the case, but it didn’t matter. The ruins were simply awesome. The dense jungle setting seemingly enhancing the experience. Huge trees and vegetation surrounded the structures and a walk around the complex felt like a set of an Indiana Jones movie. The main plaza, the Palace, the Temple of the Cross, The Temple of Inscriptions and the utterly magnificent bas relief carvings (mostly found in the nearby museum) were spectacular. The city itself had been abandoned long before the time of Cortes, so it had remained overgrown by the jungle for centuries. The effect this vegetation has on the ruins makes Palenque a much more beautiful site than Chichen Itza, in my opinion. Incredibly, archaeologists believe that only 5% of the actual site has been excavated so far! Get digging boys!

Being in the jungle also allowed for me to check out some local wildlife. Lizards in particular seemed to love lazing on the warm brickwork, and though I didn’t spot any, I assume snakes too. The jungle birds kept the sound effects going throughout the day as well. I hoped to see a jaguar, but I guess it was lucky I didn’t!