Ruins and camping in Palenque

Howdy!

Today is Friday and should be quite an interesting one. After finishing here I plan to head to the ruins for the mayan equinox celebration. It is going on all day and there was traffic backing up the road already this morning when I headed to town. So there is the potential of there being just too many people to get anywhere close! After that, there is a 3 day music festival starting.

For the past few days I have been taking it easy, chilling out and reading, and touring Palenque. I walked trough some of the neighbourhoods, where the roads were dirt and chickens were running around. I received big smiles from everyone I passed and got surprised looks from the children, like why are you out here, but not malevolent. I would stick out my tongue, and they would giggle.

The main town has many small shops and restaurants, like where I had breakfast today. I have yet to find a camping store, as I could use some more tent pegs. After never loosing any and finding 2 extras, I have lost 4 in one day!

The ruins are about 1200 years old give or take, and were made by a succesion of fathers and sons. Some of the murals are still intact and there is plenty to see. One of the coolest parts was when the monkeys started screaming! They sound like pigs being slaughtered! I looked up and after much searching, expecting to find giant guerillas, I saw a small monkey the size of a baby human! Wow can they roar!

There is a hike that takes 2 hours through the jungle that will take you to some more ruins. I hape to be able to do that one soon. The cvines were realy cool...a la Tarzan! These 2 girls saw me about to take a picture and decided to be in it...
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The Hole to nowhere! (or a staircase) my Tent in the campground

Camping In Palenque

After a huge breakfast in Palenque I went to reclaim my bag from the bus station. It is always funny to see people's expressions right before they have to lift it. Maybe that is why I am travelling with so much stuff! I crossed the street to wait for the collectivo, large vans that are a cross between a bus and a taxi, and you can get pretty far for 1 or 2 dollars. When the right one came the driver got out and he had to put my bag on the roof! He climbed a ladder the looked down at my bag with that look...and I hefted it up to him with some difficulty, and he somehow single-handedly swung it onto the roof (adios tomato! hello juicy mess in my food bag)

I headed up the road out of Palenque towards the ruins where I heard there are places to stay. I found a campground someone had mentioned, and the driver stopped and hopped up the ladder and grabbed my bag and lowered it into my arms almost squashing me.

I found a place to put up my tent and hammock, there are a bunch of campgrounds that also have palapas and little cabins, and each has a restaurant some with live music very night. Lots of folks around and a good vibe.

I heard of a waterfall to go swimming at from a Uruguayan who was selling jewelery near a cross-section of a few of the restaurants...the directions were right up my alley; go up the road just over a km, after you pass the museum and the road turns left take a path to the right, then when you get to the river climb up a bit! So i headed off, and after a few minutes I saw a truck of men on the side of the road and i thought to ask them for directions, and they suggested a waterfall that is closer but when I asked if you could swim they said no. It was stupid hot and humid...hence the drive for water. I used my new word Nadar (swimming) and at that exact moment someone was walking by and heard me say it and asked me if i was going swimming. She was also looking for the waterfall and we headed off. After taking the wrong path at the wrong left turn in the road and playing around in the bushes a while, discovering neat things like which plants have thorns, (even some trees did) we found the right path and came to the pictures below. (I just saved 1000 words)



The path to get here had many cool trees on it, with incredible roots. Here's a few pictures of them. And there are vines everywhere!

Palenque

I just rolled into Palenque on the overnight bus and while I became quite frustrated with the ticket seller I must say it was the most comfortable bus seat I have ever been on and I was able to sleep through most of the night. It reclined into so many positions that the crying baby on her mothers lap next to me barely even bothered me.... The crazy snoring guy wasm ore of a challenge but after one roomate in Alberta, I think I can sleep through being fired out f a circus cannon!

The last time I posted I was waiting for an 8:15pm bus on Saturday, but I was so mad at the teller when he told me there were no buses during the day (which he previously said there were) that I didnt want to buy a ticket from him. My own stubborness finally allowed me to go back and buy a ticket and of course the bus was full by then.... Anyway that meant another night back on the beach and another failed attempt at leaving! But what a great night!

I finally got into the ocean while the stars were out, its fun and scary because you don't see the waves that are about to hit you! I also helped a friend learn to float that night, which was lots of fun and I have never seen anyone who can't swim be so comfortable getting water spalshed all over their face and up their nose etc....

Speaking of the ocean... after much time being scared I realized it is as easy to open your eyes in the ocean (underwater) as it is in a lake!

A good book I am enjoying now is 'The blind watchmaker' by Richard Dawkins, all about evolution, if that topic floats your boat or has been naturally selected to make you happy check it out!

Palenque is a city....seems quite large compared to Tulum, which was a one main street town. aHere there are mountains visibe to one side, maybe the size of the Laurentians, but I won't know until I am closer....or ontop.... People have chickens in their yards and there are many butchers with lovely carcasses hanging out front... If you want to see the link between a living animal and the meat you get on your plate (a great idea for anyone) this would be a perfect place to do it. Its like walking through a crazy biology experiment or inside out world :)

I am off to find where to go camping and to find some hiking trails...