Palenque, Mexico

Originally, the plan was a little different. I had heard about something called the Pan-American Highway that extended in one way or another from Canada all the way down through Panama. There was about 60 miles of jungle and then the Pan-American Highway (South) would pick back up in Colombia and just head south to either Chile or Argentina, I forget which one. And so with nothing but the bag on my back on a handful of moxy, I was going to walk, ride and hitch all the way down to Panama. After pitching the idea to some friends, it became clear that maybe I was being too ambitious in my endeavor. I didn't think so, but right around the same time another friend was dead-set on going to Chiapas, Mexico and nothing was going to get in her way.

Chiapas is the southernmost state in Mexico and is known as the home of the EZLN, an indigenous guerrilla group and their famous rebellion on January 1, 1994. The group still exists in the region. To some, it is also a necessary pathway to 'el norte' and the United States border. But what I kept hearing about was the natural beauty of the region and the different ruins that are accessible to visitors. After looking at a spread out map of Chiapas from what appeared to be 1978 I was sold. CHIAPAS OR BUST!

Because of our limited schedule, we would have to fly down there,  bum around the region on our own, and hope to get back to the airport in time for our return flight to Houston. The prices from Houston showed that a flight to Villahermosa, Tabasco, was much less expensive than a flight to the heart of Chiapas, Tuxla Gutierrez.

And so after assessing our funds and looking at the outdated map, we chose to fly to Villahermosa because on the map, it really isn't all that far, but more on that later.

Our flight arrived in Villahermosa at night, so we decided to find a place to stay, and in the morning we would get a move on. The cab driver recommended an inexpensive place called Hotel Ritz right around the Zona Turistica. It was a nice place, with decent rooms and a nightwatchman, but the smell of sewage still seemed to make it up to our window and the streets were full of dark spots with people hanging around in the doorways. So, no exploring the nightlife.

The next morning we were able to catch a quick breakfast of huevos rancheros and made it to the bus stop just in time to catch the bus to Palenque.

When I say 'catch', I mean CATCH. The bus was already rolling and we had to hop on and argue prices inside the bus as it moved. No problem though as we both spoke Spanish and the bus driver was very helpful. So we were settled in a bus seat with the locals, looking out the window at the passing scenery. Leaving Villahermosa, we see that it is a very lowland, swampy, city which explained the high humidity and the richness of the smells on the street. I'd see markets teeming with people and a number of rivers with the morning mist still floating on top. We'd have to pass through Villahermosa to fly home, so I hoped to make time to explore this city a little better. On to Palenque!

Getting off at Palenque, we noticed some other backpackers trying to make their way through the crowd.

We asked them where there were places to stay and which way to go. The guy pointed in a general direction and said in an Argentinian accent, that there were plenty of places along this street we were about to walk onto. Sure enough, he was right. For anybody travelling to Palenque, I would say "Don't worry about a place to stay". There was a Best Western in town for those who wanted a more comfortable stay. For everyone else, there was an incredible amount of posadas. If you're just looking for a place to put your bags down and explore, posadas are the ticket. For a reasonable price, between $5 and $13 (american) a night, you had a room and a bathroom with shower. It was in town with easy access to the town plaza and the folks are friendly. If that seems like too much, there are a number of places on the way to the ruins where you can rent a hammock for $1. 50 (or put up your own) and rent a hut for something between $3 and $5 a day. Considering the weather, this was very reasonable and there is a picture of one of the huts here. These 'hut hotels' are full of fellow travellers and people from all over the world who have decided to live out here for 6 months out of the year. Germans, Argentinians, and Mexicans from up north. Some have managed to make their hut very comfortable with homemade cupboards, tables, and chairs. At night there was lively singing and a good nights sleep listening to the animals in the jungle making their noises.

The ruins at Palenque are a short trip by combi a type of mix between a small minivan and VW van. I'm sure many of you have seen one, but I'm having problems describing it.

Palenque is a Mexican National Park so expect entrance fees that are quite hefty compared to what you may have spent already. The entrance was one of our more expensive fees through the trip. If you can prove that you are a Mexican citizen (usually they can tell by the accent) then it is free. I couldn't pull it off, but my friend did and all of a sudden became a 'resident of Monterrey'. Great stuff, but I still had to pay. You can leave your bags at the ticket counter for a small price and before you go in, there are numerous vendors of trinkets and souvenirs. With our tickets in hand and a whole lotta water, we crossed the gate and followed a small path through a lightly forested area. It seems that the park may have been landscaped so that the first view you have of the ruins is a striking view of the Temple of Inscriptions. Amazing. Although not the largest Mayan structure, it was the first one I ever saw and I had a realization that it was the oldest building I had ever seen. The rest of the park is open to exploration. There are many ruins to check out and examine. Paths through the forest reveal what seems to be the suburbs or smaller building that haven't been excavated yet, or aren't deemed important enough to excavate with the meager funds that the scientific community is given. Monkeys dropped half chewed fruit from the trees and local kids on what may have been a field trip tried to not get hit. Some of the children in the area selling necklaces, speaking what I assume to be Tchol (i'm probably wrong) and a broken Spanish offered to take us into the forest and show us other ruins that are not open to the public, and talk to us about the local flora, fauna, and plantas medi-ci-naaa-les.

Because it was still early in our trip, we were wary to spend any more money than we had to, and maybe it was my  North American mentality that was kinda cautious about being guided by hungry, poor children into dark areas where there could be more children and we would be vulnerable. Dealing with orphans around the soccer stadium in Cali, Colombia made me a little leery. In retrospect, I wish I would have taken the kids up on their offer. One of them was especially nice and sat with us for a chat. His Spanish was interesting to listen to, as it was measured, syllable by syllable in a sing song type way, with a down pitch at the end of every word. He was a very serious boy who we ended up nicknaming "yoda" because of his wise man demeanor. In truth, it may be that the lifestyle ages a child prematurely.

That day was spent walking around until we were too tired to do anything. We were there since the early morning. Since then, the park had filled with vendors and the sun beat down pretty hard. After some tortas outside the gate (delicious), we went ahead and left to enjoy the rest of our time at the hut or in town.

The ruins in Palenque require an entire day at least. I suspect that one could spend a week there and constantly find something new. Bring lots of water and expect to walk ALOT. Again, if I could do it again I would let the kids show me around the forest, caution be damned. I have always heard that the locals always have the inside scoop and what is interesting off the beaten path. If you have time, try to check out the other things around Palenque.

Generally, these places are well advertised in town and easily accessible. And feel free to ask alot of questions about what else there is. You may be surprised.