Palenque has to be my favourite ruins of the trip so far! Set within the luscious jungle, these Mayan ruins quite different from the earlier ruins we have seen over the last few weeks.
Found north of Chapatas, within an indigenous population called the Ch'ol, this archeoligical site is the biggest tourist attraction in the state of Chiapas. The ruins date back to 226 BC (fell around 1123 AD) then literally absorbed into the jungle.
Our tour guide took us through the dense forestation 'off piste' so as to avoid the other tourists. Thank goodness for my new pink lined walking shoes, for if it wasn't for them I would have ended up on my backside covered in thick sticky mud and TC would have refused to let me back in the hotel room!
We climbed up a steep slope, using trees and vines to balance and what little strength I had left in my legs, to stop from slipping and stumbling over the large rocks sticking out of the mud.
When we reached the top our guide (whose name has left me) asked us to look around for a palace, we looked and looked but could see nothing, then he informed us, we were in fact standing on it, on its roof to be precise!! It was a huge Mayan building now completely covered by jungle.
We stumbled back down and out into a large clearing where my breath was taken away by the amazing site of El Palacio and The Temple de Las Inscripciones.
In the centre of the site is The El Palacio and nearby is The Templo del Sol, the Templo de la Cruz and the Templo de la Cruz Foliada. As we stopped to take in the view of the whole site, we stood in silence as our guide gave us some history, suddenly there was the sound of a loud belch and we all turned to look at Emily (the Chinese nurse in our group), I looked over at TC and raised my eyebrows, who looked back at me in horror, Neil cracked up and had to turn away from the group to stifle his hysterics and our guide just stared at Emily with surprise and said 'salue'. She looked around bemused at what was making us all laugh. It's amazing really how certain cultural behaviours are seen as shocking by one group of people but perfectly normal by another and this sound was one that we were all becoming quite accustomed to!
The next morning we were up early for yet another eight hour bus journey! This time we were travelling first class and although I had managed to secure a front row seat in the hope it would curb my travel sickness, I still thought it best to take a couple of anti sickness pills as a precaution. Heather, like me, is a sufferer so I popped out a few pills for her from my blister pack, then Anne started to look a bit peaky and I passed a couple more to her. I was a bit concerned as it may have looked like I was some kind of hard core drug dealer in the middle of the bus station stood there in my fit flops and pashmina and I certainly didn't want to end up in a Mexican prison singing 'Like a Virgin' to a bunch of butch inmates a la Bridget Jones.
Luckily I made it onto the coach handcuff free and settled down for the long journey ahead, after about half an hour I was just about to drift off to sleep when TC hurried back to her seat beside me, her face was ashen. I looked at her with concern and asked what was wrong. '"I'm traumatised!" She said. "I've just been to the loo at the back of the coach and when I flushed it the water spurted out all over me!" She held her arms wide, shaking as though she had just been sprayed with acid, she quickly pulled out her hand sanitiser and practically emptied the bottle as she feverishly rubbed the gel into her arms, hands, shirt, face and trousers, trying to stifle an anguished scream. I had to distract her before things got completely out of control, so I pulled out my ipad and we watched another episode of Broadchurch and thankfully that seemed to do the trick!
Finally we arrived in Merida, the capital of the state of Yukatan, a city that attracts many tourists and home to some of the wealthier Mexicans.
Our hotel was The Colonial and it was certainly the best one we have stayed in by far - proved by the fact there were sachets of shampoo in the bathroom as opposed to just a tiny bar of soap that could strip out the whole ph balance in your skin in a matter of seconds!
Merida is quite a big town with ... Yes you got it; The Zocola at the centre. The city was founded by Francisco de Montejo the younger in 1542 and is built partly from the ruins of a Mayan city called Tiho.
By the twentieth century the city had become extremely wealthy housing many 'hasciendados' (land owners). On the outskirts of the city are the largest mansions I have seen outside of The Bishops Avenue (a north London joke there for those of you not from there).
After our orientation walk with Neil, TC and I walked to the government building to check out the murals hanging there, all depicting the destruction of the indigenous people.
TC translated some of the information around the pieces for me, however we were a bit confused when it talked about the 'smelly winds' that blew across the land (obviously to do with the refried beans?!) then I found a translation by another piece, apparently it was 'benevolent winds'. TC assured me her translation was correct and it's just the Mexicans using Spanish incorrectly - I personally think it was a Freudian slip!
After a lovely dinner with the group (that obviously included more beans and tacos) Neil took a few of us to another smaller square where every Tuesday live music is played and people come to dance salsa etc ...
It was packed! I would say the average age was around 80! But these elderly couples were all moving and a-grooving on the dance floor, or sitting arm in arm watching from the sides.
TC pulled an octogenarian whose speciality was smoking a cigarette then tipping it backwards into his toothless mouth with his tongue - still lit - and then back out again. He was a real charmer!
And so, after another fun filled eve, it was time for bed.
Amazing trip Rosalie, great reading and helping to bring back some fabulous memories albeit travelling with Paul Gilbert - aka The Lord!
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