Tuesday, February 18, 2003
Templo de las Inscripciones, Palenque
We got up at 9:00 and went for Nescafé at the
Refresqueria Oasis. Actually, we went for coffee, but
instant was the best we could do. We then traveled by
taxi to the Mayan ruins of Palenque. The day was hot
and very humid.
El Palacio
Palenque is said to have the most magical location
of the major Mayan cities, its pyramids and temples
rising out of valleys between cascading vegetation
and fast-flowing rivers. The setting is grand. The
pyramids are striking and the jungle stunning. We
climbed every structure we could.
Temples of Palenque
Palenque is one of the largest Mayan sites,
spreading over an area well beyond the section open
to be visited. Despite the vast amount that remains
to be excavated, there is no Mayan city about which
more is known than Palenque, it being the first Mayan
site to attract exploration, in the 18th century.
Palenque first brought to the attention of the
outside world the existence of an advanced ancient
culture in the Mayan region. At its height around 700
A.D. Palenque had a population of as many as
70,000.
El Palacio from El Templo de la Cruz
We'd worked up quite a sweat exploring, so we
headed for the Baños de la Reina (Queen's Baths), a
set of waterfalls, to cool off. On our way there, we
met some old American hippies, Rainbow People, and
watched spider monkeys frolic in the treetops!
Río Otolum
Tom had visited Palenque previously and told me
some people spent all day at the falls, swimming and
just hanging out. Sounds refreshing. Unfortunately,
now the area is posted with signs stating "no
bañarse" (no bathing). Tom got scolded by a guard
when he stepped into the water to retrieve some
litter I'd dropped. Much to our surprise, the guard
jumped out from behind some trees. If they're going
to post a guard, I feel he should stand in full view
and deter people rather than lurking in bushes and
jumping out afterward!
Baños de la Reina
We checked out the museum and then headed back to
town for some food. Tropi Tacos served up some muy
bueno tacos, but then they ripped us off by charging
us 100 pesos instead of the proper 82 pesos. We let
it go and paid the extra $1.60, but it was annoying.
Jab the gringos.
Back at the Zócalo, things are lively. When the
sun goes down, the people come out. We were pleased
to see a number of "USA" t-shirts. Not everybody
hates us. We also saw an Albino Mexican woman - you
don't see that every day.
As a side note, for three days now I've thought
people were following us as we walked around town. As
it turns out, I'm just unaccustomed to
pedestrians!
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