The hotel Nututun was actually quite nice, situated on the banks of a river, and although we were only about 1/2 hour drive from Palenque Archaeological site we were surprised when Arturo said we wouldn't be leaving until 0930. This was considerably later than any other day on the whole tour and I think we all found it a bit strange to have to kill time with a leisurely breakfast.
I don't know why but I enjoyed this site more than some of the others we've visited, although they really are now beginning to just merge into one massive pile of stones.
This is Arturo who I've renamed Coco (the Clown) - do you see what I mean about a pizza/pasta brand logo?
This apparently is a wonderful example of a Maya Arch.
One of the things that's surprised us at all these ruins is just how high the steps are given that the Maya people were tiny, even the warriors were barely 5ft tall, and the steps are often knee height to us. According to Arturo though, they would have had a plaster top on each step, but quite how that would have made them less high we can't work out. I have read that there were different types of pyramids and the ones that were built as homes for the gods weren't meant to be climbed by humans, hence the steepness.
The Mexican sites definitely have more tat sellers than the Guatemalan ones, but maybe that's because they get more visitors but quite why anyone would want to buy a plastic snake is beyond me. To give the hawkers their due though, they didn't hassle us at all.
The temples were scattered around the jungle and no doubt there are a lot more to be unearthed. Actually I've just found this which is part of our itinerary Palenque - hidden for a thousand years in forests of
cedar and mahogany, the ruins of Palenque were freed
from their choking jungle to reveal a mesmerising place of
temples, tombs and towered palace, hieroglyphics,
bas‐reliefs, superb sculptures and mystical masks. Earning
its UNESCO listing as 'an incomparable achievement of
Maya art', its haunting aura is enhanced by the
primordial setting and it is thought, tantalisingly, that up
to 90% of the city remains undiscovered. So not just me that feels there's plenty more to be found!
I'm sure Coco told us the significance of these carvings, but unfortunately I don't recall.
There was certainly a lot of restoration work going on here.
And there's clearly a lot more to be done.
Wow that grass is an amazing colour, even though it had rained heavily recently and there were lots of very boggy areas I'm not sure it's right?
The only bit of any site I can confidently name = the ball court.
Epiphyte, parasite, cactus?
Xanthosoma sagittifolium (Arrowleaf Elephant Ear or American Taro)
And that was Palenque "done".
We now have a 6 hour drive to Campeche where we'll enjoy a walking tour of the city and an overnight stay. At least VJV have been upfront about the length of journey this time.