On Monday, October 29, I woke up at 3:30am ready to head to Palenque, the magical Mayan ruins located in the jungle of Chiapas. By 3:55am, I was on the combi taking my Dramamine and crossing my fingers so I wouldn’t get car sick on the 6-hour ride through the mountains. There were 14 of us on the trip, and the driver was nice enough to let me sit up front with him to avoid getting dizzy. Along the way, we stopped by two beautiful waterfalls where we had the chance to swim. The falls were beautiful, but I couldn’t wait to get to Palenque and see the ancient city founded around 100BC.
When we arrived, I was amazed by the size of the temples and the sight of them rising above the jungle. I am also constantly amazed by the architecture and the precision with which Mayans built their temples and homes. I can’t imagine the labor it took to build these cities that have remained mostly intact for centuries.
According to our guide, the Mayans cut down a lot of trees to build these cities and eventually migrated once they ran out of vegetation and water to survive. Now, after many centuries, the jungle is flourishing again and reclaiming the land. In fact, the ruins in Palenque only make up a tiny percentage of what is believed to exist, but archeologists are prohibited from exploring further because the jungle is protected. It’s quite an interesting juxtaposition between man versus nature.
One of my favorite parts of the trip was sleeping at a hostel at the foot of the ruins outside the park. Outside my cabin, I saw howling monkeys swinging on the branches, and I was woken up by their howls. I thought they were going to make high-pitched noises, but they sounded like lions! The sounds were surreal.
On the ride back to San Cristobal the next day, I was also excited to see Zapatista towns along the windy roads. I noticed signs stating, “La Lucha Sigue” (The Fight Continues) and indicating that we were driving by autonomous communities. I was still feeling disappointed about not being allowed into Oventic, but I was happy to know that the Zapatistas are still present and active in the state.
My next adventure: celebrating Día de Los Muertos!
Trails And Travels 