Welcome to the Jungle

When a tour guide offered to give us a tour of the jungle and we politely declined, he rudely replied: 'No guide, no fun!'

With those words in mind, we set off to explore. Unfortunately, our jungle adventure ended just after the introduction. As we quietly walked along a damp, muddy trail about a hundred meters behind a camping hotel, we were able to observe a few monkeys in the treetops above us.

Much more worth seeing was the ancient city of Palenque. Palenque ranked number one on the Lonely Planet's Top 24 Attractions (see description!)

The night before, on the overnight bus ride, I met Danique and Daniël from the Netherlands. We knew each other from the Iguana Hostel. Together, we visited the Mayan ruins and spent the uneventful afternoon at the restaurant between our hostels.

I stayed at the Jungle Palace, a euphemistic name for dark barracks with minimal amenities, located between the jungle and a construction site for a hotel complex. Price per night: 3.50 euros.

In the evening, I had a conversation with Luis. The young dentist from Palenque spoke excellent English and helped me plan my excursions for the following day.