From Mexico City to Palenque

Viva Mexico! After a very short night, we fly from Havana to Mexico City. It becomes clear during landing: it's quite hazy here. But after the extreme heat in Cuba, a little cooling is very welcome. We drive to our Airbnb apartment and already feel almost at home - our own apartment, kitchen, washing machine! Julius and Karen, with whom we will be traveling for the next two weeks, will soon join us in the apartment. The exploration tour begins! After the very limited diet in Cuba, we feel like we're in food paradise here!! There are corn cobs, tortillas, fruit and vegetable stands on every corner, and it's hard to decide what to eat.

We stroll through Coyoacan and successfully miss the entrance to the Frida Kahlo Museum - not checking the time may be relaxing, but it wouldn't hurt for the next planned museum visit. We are caught in a heavy rain shower completely unexpectedly (despite the very cloudy sky all day) and unfortunately it takes a very long time for a taxi to pick us up. Apparently, no one is in the mood for wet tourists, strange. Soaking wet at home, we have homemade tortillas and warm socks.

The next morning, we get up early because we're going to Teotihuacan to visit the ancient Aztec city and its two pyramids - by the way, the Pyramid of the Sun is the third largest in the world. It must be climbed, of course! Back in the city, we recharge at Los Vegetarianos. We are overwhelmed by so much vegetarian choice. Highly recommended! Delicious and affordable!

Day 3 is dedicated to the historic center of the city and the museum in the Palacio de Bellas Artes. But here there is not only a museum, but also a very beautiful theater where we watch the folkloric Mexican ballet in the evening. Arrrrrriba!

We dedicate our last day to Mexican history in the National Palace and the Roma neighborhood, where every hipster will feel right at home. But it's really beautiful here - stylish shops and cafes, galleries, and lushly planted streets create a wonderful atmosphere. Until we continue our journey by night bus, we make ourselves comfortable in a modern Mexican beer garden.

Next stop: Oaxaca! We continue with the ADO night bus, but first we celebrate Julius' 30th birthday just after boarding the bus! Unfortunately, without beer, as it is confiscated during check-in. Consuming alcoholic beverages in public is prohibited in Mexico. We cheers with soft drinks and go to sleep. After a somewhat bumpy ride, we are greeted by sunshine in Oaxaca at 7:00 in the morning. We have breakfast and let ourselves wander through the colorful streets. Restaurants, bars, beautiful courtyards, and numerous art galleries shape the cityscape and immediately inspire us. There is a lot to see and many culinary highlights. This city is exactly to our liking. In the evening, the sky darkens and the streets turn into torrents, pouring rain. We take refuge in a small restaurant and continue the birthday celebration. Lisa drinks chocolate beer. ¡Esta muy bueno!

In the morning, all the clouds suddenly disappear, making way for a bright blue sky. Now it's time to visit the markets, where delicious moles, homemade sauces, Mezcal in all imaginable variations, and of course chapulines - chips with legs (grasshoppers) - can be found. Sebastian, Karen, and Julius dig in, while Lisa prefers sweets.

We decide to have a relaxed evening and watch a movie, when suddenly it seems that a freight train is passing by on the railroad tracks next to our apartment - but these tracks do not exist. The shaking becomes stronger and the furniture comes to life; everything is moving through the room and we are completely perplexed. Julius and Lisa run to the room door to look outside - everything is shaking and bright flashes are visible in the sky. Has Hurricane Irma now taken course towards Mexico? Feeling somewhat panicked and overwhelmed, we pack our most important belongings. As the shaking gradually subsides, we go down to the reception. Many other hotel guests have already gathered here, all with their phones in hand and worried faces. We consult the internet - quickly we receive the news of an 8.4 magnitude earthquake off the coast in Chiapas. We also find out that in the event of an earthquake, one must not leave the building and it is best to seek shelter under a solid piece of furniture. However, we hope that we don't have to put this new information into practice anytime soon. We receive the first messages from concerned family members and friends in Germany. We have escaped with a fright and try to sleep.

The next morning, the extent of the earthquake becomes known: some buildings have collapsed, including in Oaxaca, and there is devastating damage in some cities and at least 32 people dead. Due to the tsunami warning on the coast, we change our trip to Mazunte and slowly make our way towards Yucatan. It's a shame - we would have liked to see the small beach paradise. We'll have to make up for it.

On the night bus ride, we get the front seats, which unfortunately means that we have a view of the uncleared road and some huge boulders blocking the highway. Countless uprooted trees and debris line the paths, and our bus driver has to maneuver precariously.

We arrive safely in San Cristobal, and it's beautiful here. After shivering in the morning, we discover the city in bright sunshine and short clothing. We really like it here, even though the street vendors can be quite persistent at times.

Our next destination is the jungle! Finally! To be more precise, ancient Mayan ruins in Palenque. On the way there, we take a tour that will take us to beautiful blue waters and a waterfall that you can walk behind. However, after starting the journey, we're not so sure if we'll arrive safely...the minibus bumps along the broken road and races up the curves of the mountain. But the view is unique: mist-covered treetops, mountains in the light of the first rays of sun, and green as far as the eye can see. Sebastian doesn't handle the bumpy ride so well, but the prophylactic plastic bag is not needed. Unfortunately, due to the heavy rain, the agua azul is rather brown, but it's still beautiful here. The absolute highlight, of course, is Palenque! The ancient ruins in the midst of the green rainforest are simply amazing. Sebastian and Lisa may look like two cult leaders, but there isn't a single mosquito bite! The tropical outfit has proven itself ;)