El Panchan, Palenque

We followed the tip of an expat from America and headed to Palenque after a last day at the beach in Playa del Carmen. Our bus ride started at 5:00 p.m. and lasted all night. We found little rest on the bus and arrived in Palenque at 7:00 a.m., tired. We took a few more minutes with the Colectivo (shared taxi) to get to the accommodation. Communicating with the lady at the reception was challenging due to our limited Spanish knowledge. English won't get you far here. With hand gestures and broken Spanish, we managed to secure a small hut right by the pool. Luckily, the hut was already available and we were able to check in right away. After a few hours of sleep, the world looked better and we enjoyed the day by the pool. We befriended other travelers (Mexicans, Brazilians, and French) and received valuable tips for our stay in Palenque and our further travels through Mexico. In the evening, we all enjoyed a delicious meal together. We ordered a local delicacy recommended by the Mexican: a kind of fajita with a slightly sweet chocolate sauce (mole). It was special but very tasty.

The next day, we visited the Mayan ruins. Since we didn't know much about this culture, we decided to take a guide. The guide is part of a small Maya tribe that still lives in the region. We received interesting information, although many of them were quite gruesome. The Mayans already ruled in Palenque 200 years before Christ. Unlike other cultures, women were the most powerful members of the tribe. Incest was considered normal and there were many deformities that were worshiped as gods. However, the tribe was almost wiped out due to the megalomania of building more and more temples. The construction of the temples required a huge amount of wood, as the limestone they used had to be melted into a kind of cement at extremely high temperatures. Deforestation made the land infertile and the rains stopped. Hunger and thirst dissolved the kingdom and the families fled in different directions.

After the ruins, we took a detour into the jungle with our guide. He knew many medicinal and poisonous plants. Hidden in the jungle, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of Maya temples that have not been excavated. We discovered remains everywhere. Of course, we also saw a lot of animals, mainly insects and birds. Unfortunately, we only heard the regional howler monkeys from a distance. The guide also showed us how to find food in the jungle. We scratched the surface of a termite nest until some of the ant-like creatures emerged. The little animals can be eaten without hesitation and taste a bit like almonds or carrots. We couldn't say no to that. Later, we visited the museum and ended the day at our hotel.

The region is also known for its large staircase-like waterfalls. We booked a tour to one of the attractions called "Cascade de Roberto Barrios". Since it had rained heavily at night, the water level was very high and it was simply too dangerous to swim at most places. Of course, there were no signs or warnings. Nevertheless, we found a safe spot and enjoyed the refreshing, albeit quite brown, water. These waterfalls must be beautiful during the dry season. At least the pictures show the blue water. In the evening, we met a Swiss guy, Sebastian from Biel, who has been traveling in Guatemala for a long time. We enjoyed the evening with interesting conversations in the warm pool, accompanied by a few beers.

The journey continues to San Cristobal de las Casas at an altitude of 2100 meters. On the way there, we will visit two more attractions: both waterfalls, Cascadas de Agua Azul and Misol-Ha.