san cristobal & palenque
post by allana
As I sit here in this beach cabana in Tulum I keep hearing a ‘tap-tap-tap’, ‘tap-tap-tap’ on the wooden beam behind my head. I went out once to investigate, nothing there. ‘Tap-tap-tap’, ‘tap-tap-tap tap tap’. I went out again, nothing there. I’m thinking it must be a mischievous kid playing a joke so next time I sneak out really quietly to catch them in the act… And it’s a woodpecker!
Actually, a family of woodpeckers going crazy for the grubs living in the walls of our beach cabana. I’m very happy to have solved the mystery and to know that the noisy culprits will be sleeping from sundown. Very happy indeed because we are both desperate for sleep after being on long-distance bus trips for most of the past 4 days (33hrs in total, across 3 states). For this reason we are quite behind on the old blog. Hopefully those woodpeckers will let us get some work done...
Actually, a family of woodpeckers going crazy for the grubs living in the walls of our beach cabana. I’m very happy to have solved the mystery and to know that the noisy culprits will be sleeping from sundown. Very happy indeed because we are both desperate for sleep after being on long-distance bus trips for most of the past 4 days (33hrs in total, across 3 states). For this reason we are quite behind on the old blog. Hopefully those woodpeckers will let us get some work done...
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After leaving Puerto Escondido during busy Semana Santa (it became a lot like schoolies with the domestic tourists towards the end), we got off the bus at San Cristobal de las Casas on Easter Sunday. Charming little San Cristobal up in the hills was really putting on a show for Easter with big flower-power floats and women dressed like princesses throwing flowers and lollies down to the big crowd. San Cristobal is a pretty little town, all tiled streets and bright blue windowsills and doorframes on yellow houses. The local Indigenous women are very petite, most just reach Scotts elbow, making him look like a giant as we wander around-- a full half a torso above everyone else! They wear colourfully knitted shawls around their waists and shoulders. The women also use them to carry groceries, babies, and artwork to sell at the markets; all tied neatly in a bundle behind their backs. It feels pretty cold up here in the mountains, a bit of a shock getting off the bus after the heat of the coast! Unfortunately we can only stay here overnight as time is dwindling away from us and we must reach Palenque and then the Quintana Roo coastline.
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It’s lucky we could stay the night in San Cristobal because we stumbled upon an amazing Argentinian place for dinner, who knew Argentina did such good pizzas?!? We wolfed down the lovely sourdough bread with fresh basil tapenade, a glass of red wine and warmed up by the open stone oven. I also ordered a salad made with palm hearts which was a real treat… perhaps this is the first sign that we are getting sick of Mexican food? NEVER! But it was definitely nice for a change and based on that meal alone we both want to go to Argentina :)
It was a shorter trip the next day on the good old ADO ‘primero’
bus to Palenque (about 5 hours). We decided not to stay in town but closer to the ruins, at a place they call ‘El Panchan’. Highly recommended!!! Bordering Palenque National Park and set in lovely jungle El Panchan is a collection of rustic cabanas, rainforest streams, a groovy bar or two and one fabulous restaurant. At night every table has a candle and in the rainforest setting it’s like a romantic fern gully, where you can watch iguanas eat bits of pawpaw (when you throw it at them from your plate). As we waited for the key to our cabana we listened to the distant growl of howler monkeys…our first new world primates, Awesome!!! This was one of those places where as soon as you arrive you love it and feel completely relaxed. What a change of scenery we’ve experienced so quickly—hot beach, cool mountains, steamy jungle. After our candlelit dinner in the trees we had an early night, ready for our full day at the Palenque ruins. |
Palenque! How aptly to describe this marvel?! My first thought was ‘Jungle Book’, it's an ancient grey stone city lost in dense vines and towering strangler figs. The crumbling steps of Mayan pyramids centuries old are held together by twisted roots... nothing can really describe it! Best just to let the pictures speak for themselves :)
Honestly it is difficult not to be swept away and left speechless by Palenque—especially when you sit stop atop one of the pyramids and imagine the ancient Mayan city in its heyday. In 700AD this Mayan city was bustling with busy trading marketplaces, everyone gathering to watch deadly ball games where the winners were sacrificed, and ancient rituals (usually bloody) were held every day to the sun and moon. All the buildings were stuccoed back then and painted vividly in yellow and red; it would have been an incredible sight against the green backdrop. It still is! Perhaps the most amazing thing is that only 10% of the site has been excavated so far. Scott and I sat under a tree and looked out at the mass of jungle towering behind the uncovered buildings and wondered- what other treasures and tombs are still hidden? The most amazing discoveries at this site may still be yet to come!
On the way out we were very lucky to spot some howler monkeys up in the trees; two females, a baby and the big daddy lounging around in the forked branches.
On the way out we were very lucky to spot some howler monkeys up in the trees; two females, a baby and the big daddy lounging around in the forked branches.
After a full day at Palenque we were pretty tuckered out, so gladly went back to El Panchan for a shower, dinner and to get ready for our 9pm overnight bus trip to Tulum. Time for the long awaited cenote dives!