Time to Travel: Southern Mèxico: Mayan majesty meets colonial charm

Our first impression of México was an interesting one. We chose to cross the border in a very remote location, requiring us to take a bumpy 6 hour mini-bus ride to the middle of nowhere, get our Guatemalan exit stamps in a mosquito infested hut in the middle of a corn field, then hop on a tiny wooden lancha to cross the muddy Río Usumacinta which marks the border between the two countries. On the other side, after we got our passports stamped by a surly man with a droopy moustache, we sat waiting for a bus in a dusty tin shed for about an hour. So far, so good, nothing out of the ordinary there, we have been in many a remote border crossing on this trip. The fun started when the mini-van finally got underway. First of all, we were surprised that, after waiting for so long, the driver decided to leave with a half-empty vehicle. Then the second surprise came when, shortly after leaving town, we stopped on the side of the road and a group of six terrified looking young people was bundled on board. Their scared faces and lack of any baggage made us wonder, and our suspicions were confirmed after we made it through a military checkpoint and they all collapsed with relief: they were all illegal immigrants being smuggled into the country by the mini-van driver and his friend. From the fragments of whispered conversations we picked up, they were headed for the US border. Not long after, an urgent message came over the radio, we were flagged down by another of the smuggling ring, and the little group of El Salvadorians – including two small children – were hurried out of the car and into the road-side bushes. That was the last we saw of them, but we were left with a lingering impression of their fear. They had undoubtedly paid their life savings to the men who were helping them, and they had a long way to go to get to the USA. After our experiences at the hands of the tourist mafia in Guatemala, we felt we understood to some extent just how helpless they must feel – completely dependent upon the smugglers to transport and hide them on their journey through the country. Carrying all valuables they possessed with them, they were likely to be prime targets for thieves and tricksters. Even if they were not robbed of their last belongings by those supposed to be helping them, the chances of them getting over the border into the USA remained very slim. We couldn’t help but wonder what had forced them to make the decision to undertake such a risky endeavor – especially the couple with the small children. It was certainly a novel introduction to the country of México!

Crossing into México over the Río Usumacinta

After our action packed trip, we arrived in the tropically hot town of Palenque in the middle of a thunderstorm. We didn’t expect much from the town, which is described in the guidebooks as being ‘a sweaty, humdrum place without much appeal’. But after the rain had eased and we had found a very nice hostel with a huge kitchen, we set out to explore and found the town not half as bad as its reputation. Modern and busy, with a bustling market and a multitude of cheap eateries, we quite liked our first Méxican town. The very affordable prices were also a pleasant surprise – we had expected México to be much pricier than it turned out to be. And the Palenque ruins really blew us away – they have to be some of the most interesting Maya ruins we have seen so far. Built where the flatlands of the Mexican Gulf meet the first foothills of the Chiapas Highlands, the ruins of the ancient city are framed by a lush jungle backdrop, adding to their already regal air. The site was first settled around 100BC, and between 630 and 700 AD under the rule of King Pakal and later his son Kan B’alam II, it flourished and expanded to cover an area of over 15 sq km. Today a multitude of temples and tombs, as well as the extensive Royal Palace have been partially restored, and we spent more than 4 hours climbing up, through and around the impressive structures. After we thought we were done and were on our way out of the park to catch the bus back into town, Palenque presented us with one more beautiful spot – an amazing series of small waterfalls and perfectly formed, crystal clear pools sparkling beneath the overhanging jungle foliage. Standing in the peaceful, shady surroundings, it was easy to imagine the ancient Maya elite slipping into the cooling waters after enjoying a healing steam bath in their nearby temezcals (saunas). Although it lacked the immensely towering pyramids of Tikal, all in all Palenque’s elegant courts, regal palace halls and calming water features had a special magic that made these ruins some of the most impressive we have seen so far.

Sinister decorations in Palenque

Impressively restored main temple in Palenque

Inside the sleeping chambers in the Royal Palace, Palenque

View towards the main temple from the inside the Palace

Main temple

The hall of war heroes inside the Royal Palace

Depictions of war prisoners in the Royal Palace

Court where war prisoners were paraded

Parts of the Palace in various stages of restoration

Temple of the Sun

The view from the Temple of the Cross over the courtyard of the Group of Crosses

View over the Royal Palace from the Temple of the Cross

More restored temples

The Palace's western entrance

The sun-warmed stones of the Royal Palace make a great sun-bathing spot :)

Beautiful waterfall that was used by the Maya for bathing after a stint in the sauna

So peaceful, and almost too beautiful to be real

Our next stop in the state of Chiapas was also not to disappoint – the beautiful colonial town of San Cristóbal de las Casas. Located at 2200m above sea level in a beautiful highland valley surrounded by pine forests, the town’s mild climate was a relief after the soupy steaminess of the Palenque jungle. The town is not only beautiful to look at – brightly painted colonial houses lining cobbled streets filled with lively bars and cafés – it is also extremely friendly and welcoming. We were extremely lucky and found a wonderful place to stay – a homestay called Dakota’s Hostel, run by a lovely young family. We had a cozy room with a private bathroom and cable TV, and an amazing cooked breakfast was provided every morning. The family did not live in the house itself, and thus we felt as if we had the place to ourselves most of the day – well-equipped kitchen, dining and lounge area, and a brand new computer complete with fast internet and webcam! And all this for the amazing price of 11 Euro a night!! We were in heaven! We spent our days exploring the city, buying fresh produce at the local markets and cooking all the things we had been craving over the last months. On the 27^th we celebrated Mic’s birthday by enjoying some South American wine and tapas, followed by the best steak we have eaten since we left Argentina.

As well as being the perfect place to relax and eat, the homestay provided Mic with the peace and quiet and fast internet connection he needed to take his job search to the next level. After a couple of successful Skype conversations and an online presentation, we were able to leave San Cristóbal with a fairly good idea about where we will be living and working in 2014… J It seems that México is our lucky country! J