25 th March San Christabal to Palenque

Oh my what a torturous drive to start the day! As a group everyone is very well organised and we were away on the dot of four. Anne hadn’t slept well because the 3.00 get up had played on her mind. I had slept/ dozed and didn’t feel too bad. Off we went into the dark, now quiet streets. This town parties long into the night it seems.

The road was very winding and we passed many small settlements. This meant traffic humps in every town of at least 3-5 at once at the beginning of each town. In the back of the van it was super bouncy. We needed to get through the first two and a half hours which covered all the villages threatening to blockade the highway. The stop start , bounce bounce began to take its toll on me. I tried to sleep but the motion of the car made it almost impossible. Soon I was feeling sick. Fortunately I had a thick plastic bag that I had put my bathers into for later at the waterfalls we were eventually visiting. I extracted the bag and had somewhere to vomit. I didn’t want to stop the bus because it was dark, no verges to speak of and it was imperative to get through the towns. I felt a bit better once I had vomited.

As the sun rose we could see men gathering and large rocks and rubble ready for blocking the road. The men are Zapistas. They are trying to force the government to give them better and more schools and other services that are part of basic human rights. They are very poor and some of the houses look no better than a stable.

Once we had got past and were able to stop for a break I felt better. Suze our guide was very relieved. If we had been caught it could take 10 hours to go an alternate way!

The country is jungle like and mountainous a bit like Mt Tambourine in Queensland. The villages are mostly rough dusty collections of houses.

Eventually we ended up at Aqua Azule Waterfalls. They are a cluster of cascades and the water is clear and aquamarine. In the end we decided not to swim because the appealing pools were roped off and the swimming area was a trifle uninspiring. I did have a paddle though which was refreshing.

Leaving the falls we continued along a less winding road through banana plantations, date palms, and mango trees. Finally we arrived in Palenque where our hotel pool was soon filled with the intrepid group. What joy, what relief. It was 39C and our welcoming drinks disappeared in a gulp. Our rooms were not ready as we had arrived much earlier than expected so we hung by the pool till they were. While sitting at the table a large iguana strolled past!

Palenque is just a stopover and the town is small with the main purpose to support visitors to the nearby Mayan Ruins.

It is still hot but the hotel is comfortable and clean and has a pool. Rob and Julian enjoying the water.