palenque, méxico

 Here I go to Mexico, a country I'm revisiting after several years since the time I used to live in the country. This time I'm entering overland and I'm going to see a place I've never seen - Palenque.

The shuttle there was fine, but after we left passport control, one woman realized that her passport hadn't been stamped. So, we had to turn around and drive back far enough for a customs officer to meet us by car and stamp the woman's passport.

We had to cross a highway which is notorious for armed robbery, but we went early in the day which is safer.

We had to get out and load our stuff into a boat for a short river crossing, then we transferred to a taxi and again to a shuttle before arriving in sweltering Palenque.

Oxxo, just like I remember it. Suddenly, everything has become very Mexican, from the music to the spicy candy.

The next day I made my way to the ruins of Palenque amid dense jungle foliage.

Palenque is "considered one of the most important archaeological sites of Mesoamerica." Here, there was "vigorous development in religious and civil architecture, as well as in arts and crafts." It may have started out as a small farming village, but the city grew in size and importance.

More toucan time.

A visit to a museum about Palenque is included in admission.

A little hummingbird had the wind knocked out of itself when it flew into the museum's glass front.

It was too hot in Palenque for me to want to stay for long. The same night, I booked my overnight bus ticket to Mexico City. It's weird to think that this will likely be my last bus trip to my last destination on my trip.

I almost didn't make it to Mexico City the next morning. What happened was that I was living in a world an hour behind those around me. (I had previously checked the time zone difference, but the website gave me incorrect info apparently.) So, even though I was actually early enough for the bus and waiting at the station, I missed the first bus heading to DF. There was literally only one space available on the later bus to DF and the bus clerk wanted to make me pay a second time to secure the spot. The kind bus driver tried to help me out, and I managed to convince the clerk to let me pay half of the fare. 

Funnily, I had first bought a ticket for the later departure, then switched it to the earlier time after realizing I wouldn't need as much time at the ruins. The earlier departure also had only had a single seat available.

Early the next morning, I was really happy to avoid yet another delay in my trip, even if at added cost. Well, that's what you sign up for when you travel - especially adventurous backpacking.