We debated a couple days what to do about Palenque, the ruined Mayan city in the north of Chiapas. We had the time to visit, that much was known. But Palenque is a good five to six hours by bus from San Cristobal, which doesn’t lend itself well to a day trip. Palenque town, where we’d have to stay, is apparently nothing to look at (for us, usually not a big deal), and is apparently wicked hot (for us, usually a problem). There was the question of a Do-It-Yourself visit, as we’d done at the ruins of Copan and Tikal, or joining a despised tour, less freedom, more cost, but transportation links a breeze. There was the question of visiting the nearby waterfalls of Agua Azul and Misol Ha, places we were told are difficult (and dangerous?) to reach by public transit. There was the question of our gear, which we were damn tired of lugging around on buses now, especially in the Central American heat.
So we broke formation, lost some backpacker street cred, and joined a day tour of Palenque, with stops at the waterfalls, round-trip outta San Cristobal. What have we become?!
It turned out to be a savvy decision. We were able to save our steal of a room and leave our packs behind and worry nothing of wasting time on transit connections. We saved time getting the standard package that included Agua Azul and Misol Ha, convenient stops for us on the way north, now with no need to arrange a separate double-backing visit out of Palenque town. The amount of time on a moving vehicle that day would be brutal by Central American standards, but by the following morning we’d be glad to get all legs knocked off in one fell swoop. We figured we’d break even, at best, if we did the trip ourselves with an overnight or two in Palenque town, the humidity of which we wanted nothing to do with. And because we weren’t traveling onward into Campeche or Tabasco or the Peten, the day tour made the most sense.
The road to Palenque is atrocious, no matter what. Scenery nice, yes, but the road itself is peppered with potholes and hundreds of speed bumps (I counted over 80 on the leg from Ocosingo to Palenque alone). Good and safe for the communities the road passes through, but bad for the gringo in the backseat with the bad stomach from last night’s comedor grub. It was impossible to sleep in those early morning hours to Agua Azul, but we made it, passing through Mexican military checkpoints and EZLN checkpoints and squeezing past an enormous felled tree across the road that men were hacking with machetes.
Agua Azul was pretty cool, a similar but more expansive aquatic scene to Guatemala’s Semuc Champey. It was more traveled than I had expected, especially by Mexican tourists, whereas Semuc Champey attracted predominantly backpackers (take your pick). The surrounding hills weren’t as majestic as Semuc Champey, but the waterfalls and cascades were larger and still thunderous. Though Semuc Champey felt mostly untouched by the advances of civilization, I appreciated the upper reaches of Agua Azul where local kids played on rope swings and old men soaked their feet, and where I caught an accidental glimpse of a pair of aged Mayan boobs (not my first) as I unwittingly wandered too close to a riverside bathing nook. Did that make us think twice about swimming? Not at all. The heat was too oppressive and there wasn’t much else to do anyways. It took a bit of searching to locate the appropriate swim hole, and though the water isn’t quite turquoise, it really hit the spot. There was even a lifeguard there (what?!), making sure we didn’t stray too far downstream and over the falls, which must have happened enough for them to hire a lifeguard.
Misol Ha was also pretty cool, a towering waterfall splashing into a deep round pool, with a short hiking path embedded in the cliff behind the falls, leading to a cave complex we had no time or want to explore. Would have been nice to have a bit more time here to swim, which seemed more convenient and unique than at Agua Azul. Neither waterfall was quite worth a dedicated trip to see, but they both made for excellent sides to go along with the Palenque entree.
The ruins of Palenque were espectacular. The ruins are out of the way of most itineraries and so were quiet and free of crowds. The temples are all huddled close against steep jungled hillsides, many still awaiting full excavation. The central palace complex is exactly that, complex, with porticos and courtyards and underground mazes, dungeons. A walled irrigation canal flows nearby and underfoot on our way to another grouping of temples, all with choice views over the city and Mexican landscape beyond. It all feels so well hidden and protected. Flat plazas are grassy and dotted with trees. A temple on the north edge was once home to an eccentric explorer who camped out at the top for years. A path leads downhill into a residential sector, steep cliffside ruins perched next to the drizzle of a once powerful series of cascades, essentially another Agua Azul or Semuc Champey. Though here you’re prohibited from swimming in the enticing pools, a damn shame with the crippling heat. Our only relief came at park closing time, when a swarm of snack touts descended on us in the parking lot offering cold water and mangos. Too easy.
Another brutal ride back to San Cris, through Ocosingo and over another couple hundred speed bumps. A long day but it felt great to have seen Palenque and Northern Chiapas, a part of the world we may never have reason to pass through again.
