The Nomads

No Travel Day

Palenque, Chiapas State, Mexico

Temp: 38 degrees C

Sunny, humid & Hot

Back to the ruins and the museum early for photos. The place was teeming with tourists and students by the bus load and the light was really bad so I’m not happy with the limited photos I did get. Better than nothing, but barely……

I came across a fifty year old man collapsed with heat stroke at the top of the Temple of the Sun. Paramedics had been called and were on their way, so there was nothing to do but keep him shaded and try to hydrate him. Imagine being back-boarded off the top of one of the highest pyramids in Central America with over a hundred steps almost knee-high and at most as wide as my size 8.5 shoe!

I have discovered that if you take an oblique approach you can really make good progress up those steps, as opposed to the conventional approach of going directly up… I practically ran up that pyramid today!

Coming down, that’s another story…..

On the way to the museum outside of the Palenque site I met a Mexican who came over and inquired where I had traveled from by moto. Incredulous, he then asked me my age….

His reaction: “Magical, Magical, it is Magical!!!

You are my age! I too can do this??!!!”

We were back by 2 PM with ice and cold juice from the town four km away.

The plan for tomorrow is to head for Campeche City in the state of Campeche. It should be about 300 plus Kms, and from there another 400 or so will put us into Merida in the Yucatan.

Kilometers - Daytrip: 9 km total: 7109

Gas: $3.00 ?

Lodging: Margarita and Ed’s $30

No Travel Day

Palenque, Chiapas State, Mexico

Temp: 38 degrees C

Sunny, humid & Hot

Went to the ruins today around 10:30. I was expecting “big” but still I was surprised. Massive is more appropriate! It boggles the imagination how such an advanced culture able to rally the work and material to build such a city without modern tools, in the 97% humidity and constant 38 degree temps could come to such a quick grinding halt!

My camera pack it in a third of the way through the ruins so I borrowed Sue’s. Had some really amazing photos. Unfortunately Sue’s camera got accidently re-formatted before we could upload the pics….!

Back there in the morning to try and get more photos.

The local cheese and ham empanadas are wonderful!

Kilometers - Daytrip: 9 km total: 7100

Gas: $3.00 ?

Lodging: Margarita & Ed’s $30