This will be a short post since this only took one day. However, since it’s drastically different than the other places it is in between, it gets it’s own write up.
Waking up at 4 am is how I started this journey, rough beginning. The bus picks you up and immediately you are on your way through a winding and bumpy road, making it difficult to catch a few extra hours of sleep.
First stop is Agua Azul - a cascading chain of waterfalls along a river. You can walk along the river and enjoy the nature. I found it gradually less pleasant since my exhaustion crept in (I had gone to a “concert” at a bar the night before) and the heat was coming out. I was by myself so I just walked up to the top, came back down, and took a little nap before we got back in. It was nice, it’s a super blue and powerful waterfall but the amount of time spent there is a little high. You can swim in the pools but who wants to jump in a van in a wet suit? That could have made it more fun though.
Second stop is Mizol Ha - A smaller waterfall by volume but it stands alone and is much taller. Similar to many of the waterfalls in Iceland, you can walk behind it and feel the spray and (less here than Iceland) feel the power directly. Here we had less time, which was appreciated and there was a place to get elotes. For those of you who are unfamiliar, an elote is a boiled cob of corn with mayo, lime juice, chile, and cheese. It’s classic street food and is delicious. There is an alternate variant, called esquites, which is cut off the cob and eaten out of a bowl. It’s less messy and easier to eat so I prefer it.
Third stop, Palenque – A jungle town from the Mayan area. There are temples and other buildings that are hidden in the trees or standing in the grass fields. They are incredibly impressive and are very different from the desert ruins of northern Mexico. I didn’t have a guide and the signage is minimal so my added knowledge of Mayan culture is limited, although my imagination was able to run wild given the scenery. It is the kind of place that without proper guidance is still an incredible place to walk around, but hard to understand. On the ride into town to drop me off, I finally had started talking to the Argentinian girl next to me, who could have been a travel buddy all day. However, thanks to little sleep and my occasional anti social nature, it waited until the end. However, it made the end of the day a little more enjoyable. I think this trip should help me with this issue of sporadic situational shyness. Some people think I’m super extraverted, but honestly, it’s pretty hard for me. Anyways, only one way to work on it, and that’s to work on it.
After touring the ground, I stayed at a hotel to refresh before another long ride to Merida by bus. That’s it, see I keep my promises.
