Palenque
Entering Palenque feels not only like stepping into a different country; it feels like stepping into another dimension. Palenque is a fantasy universe where everyone is relaxed and at peace; where everything around you is a natural, beautiful, living jungle; where it's easy to forget that anything at all in the world is bad; and where wearing a watch really doesn't make any sense. If you really want to understand the magic of Palenque, you'll just have to go and see it for yourself.
The famous ruins of Palenque.
I spent two nights at Palenque, with my hammock slung up at the jungle retreat of El Panchán. If I wasn't running so desperately short on time here in Mexico, I would have stayed at least a week. As it was, I just had time to relax, to discover inner peace in a way I'd never before thought possible, and to check out the spectacular Maya ruins of the ancient city of Palenque.
The mushroom man
Do you know the mushroom man,
The mushroom man, the mushroom man;
Do you know the mushroom man,
He lives beside the road.
Lost in paradise at Palenque
Today, I followed Shay (the juggling Israeli) and his girlfriend to a mystical waterfall and rock pool, hidden deep in the jungle, and yet only about a half-hour walk from our base of El Panchán. Every day, this place is frequented by a small number of serenity-seeking hippies, who come to swim in the pool, to climb the waterfall, and to meditate.
Arriving at Palenque
I got the night bus from Tulum to Palenque, and I arrived at the Palenque bus terminal at about 5am this morning. One thing that I've learnt in my travels already, is that long-haul night buses are a double-edged sword. Sure, you're saving a day's worth of actual holidaying. Sure, you're saving a night's boarding costs. But sadly, you have to arrive at your destination, and then sit in the bus terminal, and wait for the sun to rise and for the world to wake up. This is not so cool.