Chiapas

  

This part of Chiapas is in the foothills of the mountains.   I love the way they plant their crops up the side of the hills.

Mountain cows in Chiapas.  

The Mexican State of Chiapas is on our list to revisit another year.   In order for us to see everything we really would need to stay a couple of weeks so we could rest for a day or two in between hikes.

   The howler monkeys are awesome!  The birds are beautiful, the rainforest is  spectacular, the landscape and waterfalls are breathtaking, and the ruins are amazing.   It is crazy hot though. thankfully the Mayabell campsite has electric hook ups for air conditioning.

I've uploaded pictures of the howler monkeys into facebook.   You can see them here:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151501931187464.542414.587442463&type=3

Video:  https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151495544527464&set=vb.587442463&type=3&theater

We stayed five nights at the Mayabell and it was not long enough to see everything.   The first day we arrived in the afternoon and just chilled while watching the monkeys in the trees about 50 feet from Myrtle.    Mayabell charges 180 pesos a night.   I don't think we have received better value for our money anywhere in Mexico.   They have hot showers with decent washrooms, a restaurant on site with a nightly live band, electricity, water and dump at each site, rain forest all around and many sightseeing opportunities.

The second day we went to the Palenque ruins, 3 hours in the morning a two hour break, then three hours in the afternoon and we felt if we had the time, we could have gone back for another day of exploring.  

 You can see more pictures of the ruins here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151504208477464.542573.587442463&type=3

Cascadas de Agua Azul

Misol Ha

Day three we went to the Cascadas de Agua Azul and Misol Ha waterfall.   The hike along the trail beside Agua Azul was about 2 kilometers each way.     

You can see more Agua Azul pictures here:
 https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151504222057464.542575.587442463&type=1

Misol Ha pictures here:
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151504256122464.542577.587442463&type=3

Crocodiles....you won't catch me swimming in water with these babies!  

The fourth day we bit off more than we could chew and tried to see two ruins, Bonampak and Yaxchilan.   We only managed to fit in about 3/4 of Yaxchilan, and didn't see Bonampak at all.  To get to the Yaxchilin Ruins you have to go by boat along the Usumacinta River.   Guatamala on one side, Mexico on the other, crocodiles in the river...all adds to the experience of Yaxchilan Ruins.   Highly recommended.

For more pictures of the Yaxchilin Ruins :
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151504376657464.542583.587442463&type=3

The fifth day we took it easy.  Gerry's inevitable migraine set in on the way back from Yaxchilin Ruins, my back and knees are seizing up, we both overdid it.   The cost of seeing great beauty is great suffering, and it was worth every moment of payment!     We went for a short walk around the surrounding area of the campgrounds and a short drive to see a waterfall/swimming hole we had driven past on our way back from Yaxchilan.   Neither of us had anything left in us to further explore the area, so we have put it on our list to come back another year when we can spend two or three weeks in Chiapas.  

It is time to start homeward bound Turtling on Down the Road.   Next stop Agua Dulce.