Feb 8. Tonino ruins

 

Left our beautiful campsite for the short 100 meter bike ride to the Tonino ruins ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toniná )

This is truly an unbelievable site. For many years the rulers of this enormous site even dominated Palenque. 

The royal family of this city ruled over thousands of acres of productive farmland. They were also very successful warriors and dominated the Mayan world for many years. 

One interesting part of the ruins was the "ball court". Here teams from other cities would challenge Tonino to a game similar to soccer. The losing team would have a rather unfortunate fate of becoming human sacrifices to the gods--hence the expression "play your heart out" ??

Other pis of the ruins

After Tonino, it was a mere 105 km trip to San Cristobal. However it took over 3 hours. The road was so twisty, hilly and narrow that Dahlia never got into high gear!

We must have almost stopped on each of well over 100 topés!  Everywhere there was a dozen houses, there was at least 3 topés. In one kilometre spot we counted 12 topés--very slow travel!!

Some pretty sections

...some clear cuts

We often followed Colectivos. Instead of vans they were trucks loaded with payin passengers!

Reaching San Cristobal was like a breath of fresh air. A vibrant, clean, well organized ancient city whose birthplace took place 500 years ago. 

Today there are 180,000 residents who honour the great history of their city. Although I have been here on two previous occasions the town never always is a highlight for me. There are several vibrant town squares that are alive at night in a friendly and entertaining manner. 

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Feb 7. Long day

Arrived late at Tonino

The best campsite value in North America.

For five dollars we got a campsite, some distant live music beautiful evening. One hundred yards from the Tonino Ruins, fabulous view, great lawn, washrooms, fire pit, hammocks and palapa!  Amazing. 

In the morning, We left Tenosique at 8:00.  Yesterday, The border Lady said we should be there by 9 o'clock. We arrived at the Guatemala/Mexican border at 9 o'clock and went to the Mexican border station. After showing our papers to them, they said we didn't really have to come back--A total waste of two hours driving time. Oh well I guess that's the reason why we should learn some more Spanish. 

At about 6:30, in the dark, we pulled into Tonino. Long day of travel but worth it as we saw some incredible jungle mountain vegetation and scenery. 

One stop called Mistol Ha had a 90 ft. waterfall crashing into a 200 ft. Swimming hole with a cave behind the falls. Wonderful spot to cool off. 

While there we met a couple of Australians who New the Okanagan well as they travelled through it last year--small world. 

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Feb 6. Leaving Las Maria, Guatamala

We said goodbye to our new  Guatemalan friends and on a very cloudy and rainy morning headed towards Tikal. About a half an hour into our journey, Dalia started a minor series of hiccups again. With consideration also going to the ugly weather, We made a trip changing decision and decided to head back to Mexico. If we could get Dahlia totally healthy, we would go over the central plateau to the Pacific side and head down to Guatemala via that route.

If we had any serious problems, we would always be in Mexico where we would be closer to mechanics who might know something about the VW. 

I filled up with a different brand of gas in Guatemala, and it seemed like that basically cured the situation. We are hoping it was only a question of bad gas.

At the Guatemalan border we kind of screwed up. We exited out without an exit stamp on our passport. Just 100 yards away at the Mexican border, when the attendant saw this situation, he did not know really what to do. After a few frustrating moments he called his superior, who spoke broken English. After much discussion they decided to completely erase our trip to Guatemala on record. That way there would be no paperwork required and our 2 day trip on Guatemala will never have  existed--who were we to argue, especially since we could hardly understand what was going on. 

Another issue at the Mexican border is that Monday is a countrywide holiday. There was only a skeleton staff on at the border crossing. Because of that, we actually have to go back to the border crossing tomorrow at 9 o'clock and get the rest of the processing completed. Good thing we have time. 

We spent the afternoon in Tenosicque about an hour from the border that we will be revisiting tomorrow. 

Dahlia has been behaving herself to this point and we are having a very lazy day reading under the shade of a date palm tree and organizing the van. 

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Feb 5: Las Maria la Libertad Peter

Today has been a day of days.

We left Palenque at 7:30 and arrived at the Guatemalan border about noon. The ride was very pretty through the dense tropical flatlands with the mountains on the west Side. Adrienne compared it to Jarassic Park. 

We lucked out at the Guatemalan border. Fortunately there was only one other car there and us. No officials there is spoke a smidgen of English. And right before our frustrated countenance appeared a young Guatemalan man with Virginia license plates on his car. It was like the guardian angel had appeared again. This young man was a truck driver for part of the year in Virginia and frequently made it home to Guatemala. He said America was OK but you have to work to hard to survive. He liked coming back to Guatemala to work a little bit and enjoy friends and lay back a lot. 

Our truck driver, instant friend,assisted us no end with translation and paperwork and after about three quarters of an hour we're heading into Guatemala.

Guatamala is a gorgeous country in this area. No cities to speak of just continuous small farms and very small villages along a 2 Lane Hwy that leads to Tikal. One killer with this country is they do not warn  you of coming topes (speed bumps)--and of course you do not see them all and occasionally get LAUNCHED!

All seemed too smooth. 2 hours and halfway to Tikal, Dahlia started hiccuping. She was missing so bad that we had to pullover to the side of the road. I thought it was a fuel pump and changed it on the side of the road. However that was not the real issue. We made it another mile or two stopping and starting and stopping and it got to a point where we had to pull over. Wondering what we would do, I decided to get on my bicycle and ride for a little bit  to see if we could find a solution to our delema and a place to stay over night.  Along the road were numerous small very poor homes and farms.

There is very little money in this area. People have homes that are basically just a couple of bedrooms with the kitchen outside and the kids basically living outside along with the chickens, turkeys, dogs and pigs. 

My bike ride took me about a quarter-mile, when I noticed a large fenced off front yard and a long very rudimentary house at the back. I stopped my bike and there happen to be a lady right at the gate. Our second guardian angel of the day.

Like everyone else she spoke not a word of English, and I'm trying to communicate but it was very difficult. I smiled and started my bike back toward  Dahlia. Suddenly a motorcycle came up from behind me--it was a young man and he could speak perhaps ten words in English. He insisted that he help us. Our third guardian angel of the day.

It was very difficult communicating with him, but he was persistent in figuring out what our problem was but shortly said goodbye. However it was just for a short period of time.  He returned on his motorcycle and insisted that we come with him. I told him we would try to get our vehicle moving. She actually did start and we limped  our way the 800 yards to the home with the fence compound. They let us in and we were instantly the hit of the strip. There must've been seven or eight people gathered around all giving advice--IN SPANISH!!

The young man phoned somebody and finally we got to speak to somebody (in English!) and I told him of our problem. This gentleman on the phone said he would find  the local mechanic and send him out to us--on a Sunday, if you can believe.

Within minutes the mechanic was riding into our compound on the back of the young Guatamalan's motorcycle--our 4th guardian angel of the day!!  The mechanic along with 2 other "helpers" and myself started checking out Dahlia. I was somewhat taken aback by his technique as he revved the "old girl" up to redline and of course she stalled. He did this several times and I could see Adrienne cringing at a distance. He did some testing and still was unable to find a problem. While I was looking at various engine parts, I noticed in the back of the engine'svalve cover, a small tube had come off. I pointed it out to him and he smiled. This was a problem. A small rubber hose had rotted and was nowhere to be found. The young man on the motorcycle doubled the mechanic back to his shop where they picked up the appropriate hose. Upon his return it was just a matter of five or 10 minutes and Dahlia was like new again--I hope

The people are so nice here that everybody has refused any sort of payment for what they have done for us but I absolutely insisted on giving me mechanic a $20 US money note.

The day was not yet over. Not knowing what to do, while we were working on the car, Adrienne joined a small crowd across the road. 

Once the car was fixed I was next invited across the road. What should I find but Adrienne and a dozen other locals watching a small town rodeo where contestants were actually riding a big Brahma bull!! It may have been a small crowd (where viewing was looking through the corral fence), but it was certainly a rodeo as far as this area was concerned. Each contestant was definitely at more physical risk than was really comfortable for us!

After each attempted ride (the bull was always the winner) much effort and chasing took place as they they managed to run the bull into the riding Shute. Next, one of the men got decked out ready to ride. It was quite an ordeal as each rider got on this rambunctious animal. Just like Rodeo you see on TV, the contestant would set his body above the bull then have his hands cinched into position and after much struggling the arena  gate was open.

The bull burst out of the gate jumping and kicking and within seconds the rider it was on the ground. One of them actually took a good shot from the bull in the butt and was catapulted about six or 8 feet before landing again (I actually videoed it!) It was exciting to watch, what with about 6 different rides taking place in a matter of a half an hour. 

By now we thought the day was over. However at 4:30 we had a visit from our mystery English speaking man on the phone who helped co-ordinate our repair job. He just wanted to meet us and say hello. He actually invited us over for supper at his ranch but we politely declined, not wanting to push our luck in the fantastic hospitality of the town. 

Next thing you know however was our host's sister dropping over to visit and asking us over for coffee. 

I guess there is no dull moment when you are the celebrity of the day in a small town. 

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Palenque ruins

With the nice weather today we headed to the ruins, a short 2 km from Maya Bell.

Because of the semitropical environment with all the lush green space and small river throughout, this is our favourite Mexican ruin.

For about two hundred years, the members of Chief Packel's family made Palenque one of the strongest centres within the Maya empire. Art, engineering and architecture thrived in this environment.

The still quietness of a walk through and around the many structures and temples pulls you back to another time. How they managed to conceive such mammoth building projects while at the same time living what they considered a normal life is incomprehendable.

When you are immersed in this environment for a few hours, the feelings you get make it easy to see why this is truly a Unesco World Heritage Site to be protected for all future generations to see. 

 

About a thousand years ago Palenque, at the height of its glory, was suddenly abandoned. There are several theories as to why. However, the effect of the abandonment was to allow the super growing conditions of the region to cause trees, grass, and vines to almost completely cover the whole town! Only very small parts of temples were visible when it was discovered in the 1900's!

Today, like Tikal in Guatemala, less than 5% of the ruins have been reclaimed from the jungle vegetation.




With its ease of access for anyone in the world, using today's communications links, we have met travellers from most continents trekking this area in the past few days.

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Reflections

By our 5th night in Maya Bell we started to reflect in a few parts sod our trip. 

One thing that stands out is the abundance of high quality fruits and vegetables at a fraction of what we pay even when ours are in season. 

Even fruit like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and grapes are abundant. They often grow them under huge sheets of shade cloth to prevent evaporation and sun damage. The flavour of everything is better than even we can grow in BC!

As it has started to warm up a bit now that we are so far south we have seen a lot of sugar cane and tobacco. Even the cattle type has changed from breeds we are familiar with in Canada, to Brahma cattle. 

Tolls in this country are a bit of a pain, since the highways may be 4 lanes but the road surface ranges from very good to very bad with frequent rough pavement and potholes. To date we have spent just over $200 in tolls!  That means over $400 by the time we return to USA!!

On another subject, we have seen nothing of the mean side of Mexico that we so often hear about at home--so far only the most considerate of people who do their best to cope with our language deficiencies. 

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Feb 1 Palenque and Maya Bell.

Finally we are here!

4 pics 

 Great camp site and shut down the bar and its terrific live entertainment last night. A little piece of paradise. Tropical environment, classic palapa bar, monkeys to occasionally serenade you, humming birds in day and fireflies at night; plus the pool. The only down side is the speed of the internet. Sometimes you would think they are at ""dialup speed"!

Time to lay back at the pool today. 

Met some German girls how were travelling to South America. They were in a VW van right near us here. They indicated that it will cost them $500 for a broker and $500 for the boat to get the van to Columbia. They had recently paid $1,500 to ship it from Europe (via Seabridge from Hamburg to Halifax). They shipped to Halifax rather than USA because they were allowed to have contents in it when shipping there--not so to USA. 

Ricardo is another interesting camper here. He owns a manufacturing (of office furniture) business in the hills behind Veracruz.  Many years ago he moved the business away from Mexico City because of the terrible pollution and congestion of that area. 

Like us he loved to travel and has now put western Canada on his priority list. 

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