The weather forecast in Nucatili looked bleak for flying, so I decided to take two days to drive to the famous Mayan ruins of Palenque. These are some of the best ruins in Mexico, and the drive there takes you through some fantastic Chiapas jungle scenery. I stopped at Agua Azul, Misol-ha, and Aluxes wildlife sanctuary along the way.
Aqua Azul and Misol-ha
The cascading waterfalls of Aqua Azul were beautiful, and the turquoise colored water looked spectacular surrounded by the lush green jungle. Misol-ha was a beautiful waterfall, that was totally worth the 30-peso detour from the highway.
The scenery along the way was fantastic. I wish I had captured some more photos, but I was focused driving the very windy, tope-covered road.
Palenque
I really thought Palenque lived up to its expectations. The structures were sophisticated and massive in scale. The descriptions about the buildings were a little lacking, as very little information was provided about their purpose. It seems that there is a lot lacking in our understanding of Mayan beliefs. These ruins were surrounded by some incredible jungle scenery, which added to the intrigue of the area.
Aluxes Wildlife Sanctuary
I typically avoid zoos because the treatment and accommodation of the animals is usually poor. Aluxes claims it is a sanctuary for rescued or injured animals. I thought the sanctuary was mostly nice, but I felt that these claims were only partly true. Nonetheless it was really enjoyable to see some of the animals of central/south america.
