Camping in the Jungle... More Ruins... The Next Set of Crazy Passengers...

We finally broke out of the hills and hit the plains of the Yucatan. My God, it is so nice to be able to cover a decent distance in a day again! Our first stop in flat country was El Panchan - a small jungle community just outside of the Palenque National Preserve. We set up camp under the trees, took showers in the more-or-less open taps, and watched the monkeys overhead jump from tree to tree. And the bugs! Between the giant ants and the everpresent mosquitos we managed to get our fair share of bites, but we suffered them well. How often do you get to camp in the jungle, really?
In total, we spent three nights. Our first morning, we made our way up to Palenque - the Mayan city that functioned as the capitol for the entirity of the Yucatan for centuries. The massive pyrimids and temple complexes set against the jungle scenery were extraordinary. We were able to duck inside palaces, explore inner pathways, climb monumental staircases with breathtaking (in more ways than one) views. And all the while, the howler monkeys and mammoth folliage were there to set the tone. The humidity was insufferable, but we were able to forget about it intermittently.
After returning to our campsite, we bumped into Andre, a guy we originally met at a bar in Puerto Escondido! We spent the next day or so getting to know him better, as well as meeting other travelers. And that is how we found Michelle, our zany Irish lass - bald, bubbly, and full of life. We also met a 19-year-old Brit named Sebastian who was on a year-long world tour following highschool. Together, the five of us made a day trip to Agua Azul, which has to be one of the most beautiful system of waterfalls in the world. And you can swim in the pools between them! We wiled away the hotest hours of the day soaking in crystal blue water, swimming under and around falls, and learning to do backflips off of the rope swing. Honestly guys, life is rough...
When it came time to leave, we just couldn´t part with all of them so soon... So, we kinda picked up another backseat bum! Yah, we´re traveling one Irish lass heavier than we were before! And so far, no craziness! We even interviewed her beforehand concerning her views on machetes and 16-year-old girls just to make sure! Unfortunately, Andre was on his way back to the states for grad school - his first extensive trip back in 8 years - so I don´t think we´ll bump into him again any time soon. Although he did say he´d be down in Brazil come December, so who knows... Sebastian is currently traveling south to Guatemala, then swinging east into Belize and coming up the East coast of Mexico, so there is a good chance we will see him again in the next few weeks.
After our goodbyes, we headed northeast for Campeche, a moderately sized colonial town on the Gulf. The historical center of the town was absolutely gorgeous, but unfortunately there didn´t seem to be much to do but sit and stare from our hostel roof, so we decided to move on the following day. We did, however, meet Matt - a Californian whom Michelle had met in El Panchan before we arrived. After a little bit of getting to know one another and figuring out all of our routes, he hopped in the car with us when we left. Thats right, the Corolla is currently shuttling four travelers and all their luggage across the Yucatan... Oh, but I can´t begin to describe how refreshing these two are compared to our last hitchhiker. The change is entirely welcome.
Yesterday, we made our way inland from Campeche and explored Edzna, yet another ruin site on our list. Once again, the site was wonderful, but the heat made us think twice about our direction of travel. In the end, we decided that a beach visit was needed before continuing on through the area. After consulting our guidebooks, we decided on Celestun, a small town near Merida which is situated near a flamingo nesting ground. And so, after hours of driving through ungodly heat, we caught a seafood dinner and spent the night floating on our backs in the green of the Gulf of Mexico deciphering the constelations of the tropical skies above.
This morning, we woke up early to catch a boat tour of the nearby mangrove forests and flamingo preserve. Okay, so the flamingos weren´t out in large number, but we did get alongside four of them while they were feeding and saw a flock flying upriver. We also got the swim in the narrow inlets amid the mangroves where the water was cool, crystal clear and indescribably beautiful.
Now we´re back at the hostel napping, reading, and otherwise recouping. Where we go tomorrow has yet to be decided. Hasta proximo!