Templo de la Calavera
Pakal the Great and a captive
The Tomb of Pakal beyond El Palacio
We got into Palenque at 5.00 am after an exhausting bus journey. Luckily Hotel Xibalba let us check in early, and after an hours sleep we caught a collectivo to the ruins.
The countryside around the ruins was hilly farmland and reminded me of Somerset, except for the occasional palm and banana trees. And the men with machetes walking to work.
After our time in the yucatan, which was so flat, it was a refreshing change.
Templo de la Calavera
Templo de la Calavera
Tomb of Pakal (Templo de las Inscripciones)
El Palacio
The pyramids seem to be built into the hillsides.
Tomb of Pakal beyond Templo XIII
L-R Templo del Sol, Templo XIV, El Palacio (in the background) and Templo de la Cruz
The rear of the Tomb of Pakal
The Tomb of Pakal and El Palacio
After flat sites like Uxmal and Chichen Itza it was nice to wander around the hills in Palenque.
Templo de la Cruz
Templo de la Cruz
Templo de la Cruz
Shiry on Templo XIV
Templo del Sol and Templo XIV from Templo de la Cruz
Templo XIV from Templo de la Cruz
Inside El Palacio
El Palacio
The building on top of El Palacio
Inside El Palacio
The Tower in El Palacio
You can tell this is a captive because he has paper in his ear
Bloodletting ceremony
Bas relief of a priest smoking
Mayan Glyphs
Down the hillside from the ruins is a very good museum. Unfortunately the cafe attached to it wasn't so good.
Pakal the Great with a captive
Originally the bas reliefs would have been painted. This example is in the museum at Palenque.
Bas relief from El Palacio
The walk from the ruins to the museum crosses a river and passes some beautiful waterfalls
Waterfall on the way down to the museum
Another of the waterfalls
Palenque seemed to be a very business-like town, rather than just for tourists. A lot of the stores were selling agricultural supplies.
Palenque town.