From Palenque to Lagunas de Montebello, Chiapas

[Jesus]

Originally Posted by Brent & Kim

What species of freshwater fish are in the lagoons and rivers pictured?

Huu, no idea, not a fisherman and I didn't pay attention if they were offering fish in the menu. One site I found with Google states that rainbow trout, but can't testify for that.
There should be fish in the area as the jaguar loves water and fishing. Also there are crocodiles in the Usumacinta river.

[Brent & Kim]

Originally Posted by Jesus

Huu, no idea, not a fisherman and I didn't pay attention if they were offering fish in the menu. One site I found with Google states that rainbow trout, but can't testify for that.
There should be fish in the area as the jaguar loves water and fishing. Also there are crocodiles in the Usumacinta river.

I know the northern states have a huge population of Largemouth bass. Many North Americans visit them. Wondering how far south they can be caught.

[Jesus]

In another site Pesca Deportiva - Chiapas

found that at Río Grijalba (to the West of Tuxtla) you can fish this two:
Black Snook / Robalo (Centropomus Nigrescens)
Machaca / Macabil (Brycon Guatemalensis)

No info for the Usumacinta.

[Jesus]

Sorry for not finishing the report yet, job keep interfering.
And to add insult to this, I'm doing the route again,

Next week I will be roaming the area again, stoping at Cancun's airport on Feb 5th to drop my passenger. Any single girl interested in driving to Mexico city** in the way back?

** can drop you in Merida, Campeche, Villahermosa or Veracruz or even in Puebla if you don't want to go all the way to Smogcity, hehehe

[Jesus]

Continuing the trip.



After Guacamayas (A), you drive to the North-East and load fuel at the Pemex station before entering the town of Benemerito de las Americas (B), where you can have something to eat in the many small eateries in the main street.

Next stop is Frontera Corozal (C), the little border town where you can embark and take a one hour boat ride to Yaxchilan, where you will feel like in an Indiana Jones movie, a river in the middle of the jungle, crocodiles sunning in the banks, mighty trees and then you discover the hidden temples in the middle of the dense jungle.

















a magnificent stela (carved slab of rock)




Close up of a glyph


step in front of one of the main buildings




This statue has been beheaded, they say that if someone puts the head back, the world will end, hope nobody tries next Dec.



A view from that palace, high in the hill


The jungle is really healthy in this part of the country






Here is a link to more pictures and some videos of my 2012 trip.
Yaxchilan 2012

Next stop, the Painted Walls

They look a bit Egyptian, who knows?

[Jesus]

I'm getting too overwhelmed to post the same pics in 3 different sites, so I'm taking the lazy way and just posting the link to my album in Google+, hope you enjoy

Bonampak, Chiapas

Not far from Bonampak, traveling North, after you pass the "Y" of San Javier, there is a sign for some eco cabañas, "Tres Lagunas" that is were I stayed, it was 550 pesos for a very nice cabaña, with electricity and very clean and modern bathroom (no need to suffer with dirty toilets). You can check the pics in this other folder.

From Montebello to 3 Laguanas

they have 3 lagoons (so the name) and they offer night tours to look for crocodiles, we didn't see much, but the night was really a nice time to sit in the boat, the guide didn't make ANY NOISE while rowing, such skill is impressive. Too bad that the camera can not capture good images at night, it was an awesome experience.

[Jesus]

The goal of this leg of the trip was Palenque, my favorite Mayan city so far.

There are too many things to see and do in the area, we stayed 2 nights at Hotel Maya Tulipanes, it's not too expensive, and is not too rustic (some of the cabañas in the road to the ruins were lacking too many amenities) and they have really nice replicas of some of the carved stones of Palenque, plus they included a very good breakfast in the deal (925 pesos for two persons).



This is an online album with part of the hundreds of pics I took in the area
Palenque 2012



Also a refreshing next day at the waterfalls of


Agua Azul and Misol Ha, not to be missed if you are in the area.

If you are willing to take the mountain road to San Cristobal de las Casas, you can NOT not stop at Tonina, even if you don't really enjoy climbing pyramids, the landscape is amazing as the temples were built ON a hill.



a link to the album, too bad there was no electricity and one of the main halls of the museum was closed to the public.

Tonina, Chiapas

[mexipat]

Thanks for that great report. It makes me want to get off this hammock and on the road.

[Jesus]

Originally Posted by mexipat

Thanks for that great report. It makes me want to get off this hammock and on the road.

That is exactly the idea of posting those pics here.
To get you guys visiting those amazing places.

[Jesus]

Don't loose your head at Toniná, it may end being hanged on the walls



and watch you step when descending the pyramids, they are veeeeeery steep

[SharonD]

Wow! Your trip and photos are awesome. Thank you so much for sharing!��

[Jesus]

Originally Posted by SharonD

Wow! Your trip and photos are awesome. Thank you so much for sharing!��

My pleasure, now just imagine having Thor taking more pics, that would be really nice.

[u2girlie]

Well, you've just created a new problem for us & our move. Now we definitely want to bring our Jeep so we can do some awesome road trips!

[Jesus]

Originally Posted by u2girlie

Well, you've just created a new problem for us & our move. Now we definitely want to bring our Jeep so we can do some awesome road trips!

I did all my trip on a Toyota Yaris, no problem, but for example in Sian Ka'an's dirt roads I was doing 20-30 km/h although the maximum posted speed is 40km/h, just wanted to be careful with my car (no dents so far), didn't want to be to hard on the suspension and was looking for wild animals.

Of course a jeep would be really nice there, but I could miss the rare animal encounter.

[Paw'boy]

Originally Posted by Michele

Well, you have me itching for another road trip now! Rob really wants to go back to Chiapas, specifically San Cristobal but he does not...I repeat NOT...want to take the mountain road from Palenque to San Cris EVER again!!

The Lancandon jungle is another pace we would like to see as well. After our visit to Na Bolom my husband gifted me with a wonderful book, a compilation of photographs taken by Gertrude Blom of the indigenous people in this remote region. So cool!! I have to see it for myself!

Did you drive or bus it? Why is it so bad? We are looking to go in May by bus