More than just a game . . .
After Amatlan we headed back to the town of Oaxaca. Now, we thought that the town was not that safe when we left a couple of days previously, however, the sight of demonstrations in the streets when we returned..........well, we decided that it might be a good idea to leave. This forced us to undertake something that we always try to avoid... the NIGHT BUS! (I said that in a kind of thriller voice, with a definate hint of menace!). Ellie can sleep for England on a bus, unlike myself, who definitely can not. This may have something to do with the fact that Mexicans are smaller than me and therefore the leg room I get is not exactly spacious. But with the risk of being shot and kidknapped in Oaxaca as an alternative we boarded the dreaded bus and headed towards the town of Palenque (oh.. the night bus is also notorios for being stopped by bandits and people being shot and kidknapped. Ha.. damned if you do and damned if you don´t!). Anyway we didn´t get held up by the bandits and we arrived in Palenque safe and sound, apart from the worst case of stiff neck in history!
Palenque is famous for some of the most intact remains of pre hispanic setlements in Mexico. The pyramids and palaces there date back to 100ad an at it´s height the ancient city was home to 10,000 people. Most interesting for me was evidence of an early form of football that had a gruesome ending for the loosers. The losing team, usualy some captured enemy soldiers, would be beheaded by the winning team at the end of the game (I did think that this could have been appropriate for the times we beat Germany and Argentina!!).
We had an amazing and very hot day exporing the ruins, at the end of which we decided that the actual town of Palenque was a humid den of filth, so we caught another night bus... arrgggggghhhh! Including the day that we left Amatlan at 4 in the morning this would be the third night that we would get hardly any sleep, the second on a bus and another day of not having a wash or a shower. Ohhhh we were smelling sweeeeeeeeet! but that´s the joys of travelling for you.
Palenque is famous for some of the most intact remains of pre hispanic setlements in Mexico. The pyramids and palaces there date back to 100ad an at it´s height the ancient city was home to 10,000 people. Most interesting for me was evidence of an early form of football that had a gruesome ending for the loosers. The losing team, usualy some captured enemy soldiers, would be beheaded by the winning team at the end of the game (I did think that this could have been appropriate for the times we beat Germany and Argentina!!).
We had an amazing and very hot day exporing the ruins, at the end of which we decided that the actual town of Palenque was a humid den of filth, so we caught another night bus... arrgggggghhhh! Including the day that we left Amatlan at 4 in the morning this would be the third night that we would get hardly any sleep, the second on a bus and another day of not having a wash or a shower. Ohhhh we were smelling sweeeeeeeeet! but that´s the joys of travelling for you.
posted by Ellie and Adam at
4:23 PM
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