Mexico Travel Continues – Palenque 2025

23 Nov

The archeological site of Palenque is one of the most magnificent in Mexico. The Mayan astronomers built towers to observe and record the night sky in 400 AD or thereabouts. I can’t imagine what the night sky must have been like then.

From my visit in 1974
A time before you paid a fee to enter, before parking lots, tour guides and gift shops.

Lisa and I visited Palenque again in 2015 when we brought her mom to live with us in Bacalar.

Waterfalls near the pyramids.

This time, we did not climb the pyramids, but stumbled upon one of the highlights of our two-week trip, Aluxes Ecopark.

As always, YouTube shows off the animals way better than all my photographs.

https://youtu.be/GrygNuuPW9U?si=HEcA__dwbv4S_-vh

The park breeds and releases guacamayas (red tailed macaws), helping to protect and grow their population.

Maybe it was the day we were there, but this out of the way animal reserve provided us with the relaxing day we were looking for. Shaded walking paths and benches allowed us to commune with nature as best as we could.

Plus I got to hug some huge trees.

DOS TORTAS

5 Responses to “Mexico Travel Continues – Palenque 2025”

  1. EmilySmith's avatar
    EmilySmith November 23, 2025 at 9:51 am #

    Isn’t Palenque a treat? We loved that we could wander all over the site without having to be a part of a tour. My quads were sore for a week afterwards after climbing basically every structure there…ouch! Loved hearing and seeing howler monkeys in the trees and all the jungly parts maybe more than the ruins. Glad you got to revisit this gem!

    Liked by 1 person

    • afish25's avatar
      afish25 November 23, 2025 at 12:10 pm #

      When I visited back in the day I got to climb down into the tomb. There was a string of light bulbs and a very rickety rail. Of course it’s long been closed and the sarcophagus removed. If only we know the good old days when we’re living them.

      Liked by 3 people

  2. Jack Scott's avatar
    Jack Scott November 24, 2025 at 4:32 am #

    A time before ‘parking lots, tour guides and gift shops’? The good old days! 😀

    Liked by 2 people

  3. Emilie's avatar
    Emilie November 29, 2025 at 4:08 am #

    I really, really want to get down to that area. I’d love to see the eco park! And Palenque!And ride Tren Maya!
    I once went to an area in Guatemala know for its quetzales, but the day turned foggy, and the birds remained in the tops of tall, tall trees hidden in the mist. I heard them but never saw a one.

    Liked by 1 person

    • afish25's avatar
      afish25 November 30, 2025 at 12:47 am #

      We have yet to ride the train or actually see it. Every time we try to plan a trip, we find it expensive and inconvenient. 😞

      Liked by 1 person

Leave a reply to Emilie Cancel reply

Emilie Vardaman

travel and random thoughts

A Dead Kennedy

: A journal of a very slooow marathon swimmer

The Soulful Word

Intuitive copywriter + creative director: word whispering magic for personal brands

View From Casita Colibrí

gringa musings from a rooftop terrace in Oaxaca

Your Hand in Mind

Musings of a human factors engineer after her brain was released...

Surviving Yucatan

Smoothing out Mexico's rough spots.

Surviving Mexico

Adventures and Disasters

Perking the Pansies

Jack Scott's random ramblings

WordPress.com News

The latest news on WordPress.com and the WordPress community.