Palenque.

After another long travelling day we arrived in Palenque which is much hotter and more humid that we've experienced so far.

Today we visited Mayan archaeological ruins dating back to 600 AD.

Many ruins are still un-excavated and hidden in the jungle.

From there we visited the Misol-Ha waterfalls enjoyed a cold drink.

 Tomorrow we have a long day's travel to Merida, which is the capital of the Yucatan region.

Hugs, Jan Mac xx 

San Cristobel de las Casas.

on Tuesday we had a long travel day to a lovely little city called San Cristobel de last Casas. There are streets set aside for pedestrians only and there are plenty of shops, restaurants and cafes in easy walking distance from our hotel.

We foipund the Textiles Museum but unfortunately it's closed this week for renovations.

On Wednesday we visited thevillage of San Juan Chamula where the unusual church of Iglesia de San Juan is situated. 

There are many colourful market stalls surrounding the church inches Mayan village and it was interesting to see inside the church but no photos are allowed. 

 Thursday we're off to Palenque which is situated in a steamy jungle.

Hugs, Jan Mac xx 

Oaxaca To Tehuantepec.

Leaving Oaxaca on Monday we travelled to the Tree of Tule, which holds the record for the stoutest tree trunk in the world.

The gardens were lovely too. Then we travelled to the town of Teotitlan del Valle where we saw a demonstration of how artisans dye wool and then weave it into carpets and other handicrafteds items.

We also visited a mezcal distillery to see their distillery process and tasted 6 different samples of the liquor.

Then we had a long drive to our overnight stop at Tehuantepec. 
Hugs, Jan Mac xx 

 

Puebla to Oaxaca.

We took a City Tour bus of Puebla and really enjoyed seeing the surrounding suburbs as well as viewing the City from a lookout point. The city is surrounded by volcanoes (some still active) but the city haze made it hard to see them in photos. 

From Puebla we took a local bus to Oaxaca, a journey of 5 hours which was more comfortable in the large coach.

Oaxaca is another small city which is easy to explore as our hotel was conveniently situated near the City Square. 

Sunday morning we visited the beautiful Cathedral in the Town Square and attended Mass. It was a very uplifting experience with a beautiful choir and music and a highlight of our trip,so far, despite us not being Catholics. 

In the afternoon we took a City bus tour of Oaxaca and you could see why Mexican embroideries and handcrafts use such vibrant colours to represent the colours that surround them.  Many of their buildings are also painted in bright colours which contrast well with the trees in bloom.

 Tomorrow we're off to Tehuantepec for one night and we'll be visiting  Teotitlan del Valle, which is famous for its weaving and textiles. I'm really looking forward to seeing those.

Hugs, Jan Mac xx 

Relaxing Puebla.

On Thursday we travelled to Puebla via mini bus. Unfortunately it was a very cramped and uncomfortable journey so the Tour Company has apparently arranged for better mini buses for the rest of our trip.

We stopped at the community of San Pedro Tiahuac on the way to see a family's traditional food and farming practices.  

After a delicious vegetarian meal we drove to Puebla.

We spent 2 nights in Puebla and enjoyed it's relaxing vibe, despite being a big city.

The adventure continues.

Hugs, Jan Mac xx