Subject: Bonampak Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2010 07:45:37 -0600 On to Bonampak! It was about 25 miles or so to the campground at Bonampak from Yaxchilan. We planned to see the ruins the next day so found our way to the Campamento Lacandones. This place was in a beautiful setting next to the Lacanja River with a few waterfalls in view. I think that Lacandones is the name of one of the groups of indigenous folks in this area. Anyway, it's a good spot and we were told we could take a cab from the restaurant/campsite to the ruins for a reasonable price - with a relative for sure! It's a family affair. So we did. Now these ruins are not as widespread as the others we've seen, but the main attraction here are the colored murals that we thought were amazingly preserved considering their ago. Two thousand years is a long time to be preserved at all! Some of the murals weren't great but, as you can see by the photos, some are. They're beautiful. We understand that there are reproductions of these murals in a museum that we hope to visit in Villahermosa but seeing the real thing has got to count for something. The murals were in three rooms, not very large, with pointed ceilings. The drawings were over the entire walls and ceilings of the rooms. We liked it!! So, we went back to our campground and spent the rest of the day trying not to die from the heat. Have I mentioned that it's hotter than anything that you can imagine here? Well, it is. And I think yesterday, at Lacandones, was the worst. And there are bugs. And if any of you think that this is just wonderful and fabulous and you wish you were here.....well.....yes, it's nice. But right now I've got about 50 bugs on the computer and on the shades next to me. It's hotter than snot and sleeping is a challenge. Just wanted to do a reality check there! Anyway, yesterday I was lying in our new hammock between a couple trees reading and trying not to sweat to death, when it started to snow! It was so strange. I guess it must happen at some certain temperature or something but all these tiny white flowers started pouring down from the trees overhead. It really did look like snow. It went on for an hour or so. I guess I'll have to figure out what that was - besides special. Oh - I must mention the Butterfly Bus! Can you believe that thing? They had butterflies front and back. And you should hear the muffler (or lack thereof)! It was something. And they had a little kitten. I was jealous. And so we stayed another night and drove back here to Pelenque. And tomorrow we see the ruins again but with less people around as Semana Santa is over......and then on to the Gulf Coast. We're trying to see how far away we can get before we have to scurry back to the US when our 180 days are up on May 4th!! Hope I get to send these soon........... Till then, Aloha from Gayle and Mike (who is sleeping, but is is night so that's probably sorta normal)
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