The cascades at Agua Azul and Misol Ha, Chiapas

In addition to being rich in Mayan cultural heritage, the state of Chiapas is also rich in natural resources and wonders of nature. Up to this point, we had seen crocodiles, howler monkeys, flocks of parrots and toucans all in their natural habitats.  For this portion of our adventures in Chiapas, we headed to El Parque Nacional de Agua Azul (the cascades of Blue Waters National Park) and the Misol Ha waterfalls.

Agua Azul National Park

The cascades known as Las Cascadas de Agua Azul are in a national park located about an hour outside of the town of Palenque, and are one of the most picturesque set of cascades I have ever had the opportunity to see.  Dry season (basically November-April) is the best time to see the cascades, as it is when they are at their most beautiful in terms of color: a surrealistic turquoise blue.  Rain churns up more sediment in the water, so they can look more brownish.  In our case, the conditions were not perfect as it had rained a lot in the previous 48 hours, but the cascades were still incredibly beautiful. 

The added bonus, is that there are a few areas where swimming is allowed.  One is near the bottom of the cascades where the river continues in a more lazy fashion.  The second is higher up, near the top of the tourist section.  Of course, you can hop in and get wet lots of other places, but it is 100% at your own risk.  We opted for a quick swim at the upper portion of the cascades.  It was quite refreshing (and a little chilly for some), and long overdue for this trip!

After our swim, we headed to the obligatory fresh coconut stand for nourishment.  This is a tradition for our trips to Mexico, and there are those in our party (Josh!) who cannot complete a trip without at least one fresh coconut someplace along the way.  Mission Accomplished! 

Cascada de Misol Ha

Continuing with our aquatic theme, after our stop at Agua Azul we took a quick detour to see the waterfalls of Misol Ha.  They are nearly 100 feet tall and their jungle atmosphere make them incredibly beautiful.  If time permits, you can swim at the base of the waterfall.  We didn’t do so, as we wanted to beat the approaching darkness and opted to walk the path behind the waterfalls instead.  The roar of the falling water is impressive.

Even more interesting is a spot behind the waterfall where another water source exits the mount in a smaller set of cascades.  For an extra 10 pesos per person, you are given a flashlight and can walk through a series of unlit caves, sometimes over rocks, sometimes through shallow water, to a larger cavern several rooms back where another subterranean waterfall pours into a large pool.  In that cave, if your flashlight is strong enough, you can see bats resting on the ceiling of the cave, as well as a glittery show of wet smaller stalactite formations.  As you pick your way back over boulders and through the exiting stream, you give thanks that this is “dry season” as I suspect that it may be difficult or impossible to experience the internal waterfall during the times of abundant rainfall.

Yaxchilan & Bonampak, Chiapas

Our next set of destinations were in the Lacondon rainforest, on the border with Guatamala.  The Lacondon rainforest is the largest rainforest in North America, and the second largest in the Americas in general (behind to the Brazilian rainforest).

Yaxchilan

Yaxchilan is located on the Usumacinta river which divides Mexico and Guatemala.  The site is located on a tear-shaped peninsula, which is only reachable by boat as there are no roads leading to the site.  The boats are long narrow canoes powered by an outboard motor.  After balancing out our party so as not to tip our transportation, we commenced a nearly 45 minute ride to the archaeological site.  On the way, we saw several crocodiles sunning themselves on the Guatemaltecan side of the river, as well as numerous howler monkeys in the trees.

Yaxchilan was a powerful city on the river for roughly 400 years, as it was one of several who could control trade up and down the river which runs all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.  The site is divided into three main areas: the Great Plaza, the Grand Acropolis, and the Small Acropolis. 

One of the interesting features we noticed about the structures in this region, different from those encountered on the Merida region, were the roof combs.  This site also retains some beautiful lintels in the structures, and a variety of frescos and mural remnants.

Bonampak

After Yaxchilan, we traveled further into the Lacondon region, to Bonampak.  The archaeological site of Bonampak is administered by the autonomous Lacondon peoples.  It is such that you can near the site, but then park your vehicle, and hire Lacondon transportation to the site.  The natives then also have the opportunity to sell their beautiful wares in the entrance to the site.  They make incredibly beautiful jewelry from the wide variety of seeds that can be found in the rainforest.  Additionally, you can find hand carved figurines and kitchen utensils made of the local mahogany wood, called Caoba.  Given the repression they have suffered over the years, we were happy to provide economic support through our visit.

Bonampak was inhabited as early as 100 AD , and its habitation ran roughly through 600-800 AD. Surprisingly, it is believed that there was an amicable relationship between Bonampak and Yaxchilan, just 12 miles away, as the rulers at one point were brothers-in-law and joined forces in at least one battle. 

What Bonampak is perhaps most well-known for are its lintels and the murals that adorn the interior of Temple 1.  Each visitor has the opportunity to spend up to 3 minutes in each room and no more than 3 people are allowed in a room at a time.  But the wait is definitely worth it!  The site of the murals and the stories they tell are quite impressive.

Palenque, Chiapas

Our first day in the rain-forest we hiked the Palenque archaeological site in the rain and mist.  The Palenque site reached its prominence between 500-800 AD, under the rule of Pakal I and his son, Pakal II.  Due to inbreeding in the ruling class, it is rumored that Pakal had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot.  Under the period of rule of father and son, Palenque rose in prominence and fortification.

Quite in contrast to other sites we’ve visited in the past, it was almost magical to wander up and down the hills in the rain, the hills half obscured by the mist.  You really got a feel for what it was like to really live in a rain-forest.  It also provided a mystical atmosphere to the place.

The kids were particularly fascinated by the tomb of the Reina Roja (Red Queen), which you can view on the site.  They had seen a replica in the Anthropology museum of Mexico City which included some of the original contents.  In Palenque, we entered the top of pyramid and walked down a tunnel to find the original sarcophagus.

Palenque also boasts an extraordinary number of original frescoes.  You can climb all over the site with very little restriction and discover them throughout.  Some of the largest ones were in the patio where prisoners were held.  In our explorations, Matthew and I found a small room with a hole in the floor and a canal beneath it.  We presumed this may have been a bathroom facility. 

Probably one of the favorite surprise and delight elements of this stop was that we used the lower entrance instead of the main tourist entrance.  This gave us the opportunity to begin our walk through the rainforest, climbing up through the jungle paths, across bridges, seeing smaller residential structures first before progressing upward to the hills past some of the lower ceremonial edifices and finally culminating in the palaces and temples at the top of the mount.  It was a route much less traveled and also allowed us to truly appreciate the simpler structures on our way up to the “main event”.  It was also an experience more typical of that of the everyday Maya population during the period of time in which Palenque was occupied.