Palenque – Day 1: Braving the Waterfall
PALENQUE
Day 1: Braving the Waterfall
August 19, 2022
By this point in my journey, I was pretty much used to all those long bus rides every couple of days that would take me from one incredible place to the next. Next up was Palenque – a municipality in the state of Chiapas.
Though laden with my heavy bags, I didn’t much mind strolling along the roads of Palenque until I could check in to my hotel. Walking through the centre of the tourist area, one can find a long cobblestoned road surrounded by jungle on both sides, with fancy hotels and tourist agencies lining it – and I’d be staying right there in the heart of it. I could describe Palenque in more ways than one, although the first thing that comes to mind is that it’s oddly reminiscent of Aguas Calientes in Cusco, Peru – a town that sits right below the ruins of Machu Picchu which I had visited a few years back. So nostalgic!
While I’m not usually one to actually enjoy wandering around such areas, I do have to admit that it’s quite a charming town – especially around the residential area, where the buildings start to resemble more those found in traditional Latin American towns: colourful, though more modern and with no hint of colonialism.
Roberto Barrios Falls
With no set plans for the day, I took the opportunity to just roam around and hang out – though that lasted for about a minute. After much pestering by the many tour agents on the streets, I ended up on a minibus headed for one of the otherworldly waterfalls near Palenque – those of Roberto Barrios.
These falls, which for the life of me I cannot begin to fathom how they’re not more widely popular (thankfully), were my favourite to visit. As soon as I was dropped off, I was instructed to follow the clearly marked trail and then left to my own devices. Roaming around the jungle on my own was so, so freeing. Also, it took me right back to all those jungle treks I had done over the years. Man I love jungles!
After a short hike through the jungle, I found myself following a meandering river that led straight to wonder of nature. As wonderful as the walk had been, I gotta say it wasn’t quite the highlight of my adventure. Oh no. That title is reserved for the Roberto Barrios Falls. Here, the river forms a series of natural pools with the turquoisiest water you can ever imagine. Here, most people chilled in the pools and floated about idyllically, while a few daredevils busied themselves climbing on the falls. I was gonna give it a pass until my FOMO got the better of me. Seeing the locals doing their acrobatics over the waterfalls made me throw caution to the wind and I ended up joining them.
I gotta admit that scrambling over slippery rocks while being pelted by torrential water wasn’t exactly not scary. That said, there’s this sense of freedom that comes with being reckless, and it had me wondering why I’d never done such a thing before. Was I too sheltered? Too afraid? Too much of a coward? Does the fear of breaking a bone really justify missing out on experiences like this? Right there, on the precipice of the waterfall, I could hear a voice in my head urging me on – even if it was against my better judgement. And I’m glad I followed it. Conquering those falls made me feel more alive and freer than ever. Plus, isn’t this why I splurged on an annual travel insurance policy?
Downtime...
When I finally got to my hotel, it felt a little like the hike wasn’t quite over yet. Though smack in the middle of the city centre, the entire place was practically shrouded in jungle.
Everything was surrounded by trees and plants, with bamboo shoots right in front of the entrance. Inside, it was more of the same – three storeys tucked away in the middle of the wilderness, with a pool and a tiki bar right at its centre. A pure paradise! While I don’t usually go for luxury when I’m travelling (mostly because I’m always on a tight budget), this one felt quite grandiose – though somehow still one of the cheapest places I’ve ever stayed in.
Oh, and there’s more. It wasn’t just the décor and setting that stole my attention. The second I drew open the curtains in my room, the first thing I saw was a huge iguana staring right back at me. Not a second after I opened the door, it bolted – scrambling up a tree, never to be seen again. I’d say I was disappointed, only the toucan perched on the same tree did wonders to help me forget all about my reptilian abandonment issues. Oh, and the coatis… All that wildlife inside a hotel – insane!
After ogling all those fantastic beasts, I finally settled into my room. At last, I had some time to chill and just be. Knowing I didn’t have much to do around the city, I jumped straight into the pool, ordered the best mojito and piña colada I’ve ever tasted, and spent the afternoon relaxing. I felt like I deserved it after being on the go for so many days without any kind of respite. And boy, did I need it.