Ruined

Today I went and saw the Mayan ruins of Palenque. Because I have been staying in El Panchan, right outside the entrance to the park, I was able to walk in. I decided to take my time at these ruins, more because I had nothing else to do afterwards than out of interest. Normally I move through ruin sites quickly, taking pictures without even examining the structures or trying to imagine what the site would have looked like in it{s prime. Today I climbed all the structures and temples possible and entered those where it was permitted as. I sat atop the temple of the sun for quite some time, listening music and imagining how Palenque would have looked over a thousand years ago.
Palenque is surrounded by jungle and is largely unexcavated. The area with the most important structures and temples is out in the open and swarming with tourists but there are some more minor ruins half buried in the hot and humid jungle as well. I suppose it is similar to Tikal in a lot of ways, and I couldn{t say whether I prefer one over the other, they are both very impressive. I also took the time to walk through the museum and have a look at all the artifacts that have been found within the temples, something I also would normally skip. The museum includes a recreation of a tomb that was uncovered, which is pretty spectacular.
Because of the jungle location, the heat and humidity, there is also quite an odour that can be enjoyed here and there. Basically it smells like rotten eggs, and this odour also happens to be lingering outside my cabana. Other more pleasant jungle experiences are to be had though, including hearing the sounds of the wildlife, in particular the howler monkeys. Basically what they sound like when they get going is like a mechanical lion{s roar. I can hear it from my room, but thankfully they don{t seem to howl during the night. And for those curious about the mysterious creature in my roof, it hasn{t attacked me yet. Oh, and I don{t have fleas or bedbugs, so rest easy.
Yesterday I spent the afternoon with a tour group to the waterfalls of Agua Azul and Misol-Ha, which are both spectacular. The turquoise blue natural pools at Agua Azul reminded me of the limestone pools of Semuc Champey in Guatemala, but were even more impressive due to the massive waterfall at the top and the fact that the water was more swimable and not ice cold.