The Photo Gallery - a Trip Down Memory Lane

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• Album 2

A walk through the Mexican rainforest (taken at Ruinas de Tajin near Poza Rica)	Cattle in muddy lot. Colegio de Agricutura Superior, Tabasco, Mexico
Mayan pyramid. Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico.  While in Villahermosa we had an opportunity to visit one of the most impressive and well preserved Mayan ruins at Palenque, known for its sculpture and pyramids. The ruins are found in the forest at the edge of the Chiapas highlands.	In its heyday, Palenque was a sprawling religious center that spanned nearly thirty five square kilometers. Numerous stellae, intricate bas-relief sculpture, inlaid masks and other adornments give Palenque a feeling of enchantment. The tall Temple of the Inscriptions contains one of the only crypts found intact inside a pyramid in Mexico; the Tomb of Pacal, a Mayan ruler of the seventh century revealed jewels, masks, jade ornaments, wall carvings and other exquisite artifacts. Palenque is the westernmost of the great Maya Classic Period cities. Some pyramids are in an excellent state of preservation or restoration, but only about a half a mile has been excavated. Standing on top of the pyramids one overlooks the vast level jungles plains of the Petén which extend into Guatemala. One cannot but wonder what the true reasons are for the rapid decline of the Mayan civilization that achieved so much in architecture, art, and other areas.
During our visit to the ruins, we witnessed the killing of what we were told was a poisonous snake. Fortunately, no one had any serious falls or accidents at Palenque, although opportunities for falls abounded.	Crossing the river in motorized dugout canoe to visit chinampa plots at Teapa, Mexico. ( Doug Hogue, Doug Lathwell, et al.)
Leaving San José for Turrialba, Costa Rica	IA 602 Bus crossing very narrow bridge near Turrialba, Costa Rica.

Fruits frequently seen on the trip