Palenque, Saturday

14:45. Having several half decent cups of tea (the milk is not frothy!) at some small cafe near what I take to be the main plaza. Got up just in time to check out at 12, left the suitcases at the hotel. Dined as planned yesterday, which was good but spoiled slightly by worries about lack of cash, my card having been turned down with the usual vague message by one set of machines. Got some out of another after eating though.

Reading Les Miserables. It's odd that while the guy was undoubtedly a bastard, I don't have any strong dislike for Fantine's ex-lover, whereas I would derive great satisfaction from someone wreaking vengeance on the Thenardiers. I suspect it won't happen though.

Oh, and the tooth drawing business was oddly repugnant.

16:00. Suddenly hacked off. Ordered a fourth tea maybe 10-15 mins ago and they never brought. Ordered again maybe 5 mins. Woman just came out and burbled at me about something happening in 15 mins, the gist being 'fuck off'. I could have drunk the tea if you just brought it when I asked for it. So now I will have to go somewhere else to loiter. I guess I will have a beer or two near the hotel, at least that will reduce uncertainty.

16:20. Come to Saraguato's for a quick beer. Torn between getting to bus terminal in plenty of time vs hanging around annoyingly. Bus is at 5:30 not 5 by the way.

16:50. At bus terminal. As I had already seen, it's tiny. No free seats, in part due to selfish git puting bags on seats. But it's cramped enough I would probably not sit next to anyone anyway. No departure board. An announcement is happening now but it's largely incomprehensible.

Bought a bottle of water even though I have a big half-full one in my bag. Don't have room for both so this is going to be a nuisance on the bus I am sure. (I could pour the new one into the old, but it's slightly cool and I don't want to 'waste' that.) I wish I had picked seat 3 but remembering last time and getting shunted across to seat 1 by that woman with the baby, I picked 7. Stupid. Not a massive deal but I suspect I will feel cramped up with all my junk. Oh well.

Sign on the wall says it is forbidden to travel with fruit, vegetables or milk derivatives. Presumably more of those agricultural restrictions. Not that it affects me but it always seems odd.

Sweaty as hell. Just want to get on the damn bus.

17:30. On the damn bus. :-) Slightly more leg room than I expected. Not super plush though.

While waiting for them to open the luggage compartment, a mini queue formed. The halfwitted woman in front of me missed it actually being opened and consequently a load of pushy fuckers just surged past me.

Oh, and I think the damn thing terminates in Puebla, though it is far from clear, certainly not Oaxaca. That's always a nice bit of extra uncertainty.

The announcements were incomprehensible. I don't think it's just the language. The PA seemed to sort of 'fatten' the sound out making it very hard to even distinguish individual words.

Anyway, will send this now.