Bus Palenque-Oaxaca City

19:30. Villahermosa. They are at least making announcements. My feet hurt, I don't know what it is about bus seats that this happens. Driver just said we have ten minutes if we want to get off. I won't. I am not that hungry and I'm broke in the practical sense I have about 6 pesos in change and 200 peso notes, which I suspect are not acceptable at any bus terminal shop.

I am wondering if I should get off and try to buy food. But I am not really hungry. No, I'm not going. Maybe the next time we stop. I can always get breakfast in Oaxaca City as I don't have any obvious places to hare off to when I drop my bags off at the hostel, unlike Palenque.

Oaxaca City appears to be referred to as Oaxaca de Juarez or just Oaxaca. At least I hope those are all the same place.

20:05. Man, the Waterloo bit of Les Miserables is tedious. Mind you, it's hard to concentrate anyway which listening to:
- the compulsory film soundtrack
- the bus radio
- a fuckwit noisily sucking at a lollipop opposite
- at least two women gabbling loudly on their mobile phones
all at the same time.

There is no fucking excuse for having the bus radio on at the same time as the film soundtrack, and lollipop boy should just be taken out and shot.

I don't fucking believe it. Lollipop boy just shifted to the rightmost seat in his double so he is now sucking practically in my fucking ear.

(He's not a boy, to be overly precise. Middle-aged-ish chap I think. Certainly an adult. And equally certainly a cunt.)

It's not going to help me concentrate on the book but I can't fucking take any more. I am going to have to put my headphones in and crank some music up painfully loud.

22:10. Coatzalcoatlos (sp?). Skimming the Waterloo section as fast as I can but even so it's trying my patience.

Driver has got off for a fag but didn't say how long we have. There is a small kiosk (non self service) just in front of the bus but I am still not really hungry, I don't want crisps or biscuits and I don't see any sandwiches or have any confidence the attendant would be willing to locate something without mayonnaise anyway. Even assuming they would break a 200.

08:34. At some cafe having breakfast. Bus got in about 7:45. Taxi to hostel no big deal tho they moved last September (as I found out later) and so I had to show the taxi driver the correct address. Hostel or hostelworld has screwed up and shifted my booking one day later (I logged onto Google Mail to show the confirmation saying I had booked starting today). They are giving me a dorm to myself tonight and then I will get the room I booked tomorrow, so no problem. Left bags with them til I can check in.

(I might have stayed in a regular shared dorm had they asked, but I would have wanted money back.)

Quite cool to be walking the streets in the morning when it's quietish. I do like mornings, I just don't like waking up to them. :-) Didn't sleep well on the bus but better than usual.

Getting a bit of a Count of Monte Cristo vibe from Les Miserables. I doubt it will stretch to graphic revenge but I live in hope. :-)

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.

Palenque, Friday

05:55. Waiting to be picked up for the tour. Must dig out the actual names of the places at some point and write them down.

Didn't want to get up of course, was awake anyway due to alarms at 5:15-ish, knock on the door at 5:30, stupidly pushed it til 5:40 then finally got up. Not feeling great but not totally knackered either. I vaguely hope we will get a better bus today.

Didn't go to bed super early but I think I was in bed by about 11. I faffed around a bit letting the mobile charge and setting the laptop up to upload some more photos to Skegness overnight.

The tour description says to bring indentification and the other company's English version says passport. I have the passport in my hidden belt (as nearly always - though I left it at the hotel yesterday in case it got nicked while I was swimming, not that that would have been an issue of course as it turned out) but I do wonder why it's necessary. Some two day tours go to Flores in Guatemala but the one day versions don't. I can only assume there may be checkpoints.

(I did consider a two day tour for maybe 30 seconds, but while I could have stayed yet another day, it didn't really appeal. I have no idea what the overnight accommodation would be like and while for all I know Flores is really cool, it has a slight 'ticking off another country' feeling which is probably in my head but still.)

Sky is only just beginning to get light. Seemed a bit odd, intimidating even, to open the hotel room door and find it dark outside.

06:10. Just picked up. Driver asked if I was '109' (my room number). I am not a number etc..

Minibus lookd superficially the same as yesterday's. My heart genuinely sank a bit. But it's not, the seats lack the little quirks that so harmed the comfort yesterday. For a start there are seatbelts which ignoring any safety benefits may aid comfort if the roads are twisty. The seat also reaches all the way to the wall and has no stupid lumps.

19:10. Down at bar was at yesterday (Saraguato's). Just got back. Going to have one or two then pop back to my hotel and book accommodation in Oaxaca City for Sunday night onwards.

Will waffle about today later. Not a bad day but I am slightly knackered.

19:40. Radio is on here. Some Spanish language song is on but the music is decidedly reminiscent of "Whiter Shade of Pale", although it's clearly not a cover.

21:15. OK. Been back to the hotel, booked a hostel for Sun-Tue nights and left a few more photos uploading.

Bit hacked off as the camera apparently doesn't remember it has taken more than 10000 photos. Filenames include 4 digits and it indicates past that using different directories. With switching cards it seems to have got confused and rolled back the count. So my photos now no longer have unique filenames. This is no massive deal, even if it's annoying, but I need to be very careful about deleting things now.

Anyway, the trip. Sat next to a youngish Japanese woman on the bus out who was getting a transfer to Flores, Guatemala. The itinerary on the leaflet from the tour agency was bollocks but we did at least get everything in.

We stopped off for a half-decent buffet breakfast on the way. After we dropped that woman off at the border post, we (a largish group, although only two had travelled down with me - two women from Mexico City) got some boat down the Usmacinta river (which forms the border between Mexico and Guatemala at that point) for about half an hour to Yaxchilan. That was quite cool, though the boat seemed both rather fast and rather unstable and I didn't get a life jacket. But hell, there would be worse ways to go.

We then had a guided tour of Yaxchilan (MXN50 extra), which was fairly interesting, I got the gist of most of it though some of the details and a lot of the dates passed me by. What wasn't so cool was that we entered the site via some labyrinth about which the guide said (in Spanish, of course) "don't touch the walls as there are bats and spiders". Fan-fucking-tastic. Dark as hell in there, my phone providing no illumination. I was the last in the group. Of course everyone else was doddering along and the guide was talking and I'm stood there in the dark visualising a tarantula on the wall a few inches from my head. I didn't flip out but I came closer than I would like. I did see a few bats but fortunately no spiders. I mentioned how happy I was about this to one of those women from DF later on and she said there were some. But apparently they had small bodies and long legs making them maybe 3 inches in diameter. Which is frankly big enough, but not as bad as I had imagined. And I di
dn't see any, so they didn't exist. :-)

Rather hot and sweaty climbing up the pyramids etc but fairly cool.

There were loads of butterflies around, especially near the landing point. Big clumps of the things on the ground, almost like flies on a chunk of rotting meet. Also got to see some small pineapple bushes. I already knew they grew on bushes, but it was cool to see it with my own eyes.

We then got the boat back (a bit longer, as it was against the current, though I don't know how much longer). I got a lifejacket that time, which was enormously uncomfortable.

We seemed to pick up a few other people in our bus after lunch, when we went to Bonampak. An hour's guided tour there (another MXN50), which was also quite cool if not amazing. (Apparently back in the day you had to fly to visit it - they showed us the grass landing strip. I am not sure it would have been worth it, but it would have been much cooler).

We stopped off at the breakfast place for half an hour on the way back. Despite having had some chat with the two women from DF earlier I was surlily half-awake at this point (having drowsed fitfully on the bus as I was feeling knackered) and l loitered outside reading about Oaxaca in my guide book.

Those two women gave me a few tips, I may go to Montealban (sp) for a day trip from Oaxaca City, though it is not too clear there are decent tours. You can apparently walk it in an hour and a half so I may cab it out and walk back with GPS assistance. We will see

The bar I am at now has chairs that are so heavy they are practically immovable.

Vague plan for tomorrow is to leave everything at the hotel all day. I may go over to the ruins and buy a bottle of water etc there, but I am also keen not to get all sweaty when I have a 15h bus trip etc. So if I check out at 12 and have to get the bus at 5, I may just dine sumptuously and loiter around drinking coffee. Guess it depends how I feel tomorrow.

I don't know if the boat from Frontera Corozal to Yaxchilan was necessary or purely a little bit of extra entertainment.

Everywhere immediately visible round here looks pretty dead (I am near the hotel). I know it's a bit hotel-y but still, it's Friday night! Waiter just asked if I wanted anything else, I hope this is just over-solicitousness not 'drink up, you've been geeking out too long instead of swigging, and we're shutting'.

While at Yaxchilan, before we got to the labyrinth, someone pointed out what I thought she called an 'arañita'. I had to look. It was actually a very small frog (rana, I looked it up just after), so I guess she said 'ranita'.

(Earlier on we saw an incredibly squashed large-ish frog on some path. At first I thought 'that's a squashed frog', then I thought it was a dirty small plastic bag which looked a bit like a frog, then we established it was a squashed frog after all. I was amazed how well the shape had been retained. It was sufficiently old and/or squashed that it lacked the gory impact it might otherwise have had.)

22:30. Left there, they were dead and I knew from asking if I could get the second beer they shut at 11. Down at El Huachinango Feliz (I infer a huachinango is a fish of some kind from the logo) next door now. Far from lively but there are a couple of tables occupied so it seems a better bet. I am not out for a session but given I am probably not aiming to check out before 12 I wouldn't mind a few relaxed ones. I suspect I may struggle and/or have to hop around the bars near the hotel but we shall see.

My electronic dictionary says it is a Mexican word for 'red snapper'. Quite impressed it knew.

The guide at Yaxchilan said we should ask if we had any questions and that maybe his Spanish wasn't great as he only used it for work, as he spoke some local language the rest of the time. He seemed pretty damn fluent all the same. He was chatting away with the two women from DF on the boat back. (I couldn't keep up and unless re-invited back into the conversation contented myself with staring around.)

I think I was the only native English speaker on the tour, though there were two or three French women (judging partly from overhearing but mostly from catching a glimpse of their guide book). It's odd, I have heard quite a few Americans at one or two of the bars near the hotel. Maybe they just aren't doing these tours.

It appears that in this part of Mexico 'michelada' means what I originally thought it did, i.e. a michelada cubana.

Those women earlier sort of implied they expected me to be flying to Oaxaca City. I suspect I could have, and maybe it would have been a smarter use of time, but somehow it seems oddly more appealing to take buses when I can.

Oh, I half got the impression they had hired a car to go somewhere tomorrow and invited me to join them. Putting aside any worries about having to be back in time to pick my bags up and get the bus at 5, I might have accepted, but I simply wasn't that clear they were offering and felt it would be awkward to accept (or to decline overly explicitly, so I hope I didn't seem rude by not saying the equivalent of 'thanks a lot, but no') in case I had the wrong end of the stick.

For the record, especially as I haven't said anything bad about it yet, I am staying at Hotel Chablis. Oh, no response - not even a token fobbing off - from hostelworld about the rip off at Chichen Itza yet. If I don't at least get fobbed off in the next few days I may resubmit my whinge. It was a real fucker. In the meantime I shall delude myself they are talking to the hotel to get their version of the facts prior to reimbursing me. :-)

23:00. They seem to be showing a Hellboy film on the screens in the bar. I have never seen any of them but I recognise the main character from tube ads. Just got another beer here.

Just popped in for a slash. Both urinals have a 'soap on a wire' dangling in mid-air over the bowl. I find that rather odd, what on earth is the point?

Was a small (two inch) lizard on the wall under a lamp. I thought it might be plastic until it moved. They're cool though. I gather they eat spiders. :-)

A couple just turned up and seem to have ordered food. So I might hope I won't be turfed out too soon. I do find it hard to believe these places get enough custom to remain open at this time of year though, given how quiet everywhere seems.

Am strongly inclining towards just pottering around the town tomorrow. I may see if the guide book can offer me a museum or similar, but in any case I'm realistically looking at killing four hours tops (check out at midday, back at the hotel 4ish to go to the bus terminal for the bus at 5), I haven't yet actually stepped into the main square (I never got closer than the side nearest my hotel, for whatever reason) or taken any photos of the town and I did already do the ruins pretty thoroughly. They would be worth seeing again but probably not worth the hassle and sweat of seeing them on a day when I have no hotel to return to afterwards.

As we were approaching the ruins at Bonampak a small grasshopper jumped up onto my hand. I may not be the tallest guy in the world but I thought that was pretty impressive. I mean, I was moving at the time. It remained there passively while I fumbled for the camera with my other hand to take a picture, then spontaneously jumped off shortly afterwards. I swear I could almost feel the impulse as it jumped off.

Apparently you can buy grasshoppers (chapulines if memory serves) as snack food in Oaxaca. I may see if I can give that a try. What I always struggle to overcome with these kind of things is not so much fear of the food as some stupid idea the vendor will set me down as a stupid adventure-seeking tourist. Well, I am, so sod it. Though to be fair I also don't like to eat at street stalls generally not because of fears of poor hygiene but because they seem so much more linguistically intimidating that restaurants. The purchase is more compressed and I am scared because the vendor presumably doesn't want to be wasting time with a linguistically challenged tourist when he has other people to serve.

The apparently dining couple have disappeared. Oh well.

23:30. Waiter just said they are closing. Sigh. Asked for the bill. This feels UKish. Priceyish bar across street I went to the other night looks populated so will go there I think.

Pricey bar/restaurant across road is practically heaving. Charge 'em high and stack 'em deep.

Having had breakfast and lunch I haven't dined tonight. I think I may call in at Cafe de Yara (v near main square) tomorrow for bistec a la mexicana without tomatoes (but with chili). Having had bistec a la mexicana at the falls the other day, I suspect that's what they left out as a result of the sauce confusion. It was certainly edible with the tomatoes but they did to my mind rather overpower things. I don't dislike tomatoes, but they're better in moderation.

Maybe as it's busier they do have their own background music tonight (this is the place I commented on the music from other places). Very low key. The place seems just a touch too genteel somehow. But it's a beer and what can you do?

A shame I will totally miss the weekend in Oaxaca City but with the 15h bus trip I would only have got Saturday night in even had I not stayed here an extra day. My hostel has totally mixed reviews but I gather it may be a little social, I shall hope I can meet people there and that my loathing of smug young things either doesn't come to the fore or can be suppressed. :-)

Oddly enough (to me), judging both from appearances and the conversational buzz, the clientele here are predominantly Mexican, and certainly not American. I suppose Mexicans are just as liable to choose expensive busy places over cheap empty places as anyone else. (I am continually reminded on the trip of the truism that 'no one wants to eat in an empty restaurant'. In my case it's perhaps a bit unusual in that I fear they are not open or that if they are the staff will resent my presence when they could otherwise shut, but still. This is mainly a lunchtime or early evening observation on my part, nothing to do with late drinking.)

I have seen more people with hand-held fans the last few days than I would ever have expected to do outside a Jane Austen appreciation society convention. I suspect they are practical - I know fanning myself with my baseball cap does no good - but it is a little odd.

Yeah, I could probably eat now but I am not that hungry. That meal tomorrow really appeals. Especially if the frijoles negros are warm. Which may just have been luck. I got some with my lunch today but they were cold so I had a couple of forkfuls and left them. I suspect Mexicans don't care or even prefer them cold, given my experience of frijoles, but I'll take them warm or leave them. And if they could manage a bit of bread with pico de gallo beforehand, that would be splendid. Something to aspire to when I drag myself out of bed at 11.

00:15. Emptied enormously. Me and one other group here.

Just asked if I could get another and got an incomprehensible answer which I infer to mean no. I will sit here a couple of minutes and see if a beer or the bill turns up but I expect the former won't and I will have to ask for the latter. Pretty shit. Just got the bill without asking actually. I wasn't going to push it but this bites so much I may have a brief wander.

00:25. One fairly wanky if busy bar in the area open. Having a Corona and feeling pretty crap. Oh well.

Oddly, videos playing are "Don't you want me baby" and "A little respect" (Erasure), tho they have a DJ with a laptop playing tolerable but rhythm heavy stuff. Why do that? Still, it's not as if we don't do it in the UK too. Makes no sense there either.

Probably the cheapest beer I've had here. MXN15 for a Corona, though due to feeling lost as fuck I told the guy to keep the change from a 20.

Video for 'Blue Monday' now. I can accept what the DJ is playing but I'd rather have the soundtrack to the video.

00:50. Just asked if I can get a michelada here. Waiter asked half litre or litre. Turns out is 50 for a litre so ordered that. I hope I don't regret it. But I think reception is 24h, I am not that drunk and I don't need to be up before 11 even if I pack tomorrow morning. Will pay 60 with tip, it's still reasonable. Even if my behaviour isn't.

Just got it in one massive plastic glass. I half expected a litre bottle and a small glass. Oh well. Will pop for a piss and hope it's still here on my return.

It was. The beer mat (!) here advertises 'Modelo Chope'. I wonder if 'chope' is like 'chopp'.

This oversized michelada has a sort of purple (insofar as I can judge colours in this light) slime round the rim instead of salt. But it tastes OK so who cares? Odd all the same.

02:55. Waffle to come but am writing this outside hotel struggling to get in. Thank fk am not off my face tho am clearly drunk. Some radio noise in the distance suddenly implies human activity. Yet no obvious letting me in activity. There is always the bankers solution yet I don't want to be forced to it and don't feel I should need it.

For fuck's sake. A few more minutes and I will throw dignity to the wind and start rattling the gate and screaming my head off. If they have a curfew they should damn well advertise it.

To think I left "Stairway to Heaven" playing

Fuck. Some security guard finally turned up. I got my keys then fell down the fucking steps on the way to the room about half a second before they turned the light on. I may be a little pissed but I am nowhere that pissed. I am sure they think otherwise. Fucking hell. My right arm (having fallen on it) hurts like a bastard. I am not sober but I am writing this without continual deletions. What a load of shit.

Anyway, to be brief, shortly after last entry some guy chatted to me and invited me to join his group. Ended up most speaking to one guy next to me. I was enormously taken advantage of, although at least I was fully aware of it. Huge numbers of fags scrounged and I bought a cylinder of beer for MXN200 and a beer on top of that for the guy who was talking to me most. No signs of any reciprocity. Still, as I say, I was aware of it and I did sort of get to mingle with mostly locals and it cost me maybe 30 quid tops, probably less. I could have walked away but I didn't feel that inclined. Lots of Pink Floyd later on, just as I left I was crooning to "Wish you were here" then feeling I'd had enough I left as "Stairway" came on.

That was at least consensual. Not happy about taking so long to get into the hotel nor falling down that step. If I was blind drunk it would be fair play but as it was the fuckers are at fault. No doubt they will reminisce about the drunk gringo for a while but as far as I am concerned the fault there is entirely theirs.

Probably shouldn't have stayed out but it was cool to be (very) loosely part of a group and with a bit of the Floyd I couldn't resist. As I say I was well aware I was being exploited but I contained it to an acceptable amount. Hell, it's cheaper than some of my sponging friends in London. (They know who they are. Cunts.) Very hacked off about falling down that step at the hotel though.

Anyway. Life continually surprises us. Of all the ends to tonight I envisaged I didn't see that one coming.

Palenque, Thursday

10:40. Got up OK if a bit reluctantly. The alarm call was indeed a knock on the door.

Nearly broke. I have two 500 notes and about 80 pesos in smaller coins and notes. Fuck. I may well not be able to pass the 500s at the small shops we will visit today. Not to mention the fact that entrance fees are clearly not included and I had to pay 20 to get in here.

I should have used a 500 last night to buy the last lot of drinks but I didn't have one in my wallet so I just used the last two 100 notes.

About six of us on the tour I think. No, seven including me.

We are at Misol-ha now, I am (was) waiting for the others to get back to the bus.

Huge shortage of photo space , I am having to restrain myself (and will no doubt end up having overdone it). May go on an uploading binge tonight now I can leave the laptop on in my room overnight with a wi-fi connection.

12:30. At Agua Azul. Hot. Sweaty. Having lunch in one of the several thousand near deserted restaurants by the path.

Misol-ha was pretty cool. This less so, though it does have some appeal. The water clearly descends a long way, judging from the effort and time to walk up to what I take is the top (the restaurants, food and souvenir stalls peter out), but it seems to do it via a series of smallish falls. Some are moderately impressive but (especially towards the top) it almost felt like it wasn't worth the effort of ascending. The more impressive bits are lower down, and while not bad, they aren't stunning.

There's a sort of lookout near the top and don't get me wrong, the view is not bad, but you don't really seem to get a sense of the scale of the series of falls from there either.

The water is not blue either. It's a very muddy brown. Half memories of my guide book suggest this may be due to the season.

There is a sign saying you should only swim in the area near the car park. There seem to be about five kids in there. I haven't seen anyone else in the water, though I did see tourists on the path in towels higher up implying they had an illicit (and probably stupid) swim somewhere up there. I'm not going in. Hot springs yes, some interesting pool at the base of a waterfall yes (not done this, but if I'd known I could have at Iguazu Falls), some frankly boring river by the car park where there just happen to be some moderately impressive waterfalls nearby? No thanks. It's not like I can actually swim anyway. (I could use the verb 'bathe' which would probably be more accurate, but it has a horribly Victorian quality.)

I hope I'm not in a bad mood. I wasn't too chuffed when we turned up because it seemed a bit undirected and 'where do I go?' but I don't think I'm being overly unfair in my descriptions.

We got here about 11:45 and are leaving at 2:15. God knows why quite so much time - I can only assume it's to allow for us to buy lunch or to go swimming. But unless I am totally missing something, it's not just me who seems disinclined to bother with the latter. (The place as a whole is not heaving with tourists but is far from deserted, so I might have expected to see more of them in the water.)

Oh, I asked if they could change my 500 and they said they could. So even if the food sucks at least I will get some more easily spendable cash.

13:45. Having a bit of a wander (though not up to the top), now that I'm not rushing to make sure I don't miss anything and not so worried about food, I may have been a bit harsh earlier. Two or three of the lower falls are fairly impressive.

14:50. We stopped at side of road apparently to let one woman off to get a bus to San Cristobal. We seem to have been sat her 10-15 mins now. I keep microsleeping.

Hm, a bus just turned up. Maybe she was waiting for it with our driver. (It on other side of bus to me, so I couldn't see her stood there, I am inferring.)

16:30. Back at Cafe de Yara. I happen to observe from the bilingual menu 'aguacate' is avocado. That could have caught me out another time. I thought 'palta' was avocado.

Got dropped off in the middle of town 'somewhere'. Stumbled across another tour operator whose blurb about the trip I want to do was suspiciously similar to that of the guys I bought the tour from today. I suspect they are all just reselling. I booked via the new guys, incidentally saving myself MXN50 (550 vs 600).

We just didn't go to one of the waterfalls advertised. Digging the leaflet out, Agua Clara. We left Agua Azul at 2:15 and got back here about 4.

Journey back shit. Roads are twisty as hell, which I noticed on the way out, but I had changed seat (for the better I thought) when that woman got out. No. Tho I suspect old seat was no better. No horizontal support so continually bracing myself against floor or leaning on my arm against the wall (not an option in my old seat). Seat had clearly intentional 'lumps' in the cushion to divide it into three (four?) parts. Three or four six year olds maybe. We weren't cramped, but the damn lump forced me to sit right at one end. The seat didn't quite reach the wall so I felt I was sitting half off the thing.

So tho I doubt it makes a difference due to my reseller hypothesis, that (especially simply missing out one of the three) is why I wasn't overly desperate to go back to the guys who sold me today's tour.

Ended up going completely the wrong way after buying the ticket, vague plan was to go back to hotel maybe via bus station to buy a tkt for day after tomorrow. Since I came the wrong way it was convenient to stop in here for a beer or two. I just may eat here but probably not, simply as I ate relatively recently.

20:25. Down restaurant near hotel. Left some more photos uploading to my PC at home, had to hang around a bit while first lot finished. (I could be lots cleverer, but my current "I trust it to work without much risk of losing stuff" method means I need enough space on the laptop for each batch I transfer, so I couldn't simply kick an enormous transfer off earlier.)

Spoke to reception, apart from them thinking my reservation was with expedia (apparently that's the same as hotels.com - not that I care, I went with them as wego made them out cheapest for this place), that's fine, I can keep my room.

I noted a little printed ad at reception for tours. For the one I did today for MXN120 (theirs is directly comparable as it doesn't even offer the waterfall we missed out), they want MXN290. And for the one I am doing tomorrow for 550 they want 895. They also advertise 'min X persons required' (presumably for the smallish hotel as a whole, rather than you needing a group that big to book). Maybe their tours are a bit nicer, but I suspect they're just reselling the same ones at an even bigger profit than everyone else.

20:45. Just eaten. Steak and chips. Would have been excellent (even the vegetables were good, and they gave me bread and pico de gallo) except the steak was incredibly tough. Oh well. Cheapish all the same.

Just ordered a beer. Need to be careful with the 6am start but it's not that late yet.

Pretty comfortable out tonight, though a nearby fan may be helping matters.

Music here is fairly pleasant in a way I shouldn't admit to liking. Sort of vaguely 70s classic mellow pop/rock (not exclusively, there was a female - Whitney Houston?? - cover version of 'Without You'.). Two youngish women here earlier and one had to tell the other the song playing was "Hotel California" by The Eagles. Young people today, eh? :-)

Am here on my own at present. If I can get another I will - I mean, it's not late in absolute terms - then maybe make a move.

21:45. Just got the bill. Seems a bit early but I am kind of pushing it as it is.

Palenque, Wednesday

16:00. Fuck it's hot here. After my much needed shower and change I had a bit of a think and popped out to book up for a tour of three nearby-ish waterfalls tomorrow. I may do a tour to some slightly remote Mayan ruins the day after, but that will mean extending my stay by a night and I want to think it over a bit first. Looks like it's 15h to Oaxaca City and the only (?) bus leaves at 5:30pm. Too early to do it after the tours (even if I had done them the other way round).

Wandered round a bit to see the place and maybe find a hairdresser and was getting so hot I couldn't resist stopping off for a beer. I need to be up earlyish (9am pickup at the hotle) and I didn't get much sleep last night on the bus so I guess I have kind of rotated my day round a little.

I do need to try to upload some more photos to the web and to my PC at home to free up space on camera memory cards tonight.

I am going to have a quietish drink and read "Round the world in 80 days" and then I will blabber about the ruins and so forth.

17:00. I will waffle generally and probably come on to the ruins. Hell, let me just waffle.

I am feeling oddly guilty, even though I behaved with an almost unprecedented if slightly bungling efficiency about seeing the ruins this morning. I mean, I was there at 9am, albeit in a foul temper, normally I wouldn't even be conscious then. I think the bus (just the lack of sleep and so forth) didn't help.

I have this lingering and totally unjustified feeling I am resented here. I think it's some mixed up ideas in my head from the guide book about Zapatistas and some vague notions that indeed things probably did suck down in this part of Mexico after independence more than elsewhere (qv my comments on the murals the other day). Everyone has been perfectly pleasant, though probably due to being rather off-balance all morning I have had enormous difficulties with understanding what people have said to me. (I half wonder if this is the distinct local accent Zheyla warned me about, though it probably isn't,) I have a feeling I was unintentionally brusque when collecting my bag and checking into the hotel properly at 1:50ish, when in reality I was just knackered and hot and sweaty and off-balance.

I have some vague idea there is a small group at least of people down here who don't really like the idea of being part of Mexico. Not that it's relevant, after all I'd still be a foreign tourist whatever. In some way any possible "we don't want to be Mexicans" attitude here is a non-issue for me, it would maybe be worse if I was Mexican. Just part of all these half-baked ideas and guide book fragments running through my head.

I also had, in that 'half awake and feeling shit' phase on the bus, some vague memories of reading warnings about Chiapas on the F&CO web site. (And yes, I know that's the state, but hell, I am in that state.) Also some idea, possibly not from there, about Zapatistas kidnapping ecotourists. Not that I am an ecotourist, but would they know? I then found myself muzzily debating the ethics of ecotourism in my head with a hypothetical kidnapper. (I mean, stereotypically I have this unfair idea they're a big smugly tree-hugging. But even were that true, how are they worse than regular tourists?) Man, I sometimes wish I was one of those people who just snaps fully awake.

I kept telling myself it's not like I came here against active advice. The two waiters in Merida didn't suck their teeth when I said I was going to Palenque, and the Belgian guy said he had lived in Chiapas for two years and had no problems. Anecdotal sure, but still.

The problem with the ruins, apart from being fresh off the bus, or rather decidedly un-fresh off the bus, was that since I had no chance to repack to just take a bottle of water and the guide book in my back pack (not having a room to dump stuff in, and even had I wanted to do it in reception, it would have been a struggle to put all the unwanted items in the bulging suitcase), I had a choice between putting it in storage at the hotel and lugging my fleece (round my waist), bulky guide book and bottle of water around separately, or taking it as it was. I chose the latter. So I found myself trekking round the site with such essential items as a kilo of Panamanian coffee, folders containing various travel documents, my mobile phone charger, a small novel and three or four back numbers of the Economist, on top of the expected stuff. Consequently the backpack both weighed a ton and was stuffed to bursting point, both of which made wearing it uncomfortable as hell and not to put too fine
a point on it you could have wrung sweat out of the back of my shirt. (It was probably stuffed similarly, if not quite as bulkily, on the Isla del Sol walk, but at least then I knew I was lugging the stuff round for a reason.)

And of course, while in general it's a pleasant change from Chichen Itza, you are allowed to climb up the majority of the temples and such like at the Palenque ruins, adding to the inconvenience of the bulk and weight.

(It was at least moderately cool due to being there relatively early in the day, though still warm.)

I started off in a foul temper but just about got a grip on myself, aided by the fact that the ruins are very cool and I think frankly a lot more impressive from a completely tourist point of view than Chichen Itza, for all that the latter is more famous.

I think I saw everything pretty well, but I can't deny there was a continual undercurrent of "hmm, is it late enough to get into my hotel room yet?" and "well this is cool but I am sick of lugging this back pack around and still have to get all the way back into town and then to the hotel and then collect my suitcase and I'm a bit hungry too". I really don't think I skimped and I think I did see all I could, but maybe that in part makes me feel guilty just in case I didn't, or if I could have appreciated it a bit more in better circumstances.

I got a cab over there from the hotel (MXN70) and got a collectivo back (MXN10) to the bus terminal, where I had that just passable fried chicken and chips and then got a cab (MXN20) back to the hotel.

Then although there was no way I could have done anything else this afternoon, it is irrationally annoying that I may want to stay here an extra night to give myself time to do both the waterfalls and the other not-so-close ruins (the latter being a 6am-7pm tour). It's not something I could work round, but the fact that the Oaxaca bus goes at 5:30pm means I am likely to 'waste' most of a fourth day here, as I can't see much to do on that fourth day. Even the waterfall tour finishes at 4pm, which would be pushing it even if I hadn't ruled out doing that on Friday instead of Thursday. I will need to take the backpack with me and will be arriving back with wet towels and stuff and that isn't compatible with being able to just pick up my suitcase at 4pm and jump on the bus for 15h.

I booked the waterfall tour tomorrow as if I can't or decide not to extend my stay here by an extra night, I would much rather see those than the other Inca ruins. Don't get me wrong, Chichen Itza and the Palenque ruins are both cool, but another day (and a long one at that) haring around after ruins might tip me over the edge without something different in between.

Really I should relax. It's not as though I have a tight schedule or anything - of course I don't have all the time in the world, but I also have no fixed plans to squeeze in.

It would be nice if I could go somewhere at say 10am on the day I leave (be that Friday or Saturday), but except for possibly San Cristobal I am not sure there's anywhere in vaguely the right direction of major interest. And while San Cristobal might be cool, I am not that keen to use up one or two more days/nights so close to here. (As I have said before, conceptually it's good to save some stuff for a subsequent trip, and I do vaguely want to move on to a slightly different region.)

It of course occurs to me that if I am stuck here for most of Saturday (or Friday, if I don't stay and do the other ruins tour) I could go back to the Palenque ruins for lack of anything better to do. But I both feel it's a bit unnecessary and although I could repack slightly, the fact I'd be doing it after checking out of the hotel while leaving my suitcase in storage until I get the bus would effectively make the encumbrance situation nearly as bad as today.

I just need to relax and remember this is supposed to be fun. I think the largely wasted day pre-bus is the big annoyance. But I guess it can't be helped, unless I decide to put in at least one night in San Cristobal.

The only SC bus I know of leaves at 7am, though I suspect there are others (it's only a few hours away if memory serves). I suppose in principle I could get that on the 'wasted' morning, leave my bags in left luggage somewhere and then get a Oaxaca-bound bus that night. But that seems sucky from a personal comfort level, and if I am going to visit San Cristobal I should probably give it more than just a few (well, maybe 10, I don't know) uncomfortable and rushed hours between buses. Better not to go (and sort of 'spoil' it as a potential visit on a subsequent trip) than to do that I think.

I guess I need to see if I can extend my stay here by a night anyway. That seems fairly reasonable whatever if I suppress my irrational urge to clock up miles. I kind of need to be at the same hotel to avoid enormous inconvenience, but I will see if I can make a separate on-line booking for the extra night (Friday, if I am not getting confused) tonight. I'd rather not ask at reception if I can help it as I suspect they'll charge me the rack rate.

It is at least nice to have shedloads of tour companies offering these excursions. It's kind of cool to do thse things under your own steam, but at the same time the stress is greater (e.g., on both counts, Los Pozos de Caldera).

17:55. Just seen a crudely emblazoned 'driving school' VW Beetle go past. I must have seen learner drivers elsewhere on the trip but right now that feels like a first.

18:00. Just ordered food here. I didn't eat too heartily earlier and although I am feeling more chilled (no doubt the four beers have helped), it would be nice to get the J K Jerome effect to kick in fully. :-)

Slightly weird conversation with the waitress as I try to convey I don't want any sauce with my steak but onions and tomatos are fine as long as they are not the constituents of some sauce. Fingers crossed. (And hey, check my bad Spanish out! I'm not one of your Mexican oppressors! :-) I hope that joke isn't in poor taste, I mean it only in the light of my half-baked doubts earlier.)

It's not unbearably hot here under cover but it is warm. What actually bugs me most is the way my hands get all sweaty and sticky. It sucks elsewhere on my body, but there's something about sweaty hands that grates particularly.

Waitress just asked if I wanted it 'con o sin chile'. I said con, assuming this means fried or grilled green chilis. I didn't try to clarify that, I think we've both had enough. :-) I will take my chances.

I suspect it isn't that much hotter or more humid here than it was in Merida, though maybe it is. I guess it will be interesting to see what it's like at night.

18:30. Well apart from the fact the waitress took my not-quite-finished beer away, the bistec a la mexicana was excellent and the portion just left me pleasantly stuffed. Small chunks of steak (probably) fried with onions and peppers. Even a big dollop of some thick brown stuff on the side of the plate was nice, I wonder what it was. I might suspect frijoles, but they are normally lighter, runnier and (the big appetite killer for me) stone cold. I suspect the latter may not be officially how they are supposed to be served, though it may be, but in practice it seems to be the case.

I just asked the waiter who cleared away. He said they were 'beans' (in English) but I pursued the matter and I gather they were 'frijoles negros'. Useful to know, that. I suspect not being served stone cold is still dependent on the restaurant... (I have also, ever since a memorable meal one Xmas with the Barcap PB team, been unable to totally forget someone's description of the lighter-coloured runnier frijoles as 'like cat sick'. Not a big deal but it never makes them seem any more appetising.)

18:45. Just ordered another beer. Will probably go after this, I need to see if I can extract the wi-fi password from reception, see about booking that extra night and then try to shunt a few photos back to my PC in Skegness to free up some space for photos tomorrow. I may be weak and pop back out to a bar nearer the hotel later (especially if I can leave the laptop uploading stuff) but for now probably best not to be out too much longer.

21:00. Just come back out to Restaurante Maya Cañada practically next to my hotel. Instrumental recorded pseudo-jazz doing that "perhaps, perhaps, perhaps" song. Still, it's a beer and it's convenient and though MXN45 for a michelada isn't cheap, it's no worse than that expensiveish bar in Merida.

Uploaded some more photos to flickr, left some others going and also left an upload going to my PC back in Skegness so I can hopefully free up some camera card space.

Booked OK for the same hotel for Friday night. I will talk to reception tomorrow to confirm I can keep the same room. (Bit of a bugger if I can't, but I can't see why it should be a problem. It's a bog standard room AFAICT and it saves them an 'intensive' between-guests clean.) I need to book up for the Friday 6am tour tomorrow sometime but I suspect all the tours are the same, so there's no reason not to use the same company I am doing the waterfalls with, and that they will make it easy for me to book. Failing that we are due back at 4:30ish so I should have time to pop in somewhere and book, I doubt these tourism businesses all shut dead on 5 anyway, and there are loads of them. (I went with the one I did mainly because they are next to the bus terminal, flyered me and then they are at least shown on the map in my guide book, which I take as at least a slight nod of approval.)

It is a bit cooler but still a little clammy. I may be deluding myself but I think - possibly just luck rather than innate climate - the nights in Merida were pleasanter.

Slightly concerned my wafflings above may be offensive, but I am inclined to say sod it. Firstly, no one who is likely to be offended will ever read this, most likely. Secondly, I haven't been deliberately offensive to anyone and I don't see why I shouldn't scribble down my random thoughts without self-censoring. It's not like I'm claiming to speak from any detailed informed position. Most of it is about my barely awake meanderings.

Did feel just slightly self-consciously drunk as I walked back earlier. A bit odd coming on like that.

I feel a certain ill-defined dissatisfaction, even though I seem to have got a few things sorted out. Ah well.

21:35. This michelada isn't hitting the spot. Maybe it's me or maybe it's the drink. Might as well switch to a simple and cheaper bottle for the next one.

It occurs to me that maybe I am feeling oddly dissatisfied just because I'm a bit tired. I am not obviously tired but now I think about it I can sort of feel I am.

22:05. Will have one more at least.

It occurs to me that my muddled impressions earlier may in some part indicate (not to be too wanky) a certain powerful impression from those murals the other day. Though I think without the accompanying text they would have made a far less significant impression.

Fair amount of mingled if quietish musical noise from nearby bars/hotels. There are quite a number of them round here.

23:05. Smooth jazz saxophone versions of "My Way" and "Two for Tea" emerging from the distance. I think that captures the slightly naff elegance the area is giving off. Not that it's unpleasant by any means, but just for atmosphere. (This bar seems to lack music of its own. Probably for the best as it would just clash irritatingly.)

A little stupidly I may have one more then go. I have a few preparations to make for tomorrow but I'm sure it's all good.

23:30. Just asked for the bill. Feel a little drunk but not much, more bloated than anything. Will ask for an alarm call at 8:30 just in case I am inclined to oversleep after last night but I think it will be OK. I will probably drowse on the bus whether I want to or not...

00:50. Ended up having a minor surf. Must force myself to bed. Asked for an alarm call but there is no phone. The guy seemed to agree slightly oddly so I suspect my request will be translated into a knock at the door.

Bus Merida-Palenque

Tue 23:55. Left ankle itching like a bastard all of a sudden. I have so many red lumps round there I can't believe they are all bites. Oh well.

01:00. No obligatory film but they are playing music. FFS. It's a night bus. The seat headrest also seems perfectly designed to be giving me literal pains in the neck.

I mean, it's OK I suppose but it all just seems shitter than it should be.

02:15. Driver just made some incomprehensible announcement over speakers. I gather we are at some terminal. Not Palenque I guess. Still, kudos for actually having announcements.

Feel a bit sleepy but my neck hurts and I can't quite drift off. Am reading too. No big deal.

02:30. Joy. Still here. Some guy just got on and sat next to me. Not his fault of course but still annoying.

06:50. Slept a bit. Feel shit. Don't want to arrive. We just stopped at Zapata (?). Guy next to me got off. Daylight and has been since I woke and tried to pretend to myself I hadn't. Fairly stunningly greenish view pulling into the terminal here.

Dashboard clearly lies about temps, didn't change all night.

We stopped somewhere maybe 4am but as it's boring and I was trying to go to sleep I didn't make a note.

13:10. Done the ruins. Room not ready for another 20 mins. Getting something to eat at small awkward restaurant which lists 'half chicken & chips' on the menu then won't let you order it (probably it's take-away only). I ordered fried chicken & chips. I am not being picky right now.

I wonder if they are two distinct restaurants which merely confusingly run into one another. Sod it. I don't care. I'm hungry and then I want to go and have a damn shower. Thanks not not being able to 'unpack', I had to choose between leaving my

13:50. Food arrived. Just got into my room. Shower now, waffle later...

Merida, Tuesday

00:45. There is a moderate sized ant crawling round the room. I thought it was a smallish (small enough for me to not just kill it on sight) spider at first, but closer examination revealed the truth. No big deal but hell, by the standards of this blog it's an exciting event. Really to bed anyway. I have left the door open with just the mosquito screen door shut with the fan sucking air from there blowing towards the window. The second guy I saw this morning recommended it and who am I to argue. Not that it was too hot last night but still. If anyone is sufficiently lacking excitement in their life to want to peer at my drowsing form underneath the sheets through the door tomorrow morning they can fill their boots. I guess there will be a dodgy few seconds when I first get up and am on view in all my natural glory, or lack thereof, but that's a risk they will have to take. :-)

12:05. Checked out on time, was awake from 10ish and was in bed relatively awake. I almost didn't rush as I won't be sleeping in a bed again til tomorrow night. :-)

They have charged me MXN30 for a locker to leave the suitcase in, the backpack didn't fit in as well but they offered to keep that behind the reception desk. This locker charge seems a little cheeky but it can be just about justified in a low budget place. The guy did say (if I understood correctly) I could use the hostel facilities today, not that I particularly expect to, but it may be nice to check my e-mail when I go pick the cases up.

Having lunch now and then will probably see if I can see those murals in the government building.

I need to read the guide book a bit on the bus tonight so I have at least a vague idea what I am going to do tomorrow once I drop the bags off at the hotel.

12:40. Steak not brilliant but OK. First time in ages I have been given pico de gallo with the bread, I think, which was nice.

17:30. Back at the bar I was at last night on the plaza grande. Owner (?) oddly beckoned me over to the table he is sitting at and we have just had a bit of a chat (in English). I had a vague suspicion he was trying to sell me souvenirs but I think not.

Went to see the murals at the government building on plaza grande. Quite cool although - maybe it was more the accompanying text than the murals themselves - they seem rather bitter. Maybe things sucked more in Yucatan than elsewhere. But still.

One was supposed to depict English pirates attacking the area, but it was extremely washed out and hard to make out.

I took photos of all the exterior ones out of a silly sense of completeness, but not the ones in the 'gallery'. Maybe I just have simple tastes but my favourite was definitely the eagle & serpent one.

After that I wandered round and found myself passing Museo Pinacoteca Juan Gamboa Guzmán so I figured I'd go in. It was essentially paintings and sculptures, moderately interesting but not amazing.

I then walked a long and hot 12 blocks west to Parque Centenario. I have to say it was just a little bit tatty and what with the slightly feeble children's rides and so forth it had just a touch of Skegness seafront on a bad day about it. But I suppose there was a certain delapidated appeal to it. And a less misanthropic person might find it more cheerful at say a weekend when it's probably heaving with families. (There were a moderate number of people there today, though it was by no means heaving.) There is a free (!) zoo in there which I went round. That was childishly enjoyable (watching the monkeys, marvelling at the sheer size of the giraffe, etc - I can't remember the last time I went to a zoo, I may actually have been a child (albeit probably a rather serious one, perhaps more serious than I am now) the last time, though I can't quite believe it was that long ago) although some of the enclosures seemed a bit basic. (The giraffe, for instance, seemed to be in a dirt-floored pe
n, admittedly a relatively large pen, which it shared with a couple of ostriches. Absolutely no vegetation or anything else, as far as I could tell. And there was a jaguar - I think - which I watched walk round in circles in the corner of its cage for at least 30 seconds continuously (I was filming it, so I know how long it was). Maybe that's normal behaviour for jaguars for all I know. All a bit guilt-inducing.)

The guy I took to be the owner isn't but is clearly some 'senior waiter'. He's local (as in, from Merida, not just Mexican). The more junior waiter chap is actually Belgian but is married to a Mexican. Both speak pretty good English.

They tell me there is a Pakistani-American computer programmer staying at the same hostel I was at who did what I did (quit his job to take some time off travelling).

Oh, while telling me all the 'local' handicrafts on sale in the street and the nearby market (I haven't been there) are made by Chinese not Maya (this seems vaguely racist, I think he means local Chinese not that the goods are imported from some factory in China, though I suppose it's fair in a way if you go for all this 'local Maya trace their ancestry back' stuff and local cultural pride relating to that which seems very much in vogue here, I really don't care that much and frankly don't want to get involved even in my own mind in a debate on the political correctness of it all, I will just say there seems a certain inherent contradiction in the whole business) I asked him about the cigar sellers. He says they are Mexican-made (in Vera Cruz, apparently) but stamped 'made in Cuba'. I didn't ask him if Mexican tobacco isn't supposed to be as good as Cuban. :-)

(It's not related except that it triggered my memory, but if I didn't mention it at the time, if memory serves the guy on the plantation tour in David told me Mexico is one of the largest coffee producers in the world. I didn't know that.)

Oh, I saw two cheapish hairdressers/barbers today but couldn't avail myself of them. I am much better than I used to be, but the worry that I'd end up with irritating cut hairs inside my clothing and be unable to take a shower or change until tomorrow evening seemed a bad risk.

Oh, they are putting salt on the rim tonight. Must just have been a quirk last night.

20:15. Wasn't that hungry but felt I should eat something and it also reduces the risk of being drunk by the time I come to get the bus, so I just had 'sopa de lima' here. Not bad. The hostel is a five minute walk up the road and they should be able to call me a cab to the terminal.

I have to be there by 23:30 tho the bus doesn't go til 23:55. I told the hostel I would pick my bags up about 10, that may be a bit early but it's a rough goal to aim for. I can stay here another hour and a half without much risk of getting drunk (there is a toilet on the bus anyway, I asked) and even if I end up hanging around at the terminal for an hour and a half (probably more like an hour) it's not the end of the world, it's better than flight pre-waiting and I can have a flick through the guide book re Paleqnue rather than doing it on the bus.

Feeling a bit jittery, I guess it's just the usual pre-travel stuff. It will at least be good to cover a moderately serious distance after my relatively slow progress from Cancun, even if speed of travel isn't really supposed to be a goal. As it is I missed potentially cool stuff anyway (Tulum, Uxmal) but you can't see everything and I guess it's good to have some stuff to come back for.

Had a quick look at my e-mails on my phone, pleasantly surprised to hear from Rus despite me having neglected our correspondence in a way that the word 'shameful' doesn't begin to describe.

21:50. Going to have one more before I go. There is plenty of time, I hope I don't regret it but while I don't want to rush I also don't want to be at the terminal too early if I can help it.

22:45. At bus terminal. No major hitches although the hostel phone was out of order (!) so I had to get a taxi in the street. But I got one immediately and it was only MXN20.

Went to luggage check-in counter at terminal and eventually a guy turned up. Turns out my bus is coming from Cancun (I already know this) and therefore I just take my luggage to the bus (which is not unexpected in general, but why some buses let you hand in your luggage airport style and others don't escapes me).

Looking on the bright side, this avoids the at least theoretical possibility of them weighing my suitcase (there is a scale forming part of the counter at the luggage check in desk), finding it's over 25kg and charging me (admittedly only MXN3/kg) for excess weight.

Bought a bottle of water, asked the guy if he had any sandwiches without mayonnaise. (I'm not that hungry, but you know.) His answer was incomprehensible but I inferred it to mean 'no'. I supect he simply couldn't be arsed to check. (Shades of HMHB's "24h Garage People".) But they are out of reach behind the counter so I couldn't look myself.

Was vaguely tempted to go to the bog. But no. It's a pay toilet (which I half expected) with a fucking metre high barred turnstile. Because surely NO ONE is going to be at a BUS TERMINAL with BULKY LUGGAGE, are they? Twats.

Terminal is small but pretty clean and modern. Hacked off about the toilets. I don't really need to go but man that's annoying.

There is some sign pointing out onto the platforms about 'toilete only for payed tickets' (sic) which half implies you may be able to go out of the boarding gate and get a freebie and presumably without turnstiles. I don't think I really want to go any more. Odd. I don't want to take a shit anyway so I can always go on the bus. Too much detail? :-)

There is a sign saying there is free wi-fi. But of course I have stashed my laptop in my suitcase on vague concerns about my hand-luggage being robbed overnight (from the guide book). I could dredge it out but it doesn't seem worth it.

23:20. No departure or arrivals board. There are announcements, in Spanish and English, about buses to certain destinations. Of course the usual 'does my bus terminate in Palenque?' style question arises. I guess I will go and loiter and/or ask the guy at the boarding gate nearer the time. I also assume there will not be many buses timed for 23:50 so that may give me a clue.

23:35. On the bus. The guy at the boarding gate called it out. I think I may have missed an announcement, there seemed to be some idea they were waiting for me and one other guy. He had a list of names so I guess they might have called me by name.

I nipped to the bog (indeed, free from the platform) on seeing some guy nip off the bus to do so. There does appear to be one at the back though.

My seat is occupied by a woman with a baby. I have sat across the aisle. I get no leg room now, which is a bit shit, but it's sheer luck I chose the 'decent' seat she has nicked so I guess I can't complain too much.

I asked and the bus does terminate in Palenque (and it says Palenque on the front) so that's one thing.

It's not as nice as I'd expected to be honest. It's OK but not like the overnight buses I took in Chile or Bolivia or probably other places. Bit crap for the money really. I do at least have a double seat to myself but it's not cama, I am not even sure it counts as semi-cama though the seat doubtless reclines. (To be scrupulously fair, no one said anything about the style of seating. As I seemed to have no choice of company I didn't ask.) Oh well, I am on it and that's the main thing.

I am sat right behind the driver. I picked the front row by the aisle when I chose my seat as it seemed a bit more secluded and based on the double-deckers I had used before it seemed likely to have more leg room and avoid the annoyance of people reclining their seat in front of me. This is just a single decker (I could have guessed that from the seat plan in hindsight.). As I say, not very impressed really. Except for the toilet it's pretty much the same as the day buses (which I think were second class, and I think this is first class, though maybe not) I took from Cancun to CI and CI to here.

From the fact the luggage guy asked me where I was going I infer we will stop somewhere else during the night. I fear somewhat for my hand luggage. I would wear the fleece but the air con is not particularly cool and it would be uncomfortable.

I might as well say this is an ADO service. I had somehow got an idea their service was nice, not that I had any options as far as I could tell. (An ad in the terminal implies they have at-seat electric sockets and stuff like that. Obviously not on this route.)

I have spread myself out over the double seat. My back pack is in the overhead rack but I have the fleece, my water bottle and a small bag with my travel guide and MP3 player in. I could stuff them under my seat but I am oddly under the impression everyone on the bus is untrustworthy and I fear the guy behind might nick them if I do that.

23:50. We are off anyway. I can see on the dashboard it is 28C in here and 40C outside. (I find the latter slightly implausible given how pleasant it was outside at night the last two nights but there you go.) So yes, thank god for air con, but you could crank it down a notch in here.

Ah, some sort of air flow seem to have started up, so we may get cool enough for me to wear the fleece. That would reduce my worries about someone nicking it or rifling the pockets without disturbing me. We haven't actually left yet, though I thought we were going to move.

23:55. OK, looks like we are really off. I will send this so I don't lose it when the phone is stolen and start another entry for any further tedious en-route observations.