Sunday 14 June

There's lots to organise when we awake. Accommodation for tonight, packing up our stuff, having breakfast (omelet or pancakes today), checking out and joining our tour.
Not long after joining the tour we are told we are going to have to go on another bus. On our way out of town we stop on the side of the road and get on a larger bus. Apparently they had been waiting 20min for us! We travel down into a valley. It's very pretty. The canyon boat trip is beautiful. We see monkeys, birds and a alligator. The trip is only slightly marred by the occasional rubbish- mostly plastic bottles - floating along. After the ride we are driven to a nearby square for 1 hour. We wander about and order a light meal of guacamole, beans and fries. On the way out of the valley there is a strange smell. We stop and there is fluid leaking from somewhere! Soon there are 3 other vans stopped around us. Must be friends. Must of the passengers get palmed off to the other vans. There isn't room for us so back on the bus. The driver keeps going slowly further up the hill. He stops and someone comes to look at the bus and another van stops and the remaining passengers get in. The rest of the trip is thankfully uneventful. We get our bags and walk to the bus station. In a locked vehicle there is a tiny dog asleep on the drivers seat.
We buy tickets and check our bags in- but the bus is late. We don't get on till nearly 1.5hr late! Which means we don't get to palenque till nearly midnight with a one hour stop in the middle! Grr! We walk toward our hostel when a security guard from the bus station checks where we are going. It feels good that someone is keeping an eye out. It's not far to the hostel. Ppl are still eating at this late hour! Shower and an amazing king bed!