Leaving Merida I decided to treat myself to the 1st class ADO bus to Campeche as it was 1 hour faster (and it was leaving 5 minutes after I arrived). I needn't have bothered as 45 minutes into the journey we blew a tyre (obviously the one I was sitting right above) so after crawling along the motorway for a bit (very safe) we came to a motorway garage who sorted us out. Whilst perched on the side of the motorway I watched the 'slower' bus pass me by- typical!

So after all the drama I arrived & checked into Monkey Hostal which had some very iffy reviews, but as I was staying only 1 night I thought how bad could it be. Actually it was fine, but only because it was almost empty. They only have one bathroom for the entire hostel, which I could imagine being a nightmare if they were full!

So off I went to explore the town, which is really pretty with lots of brightly coloured, restored colonial buildings. As most cities in Central America it is based around a central plaza with a cathedral. However, what Campeche also has is lots of ruins of its former defensive walls designed to protect the city from frequent pirate attacks as it is right along the coast, which you can also enjoy from their newly built promenade. During my exploration it started to pour down, so I took refuge in Casa Vieja, a lovely bar/restaurant overlooking the square for a cocktail-what else is a girl to do?

Next day involved quite a bit of hanging around as the only bus to Palenque was at 10pm. I left at 9 to catch a taxi for the 10 minute journey, which should have been fine- except it was pouring again so taxis were a rare breed. A lovely local woman tried to help me & was in the process of calling one from a payphone when I eventually flagged one down. I had 5 minutes to get there so my driver drove like a absolute lunatic and got me there on time, for which I was hmmm grateful I think!??!

So my bus arrived in at 4am, which was perfect as there was no other transport at this ungodly hour, not that it would have mattered as I'd already been told I couldn't check into my accommodation before 7am. So I double checked with the security guards if it was ok & safe to sleep in the waiting area until morning which they assured me was fine, and as they both had shotguns I figured they had it covered. So I snuggled up to my backpack and tried (unsuccessfully) to get some sleep. During this time another backpacker showed up, an English girl. Not sure where her bus came in from but she was adamant she was getting on the next bus out of here she did not want to spend another night in Palenque. The last time she'd been here her cabana had flooded & destroyed a lot of her stuff including her passport. She now after a lot of hassle had a temporary one but as it had restrictions she had to change her trip (note to self keep passport on high ground!)

So 6.30 came around and I hopped on the first collectivo which dropped me at the end of a dirt track with the vague directions of 'go straight ahead' for El Panchan the nearby village in the jungle I was staying. The village was easy to find, Margarita & Ed's cabanas proved a little more illusive, so after 10 minutes of wandering, I decided I was lost. Luckily just at this time a one legged man appeared (I kid you not). Now where he came from or where he was going at this hour I have no idea but I was glad to see him as he pointed me in the right direction. So after waking Margarita up she showed me 3 'cabanas' now they all looked very much to be made out of brick to me, but at this point it was a bed, so I took the cheapest and tucked myself in for some much needed sleep.

When I woke up I checked out the big smoke of Palenque town, which is very missable. I got caught in another massive downpour and had to take refuge in a bar (this rain is definitely going to turn me into an alcoholic!) That night I met a lovely family who invited me to dinner with them. Lauren is an archaeologist who has been working in the sites in and around Palenque for 12 years and this trip is all about showing her boyfriend and his 15 year old son her work. I had a few drinks with them and watched the obligatory fire show in Don Muchos before hitting the sack for my early start to explore the Palenque ruins in the morning.

These ruins are billed as one of the better Mayan sites due to the number of buildings that have been excavated and the detail of the carvings found still intact and of course that they are right in the heart of the jungle. But to be honest I wasn't blown away, now I don't know if it was because there was maintenance work that was covering one of the main buildings or because I didn't take a guide this time but they certainly aren't my favourite of the Mayan sites, but hey each to their own!

I had wanted to check out nearby Agua Azul & Misol Ha waterfalls which are supposed to be beautiful but I'd heard that due to the rain they were looking pretty (or not so pretty) brown at the minute so I decided to skip them and head straight across the boarder to Flores.

So Guatemala here I come!