Palenque Ruins in Chiapas

We are continually amazed by how different all these ruins are. This site evolved from a small village of farmers and hunters into the capital of a powerful dynasty that dominated an extensive region. There was a lively trade that provided such goods as jadeite, obsidian, cinnabar and ornaments of marine origin. There were even 2 female rulers here. Palenque flourished between 615 - 783 AD and by 800 AD, it had a population of 8000. The notable buildings were the Main Plaza, The Temple of the Inscriptions, a funeral area of the Maya Classic Period. We climbed up and into the Temple of the Red Queen, named because when her bones were discovered, they were totally covered in cinnibar, indicating a select group for the elite. She was approximately 45 years old and buried inside a stone sarcophagus with much jewelrey and artifacts, along with her 2 servants in their separate tombs. I haven't been able to go down stairs since my onset of Mennierres in Dec 2002 but have progressed to climbing up the 2' steps and going down with 2 'stair companions'. A tall man in front of me blocks the view down so I don't feel I'll go head over heels and someone holds my arm as I go stepping down behind them, hanging on to the side wall. A new accomplishment and added bonus from this trip. The Palace was astounding. It was a personal residence but also used for political, administrative and religious purposes. It even had a sauna and indoor plumbing - a square hole you squatted over ( just like Japan ) and this emptied into a pipe-like pathway carved from the stone, running down into the village fields. there was an aqueduct running around the structures for the water needs. the museum below showed all the artifacts recovered from this site and was truly amazing. this afternoon we had a ' parking party'. We gathered our chairs and a beverage and snacks at 4 p.m. as Tracks, another Caravan group came in to park. There's been so much rain down here, it's a miracle not to get thoroughly stuck. We keep running into them and many chuckles were had.