Lost in the Jungle of Palenque

A meandering tale

If you’re going to get lost within the national forest trying to find the secondary entrance into Palenque’s main archaeological site, then I recommend the trail that leads to American archaeologist Dr. Edwin Barnhart, the guy who, in the 1990s, mapped out the extensive ruins of Palenque.   

We met at the Forgotten Temple situated above the forest canopy.  Built by Pakal for his parents and is considered one of the first constructed buildings at Palenque.  The structure is in remarkable condition, considering its age and location.  Using my compass, the structure is oriented to the cardinal directions. It’s an engineering feat that one can genuinely grasp in the thick of the jungle. We were invited to join Barnhart’s tour, who afterward found himself lost trying to rediscover a trail the jungle reclaimed in four short years. The path to the foundations for the largest palace of Palenque was now swallowed by the jungle and made inaccessible by rivers changing course. His group discovered mud trekking, ineffectual turnbacks, and scrambling over boulders to see buried sites. While Sue and I spotted a harmless tapir along a well-trodden path, during Barnhart’s scramble, I spotted a snake 🐍 that caused quite the debate.  The Mayan guide purposely positioned in the back to keep the group together said it was a Nauyaca, the poisonous kind. Barnhart’s young photographer wearing Indiana Jones attire said it was a harmless milk snake.  Let’s move on. 

In my Lightning Initiations course, available for replay, I discuss three temples at Palenque: the Temple of the Cross, the Temple of the Sun, and the Temple of the Foliated Cross.  Barnhart covered 25 square miles in a mapping project, accounting for the Palenque temple complex that rises from the Tumbala mountains and dates from ca. 226 BC to ca. 799 AD. Roughly half a mile of the archeological site is excavated; that’s the site you see with your entry ticket. 

Two hours later, en mass, we exited the forested path, spilling onto the parking lot. As we journeyed for lunch, we met Barnhart’s group again and, as destiny would have it, at Bonampak the following afternoon. Life is a bit of a scramble, but if you trust the experience, it’s destiny in the making. 

Thank you to all our Starseed Mexico Adventurers for allowing me to share some of the sites and highlights with you. And for allowing me to explore the rich biodiversity within the states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Yucatan, Mexico City, and Puebla by transport van, personal auto, hot air balloon, sore feet, and three internal planes. We saw ten sacred temple sites, some known and unknown, and shared some powerful work.