The true face of Mexico interwoven with Mayan ruins and the wilderness of Chiapas

👆 Distinctive structures of the Justiran ruins

From the ruins to the jungle, you can feel a different side of Mexico

A trip to the region includes Maya cultural sites such as the famous Palenque and Yaxchilan in its southeast, Bonampak, and those interested in Mesoamerican history should visit the Olmec region. How about stretching your legs?The Olmecs were among the earliest in the region of present-day Mexico around 1800 B.C., before the famous Maya began. It is the place where the necessary elements were gathered and the “first culture of Mesoamerica” was born.This route is also recommended for naturalists who want to take a trip different from ordinary trips and general sightseeing in Mexico.

The area where Palenque and Yaxchilan are located is called the Lacandon Primeval Forest, and it is also known for having many types of vegetation and animals among the many natural parks in Mexico.

 

Journey to the unknown Lacandon

????In the jungle of Lacandon

The name Lacandón is derived from Lacan-tún, the now-extinct Mayan language of Ch'olti.Its meaning is 'rocky mountain' or 'hard rock'.Named by some tribes from the Yucatan Peninsula who formed a settlement near the lake Miramar during the Maya period.The story of this Mexican language is very complicated, but it is very important in understanding the culture of Mexico and the Mayan culture.Sightseeing with that knowledge will make your trip to eastern Chiapas all the more interesting.

Looking at the northern part of the Lacandon virgin forest alone, Chol is spoken in the Palenque and Jaschilan areas, Maya-Lacandon is spoken in villages near the Bonampak ruins, and Palestinian villages. Even today, different Maya languages ​​are still spoken on a daily basis as the first language in each village or region, such as Tzeltal, Tojorabal, Tzotzil, and Chontal.On the other hand, it is a great loss for Mexico that the number of speakers of some of these languages, which are one of the precious Mexican cultures, is decreasing year by year, and languages ​​such as Maya-Lacandon are in danger of disappearing. I am thinking.

There are 114 butterflies, 345 mammals and 3400 species of plants, of which about 160 are endemic to the forest, which make up 15% of Mexico's vegetation.It is a valuable habitat for the tapir and jaguar, which are designated as endangered species, and the red guacamaya, which is called a macaw in Japanese.

 

Archaeological sites representative of the Classico period of the Maya

👆 Palenque Ruins

The city ruins (ruins) of Palenque, which is also designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, flourished in the latter half of the first half of the famous Mayan culture.The history of Mesoamerica can be roughly divided into three periods, and the period in the middle is called the Classico period, from about 3 AD to about 200 AD.The early Maya refers to the period before 900, such as Calakmul and Tikal, where settlements were formed during the Preclassico period that began in BC and developed as large cities during the Classico period, and Palenque and Tonina, which prospered and declined at the end of the Classico period. The period is called the "Early Maya". After 900, it will lead to the postclassico period when the famous Chichen Itza, Uxmal (Uxmal), and Tulum, which you all know, developed.The Classico period when Palenque prospered can be divided into the early period and the late period, and the development of Palenque is said to be in the latter half, around 900 to 600.On the other hand, it took many years to reach the prosperity of a city, not one day.Around 900 BC, settlements began to form in the area where today's Palenque ruins are located, and the first huge structures were finally built around 150 AD.

At that time, it was not called Palenque, but called Otulum in Chol, the Mayan language spoken in this area, which literally translates to "fortified house."See the terrain on which Palenque was built to see why.Also known as Lacamha'.This is the name of the language used in the Yucatan Peninsula called Maya-Yucateco, even though it is the same Maya system.Its meaning is "a place where there is a lot of water".In fact, there were at least nine water sources.Palenque, which boasted tremendous power in the latter half of the Maya period, and the large cities of the early Maya period, such as Tonina and Calakmul. The end of the epoch flows into the new dawn of the Mayan era.

👆 Bonampak, one of the three existing Mesoamerican murals

And the ruins of Justiran, which cannot be reached by land.It began to prosper around AD 200 when the early buildings of Palenque began to be built, and reached its heyday around 600-800 AD, about the same age as Palenque's peak.Roughly speaking, there are 16 architectural styles in the Mayan area, but this Justilan is characterized by its Usumacinta-style buildings, which are different from the nearby Bonampak, Palenque, and Tonina.

 

Spend a night in nature in Lacandon Forest

????I will ask the Chul people to guide me.

A typical tour starts and ends in Palenque as a day trip, but our tour recommends the overnight route in the Lacandon Forest.In the general tour, you literally run around the ruins of Bonampak and Justilan, traveling 6 hours round trip by car.However, this Lacandon tour is a waste if you just have to go home.A night spent listening to the "live" sounds of animals in the woods, where most of the mobile phone signals and the Internet do not reach.It's not a "luxury" accommodation by any means, but a place surrounded by 100% Mayan natural world is more "luxury" than any luxury hotel or restaurant on earth.In this facility, all electricity is generated by solar panels and charged in batteries, and water is sourced from the Usumacinta River, which has an annual rainfall of 2000 to 5000 mm. Experience the Lacandon virgin forest in a near 100% sustainable way.In the future, we are planning to provide the ingredients for the meals that we will be providing with home-grown crops, which we are currently starting little by little.and virgin forest tour.It is a real jungle tour that takes less than 2 hours to go around the virgin forest while quietly watching especially wild birds and wild animals that occasionally appear.There are pristine Mayan-era structures along the route.In addition, interacting with the local Chol people will be a valuable experience.Their traditions and customs, which never appear on the surface, are fleeting moments, but if you can interact with them, they will become pleasant memories.

On the way back we will stop at a village on the Guatemalan border if you wish.It doesn't have any particular tourism resources, but how about a strange experience that you can't experience in Japan, where you'll be in another country once you cross the road?

*The number of places you can visit depends on the length of your stay, so please let us know your itinerary.Please feel free to contact us as we will flexibly schedule according to the customer's time.

 

Recommended for these people!

Of course, people other than the above people are also very welcome!

 

 

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