The Mayas and Palenque

      This blog was supposed to have been published long ago, as measured by blogging time, but I was sick with the flu for a month and nobody remembers the whole thing about the world ending in December or about the Mayas and their calendar supposedly announcing the end, so I'll just skip all the writing and just show the pictures while I think about the next blog.

The Temple of the Count, one of the many unearthed in Palenque. According to some estimates there are thousands of temples buried in the jungle surrounding Palenque. Early morning, just before the sun comes up. All photographs taken with a Nikon F with a 28 mm and a 50mm lens on Kodachrome film. 1983.

The  first rays of the sun start to appear in Palenque. The Temple of Inscriptions is seen at right, 1983

The early sun rays bathe the Temple of Inscriptions in Palenque. This is the site of King Pacal's tomb. 1983.

Early morning in Palenque as the sun begins to make its presence felt. There are dozens of these Mayan ruins in Palenque, plus thousand yet to be unearthed. 1983.

The great Palace of Pacal in Palenqque. One of the most extraordinary archeological finds in Mexico. 1983.

Some of the temples in the Palenque area. The mounds indicate a probable pyramid and are one of the enduring mysteries of the Mayan ruins. Photo taken from the top of the Temple of inscriptions. 1983

The tomb of Pacal deep down in the Temple of Inscriptions in Palenque. First one climbs the very steep steps outside the temple and then climb down equally steep steps downwards to the tomb using a very claustrophobic stone stairways. But the carvings on the lid make the effort more than worthwhile. 1983.

The jungle is ever present around Palanque, here seen from the top of the Temple of Inscriptions. An already partially covered building can be seen in the center. 1983.

      So that's it for now. I'll be back soon...