Waterfalls in Chiapas

Chiapas, México´s southernmost state, is known for its large indigenous population (groups that have maintained a large part of their Mayan heritage) and for its verdant, hilly scenery. After spending several days strolling through San Cristóbal de las Casas, a charming colonial town in the mountains, we made the six hour trip to Palenque, to visit the impressive Mayan ruins there. After our day at the ruins, and two lovely nights spent in a jungle cabaña, Kamilla and I signed up for a tour to visit some of the waterfalls in the area around Palenque. The tour bus, crammed with backpackers, visited three waterfalls before we returned to San Cristóbal. All three spots were very beautiful, and allowed us to enjoy some of the state´s natural beauty in an accessible way:

1. The first stop, Misol-Ha waterfall, featured a tall, thin stream of water cascading down into a swimming hole, surrounded by jungle. While there I chatted with a pair of sisters from New Zealand on our bus. Every time I meet a Kiwi, I can´t stop prattling on about how much I love that country. And it was particularly appropriate in this case, since many of my fondest memories from my time studying in New Zealand involve trips to waterfalls with my friends.
2. The second stop, at Aqua Clara, featured a surprisingly clear blue lake. Kamilla took a boat ride on a wooden raft, rowed by a little boy. I sat on the grassy bank and took photos of her. Afterwards, I tossed the boy some of my bananas, but it took him until the third try before he caught the fruits without them bouncing into the lake.
3. At the final stop, Aqua Azul, I made Kamilla tuna sandwiches by the side of the river. They were delicious, and this is one of our favorite meals. After eating, we strolled up alongside the river, admiring the series of waterfalls, cascading one on top of the other, from many different miradors.

Best of all, at this stop three Hungarian travelers (two girls and a guy) engaged in a world-class moment of unintentional comedy: Wearing only swimming trunks and bikinis, they started rubbing mud from the lake all over their bodies, then posed for a series of photos for each other on the rafts as if they were models. One girl struggled to keep her balance, and almost toppled into the water. Kamilla and I stood on the hill above, filming this ridiculous scene and laughing hysterically. We thought we were the only ones of the group to enjoy it, but when we got back to the van we all couldn´t stop giggling. Rumor was that after we left one of the girls took off her top. What a fascinating cultural experience this was, to watch take this so seriously.