Travelling with a baby seems to need slightly more equipment than the average space flight, and we spend an inordinate amount of time packing and unpacking. Daisy needs her bouncy chair, her collapsible cot, and a whole array of flasks, bottles and sterilising equipment. It’s amazing how much space it takes up.
Still, we finally manage to pack up and travel to Palenque on an even more twisty and turny road, with Daisy travelling far better than Mum does. The buses we travel on always have films to watch, and they never get switched off, which makes life interesting. Since they’re always in Spanish and I end up drifting in and out of sleep anyway, I have to guess large chunks of the plot.
I’m bemused by a talking dog with sunglasses that appears to foil an evil man running a puppy factory where he keeps the puppies in bottles, but I may be wrong. The dog may be an evil puppy stealer.
Anyhow, when we reach Palenque, it’s as impressive as ever. The pyramids are incredible, and must have been even more fearsome when painted red and blue to scare off invaders. However, the whole impression is slightly ruined by the overly manicured lawns, which makes it seem like the Mayans were too busy playing cricket to conquer anywhere.
It’s boiling hot, and while we rest in the shade we meet some children selling Mayan birthstones, and buy Daisy’s birth symbol. It’s always hard knowing whether or not to buy from children, since although it is part of the family’s livelihood, the children are obviously out selling instead of being in school.
Leydi, who sells us the stone, says she doesn’t go to school and can’t read. Mum starts to teach her to play Cat’s Cradle, and we’re quickly joined by a small flock of birthstone-selling girls who are eager to play. I wonder if they will get in trouble later for not selling anything.
We eat in Palenque’s ‘premier restaurant’, or so it says on the sign. The Margaritas are good, but the atmosphere is thoroughly morgue-like. Every couple in there looks like they have had a huge row, and are not speaking. Daisy makes up for it by shouting away.
We take the night bus to Tulum, on the Caribbean Coast, with Daisy slumbering in her sling nearly the whole way, and just waking for the odd feed.
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