October 6 Palenque to Merida

Visited a very important site of ruins from the Mayan era, which had been buried for centuries before discovery in the 1950´s. Some of the temples have been partially restored, which is an ongoing process. This is a beautiful site.
We then had a very long drive of about 5 hrs toVillahermosa to catch the short flight to Merida, arriving at about 9.30 pm in the evening.
It is very, very hot now, probably more than 30 degrees, and the humidity more than 90%. The heat makes one wilt, and walking around a market or other sightseeing is a very tiring experience.
Our hotel here has a very pretty courtyard filled with a small pool and flowered plants, and beyond that a modern swimming pool with lounge chairs and tables for meals. The ceilings are very high, and the entrance doors to our suite are about 20 feet high! This is a small place which accommodates only about 16 people, and we are the only guests at present. The courtyard contains many plants which we recognise - monsteria, frangipani, coconut palms, creepers, and other bright green foliage.
We have found Mexican people to be very helpful and friendly, and to date have felt very safe. Most are short, and some very short perhaps only reaching to Judy´s shoulder.
The young girls are quite plump, and the older women more so. All schoolchildren wear a uniform, with each school being different. The girls in particular look clean and fresh. We did see one young girl in uniform who was very pregnant.