Tabasco & Chiapas - Part 3 - Comalcalco

Comacal- what?

We decided to head to the little town of Comalcalco after our adventurous jungle ruse. I had read about the ruins made of brick, which were completely different architecturally than any of the other ruins we'd been to. There was also a little blurb in the Lonely Planet about a chocolate plantation. Little did we know that it was the festival of some saint (I tried to buy a t-shirt, but they were all sold out). The streets were just jammed pack with people in pick-up-truck-transformed-to-wagons just chugging beer and dancing to very loud Mexicano music. We watched for a bit, got sprayed by some kids doing another "traditional" activity - spraying foam from a can at each other. We then went along to see the amazing ruins, tried to peek at the Gulf of Mexico, and went on a chocolate factory tour at a local hacienda. We learned a lot and had a wonderful time in Comacalco. Next time, we'll bring our own can of foam.

A distant view of the zocalo.

The ruins at Comacalco. The lighter
gray areas are where stucco is still covering the
brick structure.

A closer look at the stuccoed (left) and uncovered
ruins. Back in Mayan times, the entire structure
would have been covered in stucco.

Look closely and you'll find what made up the bricks and
mortar of these ruins - oyster shells! Maybe the ocean
was a lot closer than it used to be.

We went on a chocolate tour at this lovely hacienda.

The walkway into the cacao forest.


The almost-full-grown cacao bean (where chocolate comes from!)

The inside of the cacao bean - you can eat the flesh
around the seed! The seed is then roasted and smashed
to make cocoa.

Along the way, we saw all sorts of amazing plants -
many grown to support the cacao plant. Pictured above is the
rubber tree.

This is rubber from the rubber tree. It's basically
the sap from the tree! Not for pancakes!!

I believe this is a chestnut plant (all smushed open!).
The tour was entirely in Spanish, so some miscommunication
may have occurred.

A single chestnut from within that smashed-up mess.

This is a plant that grows in the shape of a
hard ball. It's used for nothing else but to make
bowls to drink from!

Beautifully carved bowls made from the plant pictured above.

This gorgeous flower is often used to make
the Palm Sunday decorations.


We didn't want to leave this gorgeous hacienda.

We left Comacalco from a bus station. This bar
was across the street. If you read the sign closely,
it says "Prohibida la entrada de menores, edad,
mujeres, uniformados y personas con deficiencia mental."
(Minors, seniors, women, uniformed, or mentally handicapped are not allowed.)

Don't worry though - they're licensed!