This leg of the trip was something completely different. Up to now we had been using a mix of taxis, private cars, first class buses and air travel to get around however, to get from Frontera Corozal to Palenque we had no choice but to use a Collectivo (local Mexican hop on, hop off bus) For some locals this is the only means of road transportation they have to get from remote villages and towns to the main centres in the region. These collectivos can vary from vehicle to vehicle and can be very old and worse for wear combis to relatively new mini buses.
Thankfully for our 2-3 hour trip (131 km) we had one of the latter, however the experience was just as entertaining.
Imagine Lauren and I with all our luggage including a very large piece of black pottery, (which I need to learn to love) and approx 18 Mexicans ranging from infants to the elderly with their belongings including very large jungle knives in sheaths. At one stage we both thought someone was going to bring their chickens and turkeys as well.
To add to this setting you have to know a few things about Mexicans.
1. They love loud music and noise
2. They love to drive very fast and
3. They have to cram as many people as they can into their transportation.
So for 2 to 3 hours we were trapped in a small mini van with lots of Mexicans, loud Mexican music which included our bridal waltz song "Unchained Melody" in Spanish, hurtling along jungle roads with speed bumps every few kilometres and parts of the road washed out from the last tropical downpour. Then on at least two occasions the bus was stopped at fully armed military checkpoints where we all had to get out and wait while luggage was checked and questions answered. Then we all climbed back in and off we went. The military checkpoints are a fact of life in Mexico, being so close to the border with Guatemala, drug and people smuggling are a way of life as well as the locals providing weapons to the Zapatista rebels throughout the area.
