Sunday, January 27, 2019

Finding out about Chiapas


Very recently, I learned about the remarkable variety of scenery and archaeological history in the Mexican state of Chiapas.   So I'm going to look at a few of them in a few posts.

First up is the Agua Azul, near the ruins of Palenque (which I'll also discuss).


















The Agua Azul is a series of travertine (calcium carbonate) waterfalls.  Travertine forms when the water is high in calcium and carbonate ions, allowing precipitation of the mineral.  Unfortunately, despite the beauty of the falls, they are overexploited in the name of eco-tourism.  Sure, Mexico and its citizens need the money.  It's too bad there aren't better international programs to give countries money to preserve and conserve their natural resources naturally rather than relying on the lure of touristy eco-dollars.


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