Palenque

Listen. Can you hear the monkeys calling 'ooh-ooh-aah-aah'. Can you see the bright birds flying by. I am made of cool, gray stone, and for a long, long time, I was hidden like a secret. A big green blanket of leaves and trees covered me up. I am a special city that was lost in the jungle. I am the city of Palenque.

I was built a very, very long time ago by my wonderful Maya family. The Maya people were amazing builders. They stacked my stones up high, like big building blocks. They carved beautiful pictures of people and animals right onto my walls. I loved my family. A kind king named Pakal loved me very much. He became my king in the year 615. King Pakal built tall temples for me. They were so tall, they looked like they could touch the fluffy white clouds in the sky. I was a happy city, full of happy people.

After many happy years, my Maya family moved away. The jungle grew and grew, and I went to sleep under the green leaves. I was very quiet for a long, long time. Then one day, people found me again. They peeked through the leaves and said, 'Hello.'. In the year 1952, a man found a very special secret. He found King Pakal's secret room. Now, I am awake again. Families and friends come to visit me. They walk on my paths and listen to the jungle birds. I love it when children come and say hello to me and my stone walls.