It was back to the mountains after the short trip through the tropical regions, making my second stop in Mexico at San Cristobal. A pleasant town, SC has a good atmosphere, pretty buildings, a very interesting Mayan culture in some of the nearby villages, and some beautiful natural sights nearby.
San Cristobal Church, one of the money colored buildings
Evening over the city
I first wandered to Cañon de Sumidero, taking a boat trip down through the canyon, spotting alligators and enjoying the enclosure of the large cliff walls. It was a very pretty trip, but the light was bad for the photos, so what you see is not nearly as spectacular as what I saw. I want to take us back to the Death Road in Bolivia. They said the canyon walls here were a 1000m high, same as some of the drops on the Death road. So now you can picture riding a bike at the top of these walls only a foot or two from the edge at times. My heart still sinks in my chest just thinking about it. Love it! =D
L - In the canyon; R - "The Christmas Tree," naturally formed by a seasonal waterfall, just a trickle when we were there
I also went to see a Mayan village near SC called Chamula. It appears to be just another Mexican town on the surface, but never judge a book by its cover. The local cathedral may be adorned similar to any other Catholic cathedral in the country, complete with saints and candles and a cross outside sporting the late Pope John Paul II's photo on the base, but it is anything but Catholic. Adopting Catholic symbols under Spanish rule allowed Mayans (as well as Incans in the Andes) to continue with their own traditions. As our guide said, a cross is just two sticks put together in a certain shape, and the actual meaning of the symbol is whatever we give it. Same goes for the saints and candles and on and on. Inside the cathedral, the floor is strewn with fresh pine needles, hundreds of candles burn along with incense, and the people recite prayers and sacrifice chickens in a strictly Mayan tradition that was interesting to experience. We also went and visited a Mayan weaving co-op, and while I think it was a bit staged for the gringo tourists, it got the point across and there was some quality products.
Mayan market in Chamula, the Cathedral in the background
Mayan weaving
Making some tortillas
Simple living. Dirt floored room with three beds for seven people. Bike, closet/dresser, shrine (not shown) and TV (also not shown) compose this room. The kitchen is the above, and another room has all the weaving products. That is the house.
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