San
Cristobal de las Casas, an Early Colonial City
17 Julio
2015
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Tuxtla Gutierrez to San Cristobal de las Casas - red line |
The trip
from Tuxtla Guttierez to San Cristobal de las Casas was in the mountains, with
winding roads that run through small towns and villages, but it is not a great
distance so it took only a couple of hours. With a midday arrival, Mags and I
were able to check in to our hotel, La Posada Media Luna, an excellent find,
and get out to explore the town which is set in a cool highland valley at 1940
meters. The Cathedral, on the tree lined central plaza, was started in 1528 but
took many years to complete due to earthquakes. San Cristobal is very clean and
proud of its heritage and has been a tourist destination for decades. The
architecture bore extensive resemblance to Antigua, Guatemala, both beautiful
old colonial cities.
x-Convento Santo Domingo |
Courtyard of Mayan Textile Museum San Cristobal |
We met-up
with the crews of s/v Grace and s/v Kosa which always leads to lots of eating
and drinking while making plans for future travel. Jim and Carola from Kosa
were heading back to Australia for visit home before they returned, so it was doubtful
we would see them again before next October in Marina Chiapas. Paul and Judy,
we would probably see at the next stop, Palenque.
Lots of brightly coloured embroidery and weaving |
Church of San Juan in Chamula |
The next
valley, a little higher up, is home to San Juan Chamula. The women all wear
black skirts, mostly woven from a black shag wool that has a pile about one
inch long made from their local black sheep which are highly regarded. The
embroidered blouses and cape like jackets are beautiful but darker than the
Zinacantin’s. The greatest differences though exist in the religious services.
We visited the local church of San Juan and inside, the floor was covered with
pine needles and families were grouped on the floor. Lines of candles and
bottles of coca cola, beer and home brewed rums, stood in front of them. While
and elderly women of the family group chanted prayers to deities that are both
pre-Columbian Mayan and Christian. The air was heavy with the smoke and incense
as the family drank the coke, beer and alcohol. Photographs are forbidden in
the church and even outside, the Chamulans do not want their picture taken as
they believe it may capture their spirit. The village is rustic with lots of
booths selling crafts to the tourists. While we were there, most of the
tourists were from other areas of Mexico. The Mexicans have discovered Chiapas
and are intrigued and proud of the diverse cultural backgrounds their country
is contains.
Back in San Cristobal
we walked miles visiting museums and old churches as we dodged the afternoon
rains. After three days the tug of two granddaughters and a pending party in
Oyama kept us moving on.
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