Bienvenidos a Chiapas - San Cristobal Colon de Las Casas

Last week, we closed up shop in Puerto Escondido - took the kids out of school (but not before hosting a good bye/thank you party for each of their classes), packed up our things, sold the kids' used 1000 peso surfboard for 700 pesos ($100 and $70 respectively), said our goodbyes to new friends, and jumped on the overnight bus for San Cristobal Colon de Las Casas in the high in the Sierra Madre in the heart of the state of Chiapas.

San Cristobal is like no other Mexican city that we have visited. First of all, we are high in the mountains - at more than 4000 feet in elevation. Outside of town, just beyond the fields of maize and vegetables are dense, verdant forests of pines, oaks and a whole lot of other trees and bushes that we don't recognize. We are deep in Mayan land and culture. The local people, the foods, the clothes, the art, the crafts, the textiles are quite distinct. We are cold for the first time in months. So far, we haven't seen many new birds, but we have seen spider monkeys and freshwater crocodiles.

This city is nestled in a rich valley. The buildings are colorful, 1-3 stories max. Narrow one-way streets with narrow uneven sidewalks. There are rich bottomlands that are growing crops immediately adjacent to some neighborhoods, and all of it is surrounded by low mountains covered in thick forests. The city was "founded" about 500 years ago by the Spaniards, after they pushed the original inhabitants aside. It has undergone a number of name changes. San Cristobal today refers to the city's patron saint. "De Las Casas" refers to/honors the bishop Barthomew de las Casas who came to live in the city soon after its founding, fell in love with the Mayan people, and became a serious thorn in the side of rich and powerful in town as he became a tireless advocate for better treatment of the terribly oppressed Mayan people.

There are today some clearly defined color lines in this city. The indigenous people are on the outside of whatever it is you might be talking about. There are exceptions, but by and large light-skinned people own and operate the brick and mortar buildings in the center of town. The Mayan people in the center are mostly on foot or have set up little booths - selling their handmade textiles - bracelets, necklaces, scarves, shirts, sweaters, etc. Some very beautiful things. They come into town in the morning and leave in the evening. They are outside the center of town, outside of the established economy, and, based on all the photos of the politicians running for office / re-election, they are largely out of the political establishment as well.

I can't quite figure out this city. It has a wonderful, warm, but slightly unreal atmosphere. We are in a remote area in one of Mexico's poorest states. This city, however, is vibrant and cosmopolitan. Many people here are well-educated. Many speak english. There are people from all over the world - both visitors as well as residents. Restaurants here feature food from Italy, Argentina, Lebanon, Columbia, France. It is a major tourist destination. Much of the food is more expensive than in Puerto. Beer, for example is nearly three times the cost (So Amy and I recently invested in a medio-litro of cane sugar Mayan moonshine, flavored with cinnamon - called posh here which means "medicine" - you know...to keep our costs down).  I saw the first Asians here since I arrived in Mexico. We took a tour today to several nearby Mayan communities with Italians, Israelis, and Mexicans. Lots of bookstores and textiles stores, jewelry and amber shops, but also the traditional chaotic, packed food and textile markets and vendors that set up and tear down every day.

We are spending 3 days here exploring the city and the outlying areas before we depart for visits to other smaller Chiapan communities and locales.

Below are a few images of the city - the Zocalo (Mexico's version of the plaza), the Cathedral, the people, the streets.

The entrance to the cathedral, adjacent to the zocalo. Mayan women in traditional dress from their village. Often thick black wool skirts and blue and purple shawls pulled over their shoulders. Very colorful, very beautiful.

Jeremiah and Liesl in our hostel room. Simple, and with hot water! His wardrobe, in contrast with the above photo is not particularly beautiful...

These two young Mayan dancers performed on the zocalo one evening, accompanied by a drum - big beautiful headdresses. The one on the left is dressed as a feathered jaguar - a powerful entity in the Mayan cosmology.

Liesl enjoying her first pina colada. Virgin, of course!

The neighborhood surrounding the cathedral and zocalo is a no-car zone (why don't more cities do this??!!). Lots of shops and cafes and restaurants. Very pleasant atmosphere.

The Cathedral in the center of town.