San Cristobal del las Casas
The trip from Villahermosa to San Cristobal was a 7 1/2 journey through the remote mountain highlands of Chiapas. We traveled along and saw large banana plantations and then traveled along narrow mountain roads with switchbacks between the mountains and valleys. There were many scenic overlooks with breathtaking mountain views.
San Cristobal is situated at 7000 feet above sea level, in a lush green valley where the air is fresh and clean. It is bounded by three extinct volcanoes. As we approached the valley, we could see vineyards on the hillsides and large greenhouses for tropical flowers. Because of its mountain setting, it is cold in the winter and cool at night even in summer. We packed sweaters for the trip.
A City of Indians
The city is the principal marketplace for the area. It was founded during the early days of colonial rule and is one of the oldest Spanish towns in South America. Many of its inhabitants are Indian and account for about half of the population. The population today is about 100,000.
Indians from every major village may be seen at the marketplace in the square. There are a few Lacandon Indians, who are the last Maya holdouts, still worshipping the old gods deep in the jungle. They wear long white sheets with black hair hanging to their shoulders. There are the Huistecos, with the men wearing a curious costume consisting of a wide piece of cotton material placed waist-level at the back, then crossed between the legs and folded diaper style. Their shirts are heavy cotton embroidered in geometric designs. The Chamula Indian men wear calf-length pants with white or black tunics, the color of the sleeves identify the wearer's village. I heard that it is the Zincantecan men who dominate the scene. They supposedly wear very short shorts intended to show off their well-formed, muscular legs. Well, I was sorely disappointed not to have seen any of them. I guess it was too cold and rainy the day I got out and walked among the square! People watching is a main event, but they do NOT like to have their picture taken. You have to slip around and catch them unaware to get photographs. If they see you, they will turn away from you.
On the streets, rich embroideries and weavings will assault you. In front of the cathedral, many Indians displayed their handiwork. There were embroidered vests, blouses, skirts, woven sashes, and patchwork duffle bags with brilliant splashes of purples and pinks.
Straw hats with multi-colored ribbons are found throughout Chiapas.
The little market next to the square is a busy place. Pastries of all kinds, candies, and olives were available in stalls manned by the locals. I didn't buy any of the pastries, though. They were beautiful, but I wasn't at all sure how fresh they were. It looked like they may have been brought back day after day for sale, judging by the few people who were actually buying anything.
The Cathedral
The Mudejar bell tower, whose height has been reduced by several earthquakes, was once a separate structure. The west facade was completed in 1696. The cathedral has been the scene of historic events that have marked the history of Chiapas-the declaration of Independence in 1812 and alliance with Mexico in 1824.
The restoration in 1993 of its original colors (using natural colors) has re-created the effect of an architectural embroidery-- yellow ocher from the soil of nearby Chamula and red ocher from Cuxtitali, colors once used for the town's facades. The white "embroidery" is rendered by the stuccowork (lime, sand, and egg-white moldings) and highlighted by two black panels and columns representing the Chamula wool.
The colonial streets and alleyways are lined with red-tiled roofs and white-washed walls. There are picturesque arcades opening up to plazas. Authentic colonial architecture is everywhere, particularly the cathedrals. San Cristobal has an artistic flair and bohemian ambience that attracts visitors from everywhere, especially Europeans. We didn't see (or hear) anyone from the States during our visit. We asked someone why and they said that the Americans are mainly interested in visiting the beaches of Cancun and consuming as much alcohol as they can during their short stays in Mexico. Oh well, the Ugly American is alive and well in Mexico.
What LA and I weren't ready for was the change in altitude. We both got a good dose of altitude sickness upon arrival. We went out to a little French restaurant, Pierre's, for dinner shortly after we arrived and could not figure out why we were so very tired. We felt like we had been drugged. The little restaurant was a one-man operation. The owner took our order, brought wine, went back in the kitchen and fixed the meal, then served it. All the while, he was waiting on all the other patrons in the restaurant. He was very connubial...he treated each table as if they were the only one in the restaurant. Nice, but however, our meal lasted about two and one-half hours! It was raining when we left and we walked the short distance back to our hotel and fell into bed. The next morning, I awakened with a splitting headache and we both were experiencing shortness of breath. Our fellow travelers, Patrick and Nancy, knew what the problem was from their previous experiences in the Rocky Mountains. So, we just took it easy for the day and planned to stay an additional day to try to enjoy the sights of San Cristobal.
Pasada Jovel
The first night, we stayed in a quaint little hotel, Posada Jovel ($55/night). It was raining the night we got there and many of the rooms were flooded. The little innkeeper would show us a room, slosh around through about 2-3 inches of water, and go into the room and say "is ok??". Not Ok. Definitely NOT OK. We finally found a room on the top floor that had not been flooded. The innkeeper pointed at the ceiling of the room and said "construction". The ceiling looked fine to us, so we took the room. San Cristobal, being in the mountains, was very cool (lower 60's). The room had no heat and tile floors. We slept under a down comforter and a blanket and were very comfortable, but those tile floors were like ice the next morning!
The courtyard of the hotel...the flowers were lovely A view over into the next courtyard.. a local lady embroidering
Looks like a dream place to stay, doesn't it?? A dream all right.. more like a nightmare. We found out what the "construction" comment the night before at check-in was all about the next morning. At 6:00 a.m., two things happened. Workers began hammering (loudly!) on the roof right above our room! AND....AND... in a neighborhood not far away, someone was shooting off some sort of CANNON and all kinds of bottle rockets and noise makers! And, did I mention bells ringing?? Yes, there was a plethora of noises coming from this little city! The noise was incredible! Needless to say, with my altitude sickness headache, this just topped it off for me! I finally crept out of bed around 10:00 a.m. and went downstairs for coffee and breakfast. At this point, we also discovered that the hotel was booked for the next night and we were going to have to move to another hotel. I don't think LA and I would have had the strength to make the change. Patrick and Nancy saved us....they got out and about and found another really nice hotel near the square.
The Amber Museum
While we were waiting to check into our new hotel, we toured the Amber Museum (Museo del Ambar) located in an old convent, Convent of La Merced. It was built in 1624 by the Mercedarian friars and was restored in 1996.
Of all the world's amber mines, the ones in Chiapas are rated third in the world. Amber, the fossilized resin from pine trees and other conifers, contains small insects and plants (remember Jurassic Park??). Amber is purported to have magical powers, has medicinal uses, is used for funeral rites, and ornamentally as amulets. Amber has been dated to be 40 million years old. Amber beads were found at Palenque in the burial tombs. There are many color variations-- green, yellow, red, blue, pink, and the more common brown and orange. In Mexico it is common to give newborns small amber bracelets to protect them from "mal del ojo" (bad vibes).
Flowers of San Cristobal
Flowers are an industry in San Cristobal. On the outskirts of town when we were arriving, we saw many greenhouses dotting the mountain valleys. Beautiful arrangements are found in the hotels, restaurants and museums. LA stopped to photograph the beautiful arrangements in this little florist. Shortly thereafter, the shop owner came out and angrily shooed us away. I guess he thought we were going to give away trade secrets!
Hotel Pasada del la Chiapas
We moved to the Hotel Pasada del la Chiapas in the afternoon. It was $125/night, but well worth it. Very nice rooms with a balcony and best of all, no more construction noise!
Later that afternoon, LA napped and I ventured out and walked around the local square and took in some scenery. I brought a pizza back to the room and took a nap. (Still both suffering from altitude sickness!). Later that evening we ventured out and went to a local coffee shop and had coffee and cheesecake. We wondered through a few amber jewelry shops and went back to the hotel to call it a night.
The Symbolism of Mayan Fabrics
During the pre-Hispanic period, weaving was placed under the patronage of the moon goddess Ixchel, since it was closely associated with the myth of the Creation, the renewal of vegetation, and the symbolism of childbirth. The Mayan cosmogony is represented by plant, animal, and geometric motifs.
The brocaded or embroidered designs decorating a Mayan garment can be read like a text whose content varies according to the ethnic group, community, social status, age and sex of the person wearing it. The embroidery on the fabric on the far right is known as the "lozenge". This symbolizes the universe conceived as a cube with three planes-the sky, the earth, and the underworld. The four sides delimit the boundaries of time and space.
The next morning, we headed out of San Cristobal to go down the other side of the mountain to Palenque. That is, we TRIED to head out of town. The town streets were laid out such that it was like a maze trying to get out of there. Forty-five minutes later, we were finally on the road to Palenque.
The road down the mountain to Palenque was very scenic, and the driving was slow...Again, very narrow roads through the jungle. Some scenic overlooks but not the same as the road up the mountain on the other side. We went through little villages. The village children would be on each side of the road holding a rope across the road to try to get travelers to stop and buy their wares. They sold fruit and woven fabrics. We just slowed down a bit and kept going, and at the last minute, they would drop the ropes and let you pass. It was a little game played out through every little village and stopover.
We stopped at the Aqua Azul waterfalls (located about 30 minutes outside Palenque) on our way into town, and arrived in Palenque at 4:30 p.m.
Continue to Next Story (Aqua Azul Waterfalls)
Return to A Trip Across Mexico