San Cristobal de Las Casas

A tumble of colors, aromas, sounds, and faces greet the senses upon arriving in magical San Cristobal de Las Casas. The city is overflowing with artisans, cafes, organic coffee and produce, colourful old Volkswagen Beatles, great live music and an abundance of international food with a Mexican flare. The perfect city for me! The original plan was only to stay here a few days, but I fell in love with this peaceful, cozy little town and have been here almost two weeks.

The weather here is absolutely perfect. After being up in the northern tropical jungles I was ready for some cool mid to upper 20´s, perfect for walking around. Situated 2200 m above sea level, in the highlands of Mexico, SC experiences very fresh air with a distinct clarity of light.

The hostel I am staying in has a wonderful ambiance and I was able to strike a deal since I was staying so long. I paid $5 (50 pesos) a night which included my room, use of the Internet, kitchen, hot showers, free water, outdoor patios and hammocks and a TV with DVDs. The kitchen was the real selling point for me because I haven´t cooked for myself in 7 weeks. I was even able to whip up some yummy pesto to remind me of home.

San Cristobal is surrounded by stunning valleys, mountains, deep forested areas, awesome waterfalls, deep canyons and an abundance of wildlife. On the outskirts of San Cristobal you will find many indigenous Maya villages, rich in cultural traditions. I was lucky enough to be able to visit San Juan Chamula over the weekend. People from all the surrounding villages walk miles to reach Chamula in order to pray, conduct rituals and seek healing in the main temple.

Religion here is a mixture of Catholicism and Maya Ritual. Chamulas revere St John the Baptist above Jesus Christ; St John's image is more prevalent inside the church. I entered the church and froze immediately. There were thousands of candles (you could feel the heat!) on the floor, tables and alters. Dozens of saints surrounded the large room and families were spread out conducting rituals. The Temple of San Juan is covered in pine needles: the pine tree is an important part of Chamula culture because their towns and villages are surrounded by pine trees. Symbolism is strong as soda is used in rituals, eggs are used to absorb evil; and chickens or turkeys are sacrificed…all of which I saw. While I was fascinated and intrigued I also felt like quite an intruder in a very private, sacred place.

Another highlight of San Cristobal is the famous Na Bolom Museo, meaning "House of the Jaguar". This elegant colonial mansion was most recently owned by a philanthropic couple from Switzerland Gertrude Duby-Blom and her husband Frans Blom who died in 1963. After falling in love with Chiapas, they moved here and spent the rest of their lives exploring, surveying and studying; educating and protecting the local indigenous peoples. Today the house is packed full of their work including photographs (55 000 taken over 4 decades!), archaeological finds, and books.

To my surprise The Banff Mountain Film Festival was in town last weekend! This is their first time showing the festival in the state of Chiapas and luckily they showed a different lineup then what I viewed in Edmonton early this year. ¡Que casualidad!

The colours here are intense and one can get quite swept away by the beauty of San Cristobal and the gorgeous surrounding areas. But, not all that shimmers is gold. There is still tension, nervousness and anger left over from the Zapatista rebellion that surmounted in 1994. The group was formed by Marxist revolutionaries and later indigenous radicals of Chiapas. They have much to rebel against. The state is controlled by nine wealthy families and, particularly in the highlands, the locals have no rights and no security. For more info if you are interested check out:
Link


The love affair ends at 18:20 hours when I depart for Merida, 12 hours north in the great state of Yucatan. I hope to return to San Cristobal de Las Casas near the end of my travels and perhaps volunteer in a nearby village.

¡HASTA LUEGO!