Traveling in Chiapas

Of the thirty-one states in the Mexican republic, I have had the honor of visiting ten (and the Distrito Federal). The one state, however, that has captured my heart for the moment is definitely Chiapas.

The state of Chiapas as a whole is unique and diverse both culturally as well as naturally. It is the southern most state on the Pacific coast and shares its borders with Guatemala, the states of Oaxaca, Veracruz, among others and is a stepping stone for visiting the popular Yucatan Peninsula. Chiapas is home to the Mayan people, their ruins and the revolutionary army the Zapatistas (www.ezln.org). The only remaining tract of tropical rain forest in North America is found in Chiapas as well as animals such as macaws, jaguars, tapirs and more. One can go from uninhabited coast to humid jungles to cool mountain villages in a matter of hours. Chiapas is an amazing place to go to see the "real" Mexico, not the beachy, spring break Mexico. Mexico finds some of its deepest roots in this exquisite and undiscovered southern region. Since Oaxaca is currently suffering from civil unrest, Chiapas makes a great and safe alternative.

Places of interest are San Cristobal de las Casas, the Mayan village of San Juan Chamula, the ruins of Palenque, and the Caribbean-like waters of Agua Azul. All of these places are very safe. You should not have the slightest worry about walking around San Cristobal, even at night. Obviously, using common sense always applies. No one should ever walk on a lowly-lit street at 3 o'clock in the morning with money falling out of their pockets, but generally the people are very friendly.

So, in the following posts I will offer a 7 night/8 day itinerary for visiting Chiapas. I understand that there are many different levels of traveling in terms of budget, so the first post will be for 2-3 star travelers and the second will be for 4 star travelers. They will be titled accordingly. The main difference between the two will be my suggestions for lodging and the means of transportation.

2-3 Star Itinerary for Chiapas

For the 2-3 star travelers, I have one suggestion for transportation: Taxis when convenient, but mostly walking and buses. The bus system from state to state is amazing in Mexico. The first-class buses are deluxe and do not cost very much more than the second class buses. The bus stations are easily managed even without speaking Spanish and it is a great way to travel like the majority of Chiapans.

Taxis are abundant all throughout Chiapas (except maybe in Palenque) and are very cheap. There are no meters, you pay one flat rate for the ride. The prices range from $1.80 to $3.50. Never pay more than $4.00 for a cab ride around town. The capital of Chiapas, Tuxtla, is the only city where cab fare varies only because of the size of the city. Taxi drivers will charge you more if you are riding outside of town and this can usually be negotiated.


DAY 1: Tuxtla Gutierrez to San Cristobal de las Casas

Although the modern, new airport in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas claims to be an international airport, at this time it is not. This is not a big problem. You will just have to fly into Mexico City and change planes to arrive in Tuxtla. Mexicana Airlines, which is affiliated with American Airlines, flies many times daily from Mexico City to Tuxtla. The flight time between Mexico City and Tuxtla is about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

The airport has recently been relocated to sit in between the capital city and the wonderful, magical mountain town of San Cristobal. San Cristobal is one of the major tourist destinations in the state. It is a charming, cool, colonial city that will capture your heart form the start. San Cristobal is about a 45 minute car ride from the airport.

Grab a taxi. This is the only way to get to San Cristobal (from the airport) if you have not rented a car. The taxi ride costs about $10-$12, but this is split among all the passengers. If you see other foreigners on the plane, see if they want to split the fair.

You don't have to fly to Chiapas, obviously. You can also get there by bus from Mexico City or Oaxaca or the Yucatan, etc. Bus fares will vary, but from Mexico City, the travel time is about 14 hours and the fare is around $70. Take the overnight bus. I suggest buying some Dramamine, or other motion sickness medicine, falling asleep and waking up in San Cristobal. The bus station in San Cristobal is located on the main drag, Insurgentes. You can pick up a taxi to your hostel or walk.

Hostels: San Cristobal for some odd reason has too many hostels. Not all of them are nice places to stay, but here are some suggestions.

Posada Mexico Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez & Madero HI affiliated Dorm & private rooms available
This is by far the best budget place to stay in San Cristobal. Breakfast is included.
Backpackers Hostel Real de Mexicanos #16 Dorms, camping & private rooms available.
Also a nice place to stay with hammocks and a grassy central area. No breakfast.
Magic Hostel Guadalupe Victoria #47 Dorms available.
The party hostel. Loud and rambunctious is its reputation.
Casa Margarita Real de Guadalupe #34 Private rooms only.
This is a quiet centrally located hotel with reasonably priced rooms and free Internet.

Restaurants: There is a plethora of restaurants in San Cristobal. The city is not known for exquisite dining, but virtually all of the restaurants offer good food. As you walk around town for the next few days, experiment with restaurants you find along the way. Here are some suggestions.

Madre Tierra Insurgentes #19 Serves good, local coffee, homemade bread, quiches, soups and great breakfasts.
Emiliano's Moustache Rosas #7 Tacos, carne asada, and combos plates are standard at this popular spot.
El Gato Gordo Real de Guadalupe Artsy atmosphere serving typical Mexican food such as enchiladas, etc.
Mayambe Real de Guadalupe #66 Serving food from all over the world, this restaurant has a great reputation.
Cafe Museo Cafe MA Flores #10 Serving local, organic coffee, this is the best breakfast place in town.

For a more local fare:
All the eateries situated around El Mercado de Artesanias on Insugentes across from Madre Tierra are excellent and will not make you sick.
If you are especially adventurous, try any of the eateries located inside El Mercado Municipal Utrilla.


Day 2: San Cristobal de las Casas

After breakfast, there is only 1 task that you must accomplish before starting the day's activities. You must make a reservation at Casa Margarita Real de Guadalupe #34 for their tour of the Mayan village San Juan Chamula. I HIGHLY recommend taking this tour. The English-speaking guide is a sociologist/anthropologist and is an expert in modern Mayan life. You can go see this village on your own, however, the information provided by the guide is exceptional. It may seem pricey, but it is worth every centavo. The tours leave everyday form Casa Margarita at 9am and return around 1pm.

A small note about San Cristobal: The center of town is the Zocalo (the main plaza). The street names change as they pass through the Zocalo e.g. Insurgentes becomes Utrilla.

Now for the list of sights to see. I will suggest a loose itinerary, but all activities may be done at your leisure:

Na Bolom Guerrero #33 www.nabolom.org English tours at 11:30am and 4:30pm
This museum used to be home to a Swiss woman and her Danish husband. They were two of the first white people to live in Chiapas and developed a very close relationship with the Mayans living in the Lacandon jungle. The hacienda is filled with photos and artifacts and also serves as an institute of Mayan study.
I suggest taking a taxi to the museum (as it is about 1km from town) to catch the 11:30am tour and then walking back.

Santo Domingo Plaza on the corner of Calle Comitan & Utrilla
Santo Domingo is a large Cathedral just north of the center of town. The plaza is used as an artisan market where Chiapan as well as Guatemalan wares may be found. Anything from table runners to leather, sweaters to jewelry, this is the best place to buy souvenirs. You may also go into the cathedral, which was built between 1547 and 1560. In the adjoining building is the showroom for a Mayan women weaver's cooperative. It is called Sna Jolobil.
To get there from Na Bolom. Turn left out of the museum and walk to Calle Comitan. Turn right on Calle Comitan and walk until you hit the plaza and the back of the church.

El Andador 20 de Noviembre
From the entrance to the cathedral, turn left and walk down the street. El Andador, or walking mall, begins about a block down. Showcasing shops, Internet cafes, bars and restaurants, this is good place to buy postcards, develop pictures or grab an empty bench and people watch.
A great store to visit just to look is Casa de Ambar, the first amber jewelry store on your right. Amber, or fossilized tree resin, is found in Chiapas. I suggest only buying amber from the stores to assure it's authenticity. Casa de Ambar, in particular, has a great selection and a little museum of amber in the back which is fascinating.
Also take notice, as you walk down El Andador, of the bar La Revolucion. Starting at around 8pm, they have a great little jazz band that ends at around 11pm. On the next block is another fun bar whose name keeps changing. at the time of this post it is called Salon Mundial and is a late-night party spot. Any of the restaurants down this street are also good places to eat.
Be warned...Mayan women will approach you and try to sell you things. repeating "No, gracias." will likely get them to leave you alone. Children will also approach you begging for money. DO NOT GIVE THEM MONEY. A lot of times adults are forcing these children to beg. If you would like to help them, buy snacks at any of the convenience stores around town to carry with you and hand out to the children. This helps them much more than giving them money. Also, may I suggest bringing pens and little notebooks with you to hand out to the children. These children are very poor and may not have access to school supplies.

This list of sights may take you the whole day or it may not. If you have time left, I suggest just walking around and getting lost. At the end of El Andador is the main plaza and the Zocalo. Here, you will find a tourist information booth where you can pick up a map of San Cristobal, if you did not already find one.


Day 3: San Juan Chamula & San Cristobal

From 9am to about 1pm or 2pm, you should be enjoying the wonderfully informative tour to San Juan Chamula.
When you get back from the tour, you will probably be hungry. You will be dropped off at Casa Margarita on Real de Guadalupe. Before leaving to get something to eat, ask the travel agent at Casa Margarit about leaving for Palenque the next day. If you have rented a car ask them for a road map and directions. If you did not rent a car, ask about private transportation to Palenque.

Do not stray far from Real de Guadalupe to eat.
The Cerro de Guadalupe is a great place to get a panoramic view of the city and is topped by the Virgen de Guadalupe church. Walking up Real de Guadalupe on your way to the church, don't miss all the lovely shops, especially Nemizapata (#45). This is a store dedicated to the EZLN. This is a revolutionary group of indigenous Chiapans more commonly referred to as Zapatistas. They were once a violent rebel group, but have since turned to more non-violent political means of change. Nemizapata is store selling crafts and paraphernalia made by and supporting the Zapatistas.

Take your time walking up the hill. Make sure you have your camera. You have the rest of the day to stroll around, people watch in the Zocalo or shop.

Day 4: Arrive in Palenque

Palenque is a magical ancient Mayan city located in the jungle about 5 hours from San Cristobal. By far one of the best places to see evidence of the ancient Mayan way of life, you will not want to leave the tranquility offered by the jungle setting.

**If you do not have a lot of time for this trip, I highly recommend renting a car in San Cristobal to go to Palenque because it is much easier to visit the waterfalls of Agua Azul with your own car. You can rent a car from Budget or Optima Mazariegos #39 in San Cristobal. If you do not have any time constraints, then don't worry. You will just have to spend an extra night in Palenque.**

Head to the bus station on Insurgentes, locally known as Cristobal Colon and grab your Palenque bus. Definitely take this trip during the day as the road is very curvy and it is difficult to sleep on an over-night trip.

Once you arrive in the unimpressive town of Palenque, grab a taxi to your hotel. You can walk up the street from the bus station to grab a collectivo headed toward the ruins and jump off at your hotel, but I recommend just grabbing a taxi. It doesn't cost that much more and is a lot more convenient. The best places to stay while visiting the ruins are on the road to the ruins. The jungle is breathtaking, but don't be alarmed when you hear the low guttural cries of the howler monkeys. Just follow the sounds and look up to find the small black creatures in the trees.

Hotels: there are two really great picks that always have openings.

Mayabell Carr. Palenque-Ruinas km 6 mayabell82@hotmail.com Cabanas and Rooms $6-37
This is by far one of the best places to stay in Palenque. It is the last accommadations before hitting the ruins. The jungle setting caters to all levels of travel. The cheapest level is renting a palapa as well as a hammock and sleeping in el aire fresco. Mastering comfort in the hammock is in art form, but it is an awesome experience. There is a pool and a very good restaurant.
El Panchan Carr. Palenque-Ruinas km 4 elpanchan@yahoo.com All levels of accomodations $2-13
Located just outside the entrance to the "official" park, this is one of the larger, more hippy-esque places to see. The restaurant serves great food and has entertainment every night. It a little loud and very popular.

As far as eating, I recommend eating at your hotel and really relaxing, taking in the natural beauty. Get a good night sleep because you will want to wake up early the next to see the expansive ruins before the day gets too hot.

Day 5: Palenque Ruins

Today is the day you are going to see the mystical Mayan city. Wake up early, eat breakfast and make sure you have water because the jungle can get hot. Plan to be at the ruins between 8am and 9am in order to beat the heat. Bring your camera.

Catch the Volkswagon buses a.k.a. collectivos that go up and down the road every ten minutes and cost about 3 pesos to take you up to the ruins.

Once at the ruins find a guide. The beauty and grandeur of Palenque is best appreciated with a guide. Mexico has strict standards for archeological guides and most of them are very passionate about their jobs. The earlier you get up to the ruins, the better of a selection you will have. One requirement the Mexican government has for guides is that they speak English, but have a conversation with your guide of choice to make sure you can understand them. Soem guides also speak Italian, French and German.

I have had two guides at Palenque and both are very good. The best guide is Edgar. If you are staying at Mayabell, Edgar sometimes comes by the restaurant in the evening looking for people to do a tour the next day. The other is Raul who wears glasses. There is no way to contact either of them other than trying to find them at the park, but both speka impeccable English. It doesn't matter though, I would say that 90% of the guides at Palenque are really good at their jobs. Prices for the guides can vary a little, but I would say $50 will get you an excellent 3-4 hour tour. Prices are for the group, not per person. So, you can find some people where you are staying who want to split the price of a guide.

After the ruins, get some water and maybe a little snack from the outside vendors. Head down the road a little ways to the museum. At this point, you may be tired, but the museum is definitely worth the visit and it is air conditioned. It houses all the little artifacts and art from the city.
Then go back to your hotel, change your clothes and grab something to eat. You have only one thing you have to do before you can relax. You have to go into to town and sign up for a tour to Agua Azul and Misol-ha. There is a plethora of travel agencies in town that have tours to these waterfalls. The only down-side to the tours is that you are not on your own time schedule. Also you can buy your bus ticket for the day after back to San Cristobal.

Tonight, if you are not staying at El Panchan I suggest eating dinner there. This is a legendary travelers compound that has a good restaurant with live entertainment. Don't be afraid to walk on the road at night. Many people do it and I have not heard of any incidents. Remember, thoguh, that there is always safety in numbers, so if you want to round up other travelers to head down there...go ahead.

Day 6: Agua Azul

If you are taking a tour to Agua Azul have fun it takes the whole day. You will also be spending an extra night in Palenque, so the rest of the itinerary will just be delayed by a day.

If you rented a car:
Start heading back to San Cristobal and about an hour from Palenque you will start seeing signs for Agua Azul. You will probably have to pay twice to get into the park-once to the people of the nearby village and once to the park itself-but it is worth it. Agua Azul is a series of turquoise waterfalls littered with natural swimming pools. (Note: during rainy season, May-September, the water will not be turquoise.) This is a popular destination on week-ends and there is a plethora of good places to eat along the river serving mostly fish.
Once you park your car, walk up the trail, taking pictures along the way, until you get to the top of the hill. Here you will find a great swimming hole with a make shift diving board. Common sense says not to linger in too isolated of a spot as to this makes you more vulnerable to theft.

Take your time enjoying this heavenly spot. Just remember that you still have a 3 hour drive back to San Cristobal and you do not want to be driving too much at night. There are bathrooms and showers at Agua Azul where you can change out of your swim suit for the ride back.

You will probably be very tired arriving in San Cristobal. Return your car and stay where you stayed before. Eat and sleep because your vacation is almost over.

Day 7: San Cristobal

Well, maybe it is your last full day in Chiapas, so take your time to take it all in one more time.

You have two choices of things to do. You can have a lazy day in San Cristobal. You can go to an Internet cafe, send post cards, write in your journal, and go see:

El Mercado Municipal. Head up Insurgentes/Utrilla, past Santo Domingo until you reach the busy, hub-bub of the market place. This is where the majority of people in San Cristobal go to buy fruits, vegetables, meat, housewares, fire wood, among other things. It's a pretty chaotic place. The large building to the left of the outdoor section of the market is where meat is sold. Go ahead, walk around, but be careful. The outdoor section of the market is a maze. Don't get lost!!

Jardin de Orquideas. Real de Guadalupe #153 Hours: 10am-6pm Tue-Sun
This is an orchid garde that is very pretty and serene.

Or you could take a tour:
Sign at a travel agency for the Cañon Sumidero tour and to the charming little town of Chiapa de Corzo. It is located on the Rio Grijalva where one can take a river boat tour of the Cañon Sumidero. The boat tours down the river are very nice, the only downfall is that most of boats are not covered and the sun is intense. Makesure you have a nice hat, it is cloudy, early in the morning or late enough in the afternoon. Chiapa de Corzo is a quaint little town to walk around and grab a bite to eat on one of the restaurants on the river bank.

There are also horse-back riding tours to San Juan Chamula. I know you already went there, but if you want to ride a horse, this is the destination.

You will also have to arrange transportation to the airport if you are flying home. At the time of this posting, the only way to efficiently reach the airport was to arrange for a private ride with any of the travel agencies. This is a little pricey, but the only way to go.

Day 8: Return home or move on

Well, I hope you enjoyed your time in Chiapas. If you are moving on to another spot in Mexico, you remember where the bus station is. Also, on Real de Guadalupe you will find a place called Ticket Bus. Here, you can buy tickets to any of the destinations serviced by San Cristobal. The prices are the same as they would be at the bus station.

4 Star Itinerary for Chiapas

For the 4 star travelers, I have two suggestions for transportation:

1) Renting a car. The airport in Tuxtla Gutierrez (the capital of Chiapas) has just recently been relocated and remodeled and is fully equipped with rent-a-car companies such as Alamo and Hertz. All reservations can be made via the web-sites of these companies. The majority of cars are stick-shift, but automatic cars are available at a higher price. Also, make sure your car has I do recommend obtaining a map and having a basic knowledge of Spanish. It will be extremely helpful in obtaining directions, finding parking or in case of any emergencies.
You can also rent cars in San Cristobal at Budget Rent-A-Car or Optima (011-52-967-674-09, optimacar1@hotmail.com) both located at Mazariegos #39. It is a little more expensive than renting in Tuxtla and they do not have cars with automatic transmission. However, it may be worth your while to rent your car here instead of Tuxtla because you really don't need a car during your time in San Cristobal.

2) Hiring a car. Now, by hiring a car, I mean, taking taxis everywhere and taking advantage of the infinite amounts of travel agencies that are available. Taxis are abundant all throughout Chiapas (except maybe in Palenque) and are very cheap. There are no meters, you pay one flat rate for the ride. The prices range from $1.80 to $3.50. Never pay more than $4.00 for a cab ride around town. Tuxtla, is the only city where cab fare varies only because of the size of the city. Taxi drivers will charge you more if you are riding outside of town and this can usually be negotiated.

So, here we go:

DAY 1: Tuxtla Gutierrez to San Cristobal de las Casas

Although the modern, new airport in Tuxtla claims to be an international airport, at this time it is not. This is not a big problem. You will just have to fly into Mexico City and change planes to arrive in Tuxtla. Mexicana Airlines, which is affiliated with American Airlines, flies many times daily from Mexico City to Tuxtla. The flight time between Mexico City and Tuxtla is about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

The airport has recently been relocated to sit in between the capital city and the wonderful, magical mountain town of San Cristobal. San Cristobal is one of the major tourist destinations in the state. It is a charming, cool, colonial city that will capture your heart form the start. This is where you will be spending a couple of days. San Cristobal is about a 45 minute car ride from the airport.

Pick up your rent-a-car and drive to San Cristobal. Once you arrive in San Cristobal, you most likely will be tired and hungry. Here are my suggestions for accommodations as well as near-by eateries. OR
Grab a taxi. This is the only way to get to San Cristobal (from the airport) if you have not rented a car. The taxi ride costs about $10-$15, but this is split among all the passengers. If you see other foreigners on the plane, see if they want to split the fair.

Hotels: These are all very well decorated, hacienda-style establishments. All include private parking, restaurants, bars, and are located near the center of town. Make your reservations for 3 nights. You can also make reservations for the night that you return from Palenque.

Hotel El Cerrillo Belisario Dominguez #27 011-52-967-678-1283 Rooms w/ 1-2 beds f0r $23-28/$36-39
Hotel Mansion de los Angeles Madero #17 hotelangeles@prodigy.net.com Rooms for $37-42
Hotel Casa Mexicana 28 de Agosto #1 www.hotelcasamexicana.com Rooms for $67-118
Hotel Diego de Mazariegos 5 de Febrero #1 011-52-967-678-0833 Rooms for $64-74
Holiday Inn see www.holidayinn.com for details

Restaurants: There is a plethora of restaurants in San Cristobal. The city is not known for exquisite dining, but virtually all of the restaurants offer good food. As you walk around town for the next few days, experiment with restaurants you find along the way. Here are some suggestions.

Madre Tierra Insurgentes #19 Serves good, local coffee, homemade bread, quiches, soups and great breakfasts.
Emiliano's Moustache Rosas #7 Tacos, carne asada, and combo plates are standard at this popular spot.
El Gato Gordo Real de Guadalupe Artsy atmosphere serving typical Mexican food such as enchiladas, etc.
Mayambe Real de Guadalupe #66 Serving food from all over the world, this restaurant has a great reputation.
Cafe Museo Cafe MA Flores #10 Serving local, organic coffee, this is the best breakfast place in town.

For a more local fare:
All the eateries situated around El Mercado de Artesanias on Insurgentes across from Madre Tierra are excellent and will not make you sick.
If you are especially adventurous, try any of the eateries located inside El Mercado Municipal Utrilla.


Day 2: San Cristobal de las Casas (leave your car at your hotel and enjoy walking in this beautiful city)

After breakfast, there is only 1 task that you must accomplish before starting the day's activities. You must make a reservation at Casa Margarita Real de Guadalupe #34 for their tour of the Mayan village San Juan Chamula. I HIGHLY recommend taking this tour. The English-speaking guide is a sociologist/anthropologist and is an expert in modern Mayan life. You can go see this village on your own, however, the information provided by the guide is exceptional. The tours leave everyday form Casa Margarita at 9am and return around 1pm. The concierge at your hotel may be able to make reservations for you.

A small note about San Cristobal. The Zocalo (main plaza) is the center of town. The street names change as they pass through the Zocalo e.g. Insurgentes becomes Utrilla.

Now for the list of sights to see. I will suggest a loose itinerary, but all activities may be done at your leisure:

Na Bolom Guerrero #33 www.nabolom.org English tours at 11:30am and 4:30pm
This museum used to be home to a Swiss woman and her Danish husband. They were two of the first white people to live in Chiapas and developed a very close relationship with the Mayans living in the Lacandon jungle. The hacienda is filled with photos and artifacts and also serves as an institute of Mayan study.
I suggest taking a taxi to the museum (as it is about 1km from town) to catch the 11:30am tour and then walking back.

Santo Domingo Plaza on the corner of Calle Comitan & Utrilla
Santo Domingo is a large Cathedral just north of the center of town. The plaza is used as an artisan market where Chiapan as well as Guatemalam wares may be found. Anything from table runners to leather, sweaters to jewelry, this is the best place to buy souvenirs. You may also go into the cathedral, which was built between 1547 and 1560. In the adjoining building is the showroom for a Mayan women weaver's cooperative. It is called Sna Jolobil.
To get there from Na Bolom. Turn left out of the museum and walk to Calle Comitan. Turn right on Calle Comitan and walk until you hit the plaza and the back of the church.

El Andador 20 de Noviembre
From the entrance to the cathedral, turn left and walk down the street. El Andador, or walking mall, begins about a block down. Showcasing shops, internet cafes, bars and restaurants, this is good place to buy postcards, develop pictures or grab an empty bench and people watch.
A great store to visit just to look is Casa de Ambar, the first amber jewelry store on your right. Amber, or fossilized tree resin, is found in Chiapas. I suggest only buying amber from the stores to assure it's authenticity. Casa de Ambar, in particular, has a great selection and a little museum of amber in the back which is fascinating.
Also take notice, as you walk down El Andador, of the bar La Revolucion. Starting at around 8pm, they have a great little jazz band that ends at around 11pm. Any of the restaurants down this street are also good places to eat.
Be warned...Mayan women will approach you and try to sell you things. repeating "No, gracias." will likely get them to leave you alone. Children will also approach you begging for money. DO NOT GIVE THEM MONEY. A lot of times adults are forcing these children to beg. If you would like to help them, buy snacks at any of the convenience stores around town to carry with you and hand out to the children. This helps them much more than giving them money. Also, may I suggest bringing pens and little notebooks with you to hand out to the children. These children are very poor and may not have access to school supplies.

This list of sights may take you the whole day or it may not. If you have time left, I suggest just walking around and getting lost. At the end of El Andador is the main plaza and the Zocalo. Here, you will find a tourist information booth where you can pick up a map of San Cristobal, if you did not already find one.


Day 3: San Juan Chamula & San Cristobal

From 9am to about 1pm or 2pm, you should be enjoying the wonderfully informative tour to San Juan Chamula.

When you get back from the tour, you will probably be hungry. You will be dropped off at Casa Margarita on Real de Guadalupe. Before leaving to get something to eat, ask the travel agent at Casa Margarita about leaving for Palenque the next day. If you have rented a car ask them for a road map and directions. If you did not rent a car, ask about private transportation to and from Palenque.

Do not stray far from Real de Guadalupe to eat.
The Cerro de Guadalupe is a great place to get a panoramic view of the city and is topped by the Virgen de Guadalupe church. Walking up Real de Guadalupe on your way to the church, don't miss all the lovely shops, especially Nemizapata (#45). This is a store dedicated to the EZLN. This is a revolutionary group of indigenous Chiapans more commonly referred to as Zapatistas. They were once a violent rebel group, but have since turned to more non-violent political means of change. Nemizapata is store selling crafts and paraphernalia made by and supporting the Zapatistas.

Take your time walking up the hill. Make sure you have your camera. You have the rest of the day to stroll around, people watch in the Zocalo or shop.

Day 4: Arrive in Palenque

Palenque is a magical ancient Mayan city located in the jungle about 5 hours from San Cristobal. By far one of the best places to see evidence of the ancient Mayan way of life, you will not want to leave the tranquility offered by the jungle setting.

If you have reserved private transportation to Palenque, just sit back and marvel in the natural beauty.

If you are driving, be careful on the curvy mountain roads and also be careful of the TOPES or speed bumps along the way. You will encounter them entering and leaving any populated area.

On the way, you can stop to eat in the town of Ocosingo and you can also take a short side trip to see the ruins of Tonina. Follow the signs to this lightly visited set of ruins. They are not as large or impressive as Palenque, but they are beautiful in their own right. The best part is you will most likely have the ruins all to yourself to enjoy.

Once you arrive in the unimpressive town of Palenque, follow the signs towards the ruins. The best places to stay while visiting the ruins are an the road to the ruins. The jungle is breathtaking, but don't be alarmed when you hear the low guttural cries of the howler monkeys. Just follow the sounds and look up to find the small black creatures in the trees.

Hotels: there are two really great picks that always have openings. Make your reservations for 2 nights.

Mayabell Carr. Palenque-Ruinas km 6 mayabell82@hotmail.com Cabanas and Rooms $16-37
This is by far one of the best places to stay in Palenque. It is the last accommadations before hitting the ruins. The jungle setting caters to all levels of travel. There is a pool and a very good restaurant.
Chan-kah Resort Village Carr. Palenque-Ruinas km 3.2 www.chan-kah.com Rooms/Suite $105/263
It has a wonderful swimming pool and lush jungle gardens. It includes all the services.

As far as eating, I recommend eating at your hotel and really relaxing, taking in the natural beauty. Get a good night sleep because you will want to wake up early the next day see the expansive ruins before the day gets too hot.

Day 5: Palenque Ruins

Today is the day you are going to see the mystical Mayan city. Wake up early, eat breakfast and make sure you have water because the jungle can get hot. Plan to be at the ruins between 8am and 9am in order to beat the heat. Bring your camera.

The ruins are at the end of the road where you are staying and there is a parking lot. Do not worry about theivery. Most likely a young boy will direct you to a parking spot and promise to watch your car. All he expects in return is 10 or so pesos when you get out. You can also buy him a cold drink. Remember the nicer you are to locals, the nicer they are to you.
If you do not have a car, Volkswagon buses go up and down the road every ten minutes and cost about 3 pesos to take you up to the ruins.

Once at the ruins find a guide. The beauty and grandeur of Palenque is best appreciated with a guide. Mexico has strict standards for archeological guides and most of them are very passionate about their jobs. The earlier you get up to the ruins, the better of a selection you will have. One requirement the Mexican government has for guides is that they speak English, but have a conversation with your guide of choice to make sure you can understand them. Soem guides also speak Italian, French and German.

I have had two guides at Palenque and both are very good. The best guide is Edgar. If you are staying at Mayabell, Edgar sometimes comes by the restaurant in the evening looking for people to do a tour the next day. The other is Raul who wears glasses. There is no way to contact either of them other than trying to find them at the park, but both speka impeccable English. It doesn't matter though, I would say that 90% of the guides at Palenque are really good at their jobs. Prices for the guides can vary a little, but I would say $50 will get you an excellent 3-4 hour tour.

After the ruins, get some water and maybe a little snack form the outside vendors. Head down the road a little ways to the museum. At this point, you may be tired, but the museum is definitely worth the visit and it is air conditioned. It houses all the little artifacts and art from the city.
Then go back to your hotel, change your clothes and relax. Lounge by the pool, take a little stroll through the jungle, take a siesta...you're on vacation!!!
If you did not rent a car, you may want to go into to town and arrange for your transportation back to San Cristobal. There are many travel agencies in town on the main drag. Tell them you want to go to Agua Azul and then San Cristobal in the same day.

Tonight, you can either eat at your hotel or go to El Panchan Carr. Palenque-Ruinas km 4.4. This is a legendary travelers compound that has a good restaurant with live entertainment.

Day 6: Agua Azul to San Cristobal

Today's activity is the main reason I strongly suggest renting a car. On the way back to San Cristobal, you will be visiting the Caribbean-like waters of Agua Azul.

Start heading back to San Cristobal and about an hour from Palenque you will start seeing signs for Agua Azul. You will probably have to pay twice to get into the park-once to the people of the nearby village and once to the park itself-but it is worth it. Agua Azul is a series of turquoise waterfalls littered with natural swimming pools. (Note: during rainy season, May-September, the water will not be turquoise.) This is a popular destination on week-ends and there is a plethora of good places to eat along the river serving mostly fish.
Once you park your car, walk up the trail, taking pictures along the way, until you get to the top of the hill. Here you will find a great swimming hole with a make shift diving board. Common sense says not to linger in too isolated of a spot as to this makes you more vulnerable to theft.

Take your time enjoying this heavenly spot. Just remember that you still have a 3 hour drive back to San Cristobal and you do not want to be driving too much at night. There are bathrooms and showers at Agua Azul where you can change out of your swim suit for the ride back.

You will probably be very tired arriving in San Cristobal. Eat and sleep because your vacation is almost over.

Day 7: San Cristobal to Chiapa de Corzo

Well, it is your last day in Chiapas, so take your time to take it all in one more time.
You can have a lazy morning in San Cristobal. No matter what check-out time is at your hotel, most hotels let you leave your bags at the front desk until you want to leave. You have one last sight to see before saying good-bye to San Cristobal.

El Mercado Municipal. Head up Insurgentes/Utrilla, past Santo Domingo until you reach the busy, hub-bub of the market place. This is where the majority of people in San Cristobal go to buy fruits, vegetables, meat, housewares, fire wood, among other things. It's a pretty chaotic place. The large building to the left of the outdoor section of the market is where meat is sold. Go ahead, walk around, but be careful. The outdoor section of the market is a maze. Don't get lost!!

Now for the remainder of the day there are two choices of activities depending on which mode of transportation you selected.

If you rented your car in Tuxtla:
Head back to Tuxtla at your leisure. On the way, about 30 minutes before arriving in Tuxtla, there is the charming little town of Chiapa de Corzo (follow the signs). It is located on the Rio Grijalva where one can take a river boat tour of the Cañon Sumidero. The boat tours down the river are very nice, the only downfall is that most of boats are not covered and the sun is intense. Unless you have a covered boat, a nice hat, it is cloudy or late enough in the afternoon, I would not recommend taking a boat tour. However, Chiapa de Corzo is a quaint little town to walk around and grab a bite to eat on one of the restaurants on the river bank.

If you did not rent a car:
You can spend the remainder of the day and one more night in San Cristobal. In one of the many travel agencies, you can arrange for private transportation to the airport the next day, if you do not have a very early flight.
OR
You can arrange for a private car to take you to Chiapa de Corzo.

Hotels in Chiapa de Corzo: Since the relocated the airport, staying in Chiapa de Corzo makes the most sense and there is one great hotel with parking and a swimming pool.

Hotel La Ceiba. Av. Domingo Ruiz #300 (2 blks west of the plaza) 011-52-961-616-0773 laceibachiapadecorzo@hotmail.com Rooms $42-47

Day 8: Return home

From Chiapa de Corzo, you are about 30-45 min from the airport. The hotel can get you a taxi if you did not rent a car.

I hope you enjoyed your time in Chiapas.

Chamula y Tuxtla

13 May 2005

I am still in wonderful cool, crisp San Cristobal, Chiapas, Mexico. This is Mayan country and the state used to be part of Guatemala, but somehow Mexico got it. it is a state rich in resources. It has jungle, pine forest, tropic plains, and water, water, water. This has to be the most valuable resource they have considering the majority of the country is suffering from shortages. All in all, Chiapas is a beautiful place and I have gotten to know a few parts of it well in the past couple of weeks.

The first place (outside of San Cristobal) that i got to know is a community called San Juan Chamula. This where I went on the horseback riding tour, but the place was so interesting and my guide so inept, that I went back with a guide who is an anthropologist/sociologist. San Juan Chamula is an amazing place where the Mayan spiritual traditions are very much alive. The women and the men still wear the traditional outfits...heavy wool skirts and tunics with embroidered blouses. The main attraction of San Juan Chamula is the church. Like every other populated area in Mexico the center of town is the catholic church, but unlike every other town, the catholic church in San Juan is anything but catholic.

There are three green crosses outside that are adorned with flower garlands. These crosses are the same crosses that the Spanish found when they came to conquer the people. I would be really interested to know what the Spanish thought when they saw these Mayans praying to a cross. According to my guide, they thought that the conversion process would be easy. All they had to do was put a Jesus on the cross and ya...however it wasn't that easy. The crosses mean something totally different in San Juan and other similar communities. The Mayan people pretended to accept Catholicism. It was kind of easy for them. The saints that the Spanish brought coincided with the deities they already had as did the cross. They pretended to be praying in the catholic way, but instead kept with their own traditions. They hid statues of their deities inside the statues of the saints and built the church. Today, the church does not hold mass and does not have a resident priest. A priest comes from San Cristobal like three times a year to do baptisms and that's it.

The inside of the church is always packed with people. The walls are lined with statues of saints and the floor is covered with candles and offerings...sodas, flowers, poche, eggs, incense, chickens. People kneel in front of the saints chanting their prayers, sometimes with a Mayan priest sometimes not. The church is a sacred place where the people come to do ceremonies...they ask for protection, health, love, fortune and they tolerate the streams of tourists that come in to watch. I wish I could have taken a picture, but it is forbidden inside the church. It was an amazing thing to see...everything on the outside looks so catholic, but everything else even down to the position of the saints in the church is so Mayan. It was awesome.

The other thing that San Juan Chamula has that no other town has is poche. Poche is Mayan whisky and is made from corn and caña, which is sugar cane I think. It is totally a bootleg, moonshine type of whiskey. Where as mezcal from Oaxaca has competing labels and such, poche is only sold in reused water bottles without labels. It tastes exactly like whiskey and I will definitely bring home a bottle or two for all you scotch/whiskey drinkers out there.

It rained yesterday in San Cristobal hard for about an hour. it's funny how amazing rain can be. Even here in San Cristobal where it is chilly and fresh, the rain comes and purifies the air. but, it's in the really hot, land-locked places of Mexico where the rain really is a god send; in places like Oaxaca, Palenque and Tuxtla.

We're now in the part of the story where this white girl tourist strayed from the tourist route and got to know Tuxtla...the hot, hot, hot capital of Chiapas. It's funny because San Cristobal is cold most of the year and Tuxtla is only an hour away, but it is hotter than hell.

So, I met a boy in San Cris, a really nice, cute, artisan boy who makes jewelry and sells it in the market. He asked me out one night and I said yes and now we are dating. His name is Kike (pronounced Kee-kay) and he is tall with long curly hair, dark skin, piercings and tattoos...just my style. He is from Tuxtla, originally, and is also a soccer fanatic. well, fanatic may be too strong of a word, but he loves the sport. After about a week of hanging out in San Cris he asked me if I wanted to go to Tuxtla with him to meet his mom, go to the annual fair and catch a real live professional futbol match. I said, "simon, ese."

Now, a little bit about Chiapas's futbol team, Los Jaguares. at the end of every season here in Mexico, the last place team falls back down to the minor league and a team rises to the professional level. Los Jaguares rose up to the professional level two years ago, so their fan base is very loyal, large and enthusiastic. Even though at the end of this season (the quarter finals are tonight) Los Jaguares finished 14th out of 18 teams, everyone is proud that they weren't last.

Going to the soccer game was a blast. We sat with Kike's banda in the section for all the cheerleaders. There were flags, streamers, drums and songs throughout the entire game. They sang songs that came with dances. They ran around in circles. They drank and of course shouted obscenities at the visiting team. It was awesome and Kike lent me his Jaguares jersey so that i was wearing orange because you can't got to a game without wearing orange. Los Jaguares ended up losing, but they were playing a team that is in the finals, so it's not that sad.

That night we went to the city fair and i got to see another totally Mexican event...the Lucha LIbre. I don't know how many of you are familiar with it, but it is the Mexican version of WWF, but the wrestlers wear elaborate outfits and masks. The match is officially over when one team de-masks their opponent. It is exactly like WWF, fake and ridiculous, but once again I was the ONLY white girl for meters and surrounded by Mexicans screaming obscenities. also very fun.

The most important part of the Tuxtla adventure was going to see Kike's house and meeting his family. He has two sisters, three nieces, two nephews and a mom. His dad died four years ago. It was interesting because whereas in Guatemala I got to see rural poverty (that wasn't that extreme), in Tuxtla I got to see urban poverty. Now, I have no idea what images are running through your heads when you read "urban poverty Mexico" because it isn't that bad. Kike's family is definitely not lacking for any of the basics. They have electricity, cable, cel phones, a steady supply of water, nice clothes, but they live in a semi-dangerous barrio, definitely don't have cars and don't think about traveling. I was welcomed with open arms even though they couldn't quite grasp the fact that I spoke Spanish. They kept asking Kike questions about me and he kept responding, "I don't know. Ask her. She speaks Spanish."

I think the family liked me because they kept asking me when Kike and I were going to get married. One afternoon his mom made me get drunk with her and some of her friends. During that time she introduced me to the lady who would preside over our wedding and another lady who would be the godmother to our children. Kike and I just laughed. I ate a ton of REAL Mexican food. Lots of shrimp, soups, chili, chicken liver (which I didn't eat) and I was almost served tripas which is cow intestine, but we left for San Cristobal before that blessed event. It was a really enriching experience. As Kike said, I got to see how the "normal" Mexicans live and they got to meet and get to know a real, bonafide gringa. It was fun.