Saturday I joined a guided tour to the nearby native towns of Chamula & Zinacantan, about five miles from San Cristobal.
Chamula, at 80,000 population the bigger of the two, is home to a Mayan tribe called the Sotsil who have their own particular dress, religious customs, and language. The town features a small market, a municipal government building, and a large central square.
At the center of town is a medium size cathedral where the locals pay polytheistic tribute to a number of gods, spirits, and Catholic saints.
The floor of the cathedral is covered in pine needles as families gather around on their knees in small groups to light candles and worship.
Women wear distinctive black wool skirts and colorful woven tops, and some men wear black wool tunics over jeans or trousers.
The Vatican hierarchy has no direct or indirect control over this unique church but sends a priest once a month to baptize the children.
People were very welcoming and friendly to our group under English speaking guide Cesar who conducted a highly professional and informative tour. My group of about a dozen came from Holland, Germany, and France.
Zinacantan--population 30,000--is home to the same Sotsil tribe but its cathedral is much more mainstream.
In this town we visited the home of a family of textile weavers and watched as they worked their loom and prepare tortillas for the next meal.
Cesar was an excellent guide but he was very critical of Western missionaries who come to communities such as these to 'change the culture' as he described it.
For my part, I was happy to have a local act as my own medium to a fascinating minority culture that otherwise would've been a complete mystery to me.
Showing posts with label Maya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maya. Show all posts
Monday, August 20, 2012
Monday, August 13, 2012
San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas State
In beautiful San Cristobal de las Casas I have found this year's ¨place that sticks¨.
Though only slightly under a hundred miles south/southeast of Palenque, the bus trip took almost six hours over rugged mountain terrain covered in thick jungle and pine forest.
Anyone who has visited northern Thailand will notice the similarities. The villages we passed through are some of the poorest in Mexico, inhabited largely by today's descendants of the Maya Indians who live in unfinished wooden houses, some with dirt floors, but surrounded by some of the most beautiful country imaginable.
I'm back in my element here.
San Cristobal, the main market town in the region, is not actually the capital of Chiapas state--as I mistakenly wrote a few days ago. (Tuxtla Gutierrez holds that honor.) But it probably is the most picturesque city for miles around, so accordingly I was up early for the photographer's ¨golden hour¨ between 8.00 and 10.00 to catch the town at its finest with my digital camera.
I'll stay here at least another few days and will continue to post my observations, so check back again in a day or two. . .
Though only slightly under a hundred miles south/southeast of Palenque, the bus trip took almost six hours over rugged mountain terrain covered in thick jungle and pine forest.
Anyone who has visited northern Thailand will notice the similarities. The villages we passed through are some of the poorest in Mexico, inhabited largely by today's descendants of the Maya Indians who live in unfinished wooden houses, some with dirt floors, but surrounded by some of the most beautiful country imaginable.
I'm back in my element here.
San Cristobal, the main market town in the region, is not actually the capital of Chiapas state--as I mistakenly wrote a few days ago. (Tuxtla Gutierrez holds that honor.) But it probably is the most picturesque city for miles around, so accordingly I was up early for the photographer's ¨golden hour¨ between 8.00 and 10.00 to catch the town at its finest with my digital camera.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Copan to La Antigua
Finding myself hardly in the mood Thursday morning for a six hour microbus trip I stayed in Copan another night, and I'm glad I did since my ticket to the ruins was also good for a secondary site further down the road, Las Sepulturas, which experts theorize may have been housing for the ancient Maya civilization's power elite.
Though smaller than the primary site, Las Sepulturas in its way is even more impressive. Almost completely shrouded in jungle growth along a couple dirt trails, these ruins capture the imagination in ways the more touristed main area doesn't. As I was busy snapping away with my camera, and filling my memory card in the process, it occurred to me that kids would love this place. In a setting out of an Indiana Jones flick, on ruins where one can easily climb to the top and be master of all one sees, children can fancy themselves warrior princes and princessess from another millenium.
The mosquitos, however, were vicious. Located on lower ground than the main site and close to the winding Copan River, swarms of them lie in wait for the instant you stop to take a photo. And these suckers can bite through denim! Experts remain puzzled about the reasons for the sudden decline of the Maya. Could the lowly mosquito have played a bit part?
Yesterday's bus ride was relatively easy and uneventful as I shared a micro with a British couple and a German woman. We had the whole van to ourselves, and apart from some Friday evening traffic snarls in Guatemala City, everything went smoothly and we were only half an hour late.
Antigua, yet another Central American capital, is a classic destination in these parts. Even though there are tons of tourists here and the prices are higher than elsewhere, I'm glad to be back for a return visit to swim in the town's lovely charms. Because this capital city had more staying power than other towns like Gracias, it's larger in area and has many more architectural marvels. If I can buy a new memory card I'll probably go hog wild with the camera here too.
The timing of my arrival here may be fortuitous as tomorrow, Sunday, is one of the market days of Chichicastenango, which is only a couple hours northwest of here. I'm looking into joining a $10 day tour so I can remain based in Antigua.
Though smaller than the primary site, Las Sepulturas in its way is even more impressive. Almost completely shrouded in jungle growth along a couple dirt trails, these ruins capture the imagination in ways the more touristed main area doesn't. As I was busy snapping away with my camera, and filling my memory card in the process, it occurred to me that kids would love this place. In a setting out of an Indiana Jones flick, on ruins where one can easily climb to the top and be master of all one sees, children can fancy themselves warrior princes and princessess from another millenium.
The mosquitos, however, were vicious. Located on lower ground than the main site and close to the winding Copan River, swarms of them lie in wait for the instant you stop to take a photo. And these suckers can bite through denim! Experts remain puzzled about the reasons for the sudden decline of the Maya. Could the lowly mosquito have played a bit part?
Yesterday's bus ride was relatively easy and uneventful as I shared a micro with a British couple and a German woman. We had the whole van to ourselves, and apart from some Friday evening traffic snarls in Guatemala City, everything went smoothly and we were only half an hour late.
Antigua, yet another Central American capital, is a classic destination in these parts. Even though there are tons of tourists here and the prices are higher than elsewhere, I'm glad to be back for a return visit to swim in the town's lovely charms. Because this capital city had more staying power than other towns like Gracias, it's larger in area and has many more architectural marvels. If I can buy a new memory card I'll probably go hog wild with the camera here too.
The timing of my arrival here may be fortuitous as tomorrow, Sunday, is one of the market days of Chichicastenango, which is only a couple hours northwest of here. I'm looking into joining a $10 day tour so I can remain based in Antigua.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Unanticipated Honduras Leg Adds Excitement
We've had fairly steady rains for three days straight in northwestern Nicaragua, southern Honduras, and eastern El Salvador, but meanwhile I've managed to cover some miles the past two days, and I've fixed an itinerary for the coming week.
With the postponement of the Costa Rica leg, a new Honduran leg becomes feasible, even desirable. Apart from two recent transit trips through Choluteca and a brief visit to Copan Ruinas in 2008, this will be my first extended visit, so as always with a new place, I feel excited.
After a day or two in Perquin, to begin hopefully tomorrow, I can continue north on that road to Sabanetas at the Honduran border which will place me in western Honduras. The first big town on that road is Marcala.
Continuing further northwest will bring me to the the colonial town of Gracias, founded in the 16th century, another of the many Spanish capitals dotting Central America. The Lonely Planet tells me this region is seldom visited by the tourist, but that it's even more charming for that reason. This is relatively high country, surrounded by beautiful mountains and populated with friendly rural folk.
From Gracias the road winds up in Santa Rosa de Copan which-- the Lonely Planet warns--is still some hours from the famous Copan Ruinas, which is another primary destination for me. Though I visited this massive Mayan attraction two years ago, the archaeological site is so impressive and well preserved that I feel I should pass through again in order to get some photos.
From Copan Ruinas, the Guatemalan border is just ten minutes away, so I can cross back there, take a bus to Antigua, and hopefully have time to visit Chichicastenango before wrapping up this trip.
With the postponement of the Costa Rica leg, a new Honduran leg becomes feasible, even desirable. Apart from two recent transit trips through Choluteca and a brief visit to Copan Ruinas in 2008, this will be my first extended visit, so as always with a new place, I feel excited.
After a day or two in Perquin, to begin hopefully tomorrow, I can continue north on that road to Sabanetas at the Honduran border which will place me in western Honduras. The first big town on that road is Marcala.
Continuing further northwest will bring me to the the colonial town of Gracias, founded in the 16th century, another of the many Spanish capitals dotting Central America. The Lonely Planet tells me this region is seldom visited by the tourist, but that it's even more charming for that reason. This is relatively high country, surrounded by beautiful mountains and populated with friendly rural folk.
From Gracias the road winds up in Santa Rosa de Copan which-- the Lonely Planet warns--is still some hours from the famous Copan Ruinas, which is another primary destination for me. Though I visited this massive Mayan attraction two years ago, the archaeological site is so impressive and well preserved that I feel I should pass through again in order to get some photos.
From Copan Ruinas, the Guatemalan border is just ten minutes away, so I can cross back there, take a bus to Antigua, and hopefully have time to visit Chichicastenango before wrapping up this trip.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Projected Itinerary Beyond Perquin
Following Perquin I may re-enter Honduras and travel by back roads to re-visit the Mayan ruins at Copan. This is worth another look for me because this time I will be able to take photos, unlike when I made the journey there in August 2008. Alternatively, I can reach Copan by traveling to the El Salvador/Guatemala border near Esquipulas then cross to Honduras from there.
At that point I anticipate traveling by microbus from Copan to La Antigua de Guatemala, a six hour trip which is the reverse of the one I did in 2008. From Antigua I can make connections to Chichicastenango and other towns further northwest.
That will pretty much wrap things up for me for this round of Central American travel. As of today I have just over three weeks to catch my flight back to the U.S.
At that point I anticipate traveling by microbus from Copan to La Antigua de Guatemala, a six hour trip which is the reverse of the one I did in 2008. From Antigua I can make connections to Chichicastenango and other towns further northwest.
That will pretty much wrap things up for me for this round of Central American travel. As of today I have just over three weeks to catch my flight back to the U.S.
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