San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas

Despues de subir a las montanias de nuevo (2,100 metros) en San Cristobal nos quedamos en un hotelito con estacionamiento a dos cuadras del zocalo. Es la primera vez desde New Orleans que no dormimos en la camioneta! De nuevo, Mateo estaba muy feliz con la TV (pero esta vez no hay control remoto!). Es una cuidad muy linda y este lugar da para caminar y caminar, y todavia no lo podes conocer todo. Es un lugar muy lindo, colonial y a la vez muy indigena. La primera noche, mientras los nenes miraban King Kong en la tele, salimos a escuchar musica cubana en vivo en un lugar cerca del hotel, y habia mucha gente joven. Aca hay muchos estudiantes de todos tipos, y muchos extranjeros. El otro dia nos levantamos temprano y salimos a recorrer. Primero fuimos al barrio del Templo de Guadelupe, que esta en un cerrito y desde alli pudimos ver la cuidad. Despues fuimos a un mercado de artesanias, y visitamos una cooperative de mujeres tejadoras y vimos unas telas con colores maravillosos. Comimos unas sopas (de camarron y de pollo) y un mole en el mercado que estaban muy ricos, y nos cagamos de risa con las mujeres y nenas que trabajaban alli. Despues de tarde fuimos a un teatro donde estaban tocando musica unos estudiantes, y aunque la musica no era tan buena nos divertimos muchisimo! Gustavo hasta gano un CD de la musica de uno de los grupos, asi que con suerte despues lo pueden escuchar! Al otro dia nos levantamos temprano para empezar el viaje a Guatemala y nos despedimos de Miriam y Sergio. Ellos se van a quedar un tiempo mas en San Cristobal, antes de ir para la costa buscando el calorcito de nuevo. Fue medio triste para todos despedirse, porque pasamos tan buenos momentos con esta gente increible; pero sabemos que algun dia nos vamos a volver a ver, en Punta del Diablo, Espania, o algun otro lugar en el medio….
After another ascent into the mountains, we arrived at San Cristobal de Las Casas (2,100 metres) and were surprised at how cold it was. We quickly found a reasonably priced hotel with parking just a couple of blocks from the main square. This is our first time in a hotel since New Orleans, if you can believe it! The kids had fun spreading out on real beds and watching Mexican TV (but this time without a remote control). We spent the first evening walking the streets of San Cristobal, taking in the sites. What a beautiful city, founded in 1538 and named after Bartolome de las Casas, who was known as a champion of Indigenous rights (or at least, as much as a Spanish Friar could be at that time). These days there seems to be a lefty/organic-themed kind of tourism here. San Cristobal is a fabulous city nestled in a big valley, and despite the fact that it seems a bit overrun by foreigners it is a shame that we couldn’t spend more time here. At night after dinner, King Kong was on TV for the kids, so we went around the corner to a bar that brews their own beer for a bit to listen to some live Cuban music. The next morning we woke up early to bright mountain sunlight and started our day with a locally grown coffee and a walk to the Templo de Guadelupe, and then over to the market district. We spent the entire day just wandering the streets and appreciating how the colonial architecture mixes with indigenous Mayan culture. We stopped in at a women’s weaving cooperative and admired the beautiful fabrics, and stopped for lunch at a comedor in the market, where we joked around with the women and girls who ran the place. Eating in the market gets you a fabulous and filling lunch for about $3.50! In the evening, we went to a downtown theatre where there was a musical show put on by some local music students. We were the only people there who didn’t seem to be related to the musicians in some way, and despite the fact that the music left a lot to be desired (the Mexican equivalent of country and western love songs!) it was an interesting experience. Gustavo even won a CD! The next morning we woke up early to get head start on our trip to the border and beyond, and said a final goodbye to our good friends Sergio and Miriam, who are going to stay in San Cristobal for a bit before heading to the coast to get warm again. They are incredible people and I am sure we will meet them again someday, whether it is in Uruguay, Spain or somewhere else.