SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS - MEXICO

After than a shorter than expected stay in Oaxaca, I took another overnight bus to San Cristobal de las Casas, once again `slumming` it with the rest of Mexico`s `second class` rather than spending the extra money on a tourist bus (first class). This adventure proved quite a mission as I arrived firstly into Tuxtla Guiterrez at around 6am in the morning following another rather sleepless night and then took a `colectivo` for the 2 hour journey to San Cristobal. Although I struggled to keep my eyes open for the entire journey, I was treated to some impressive views as we climbed up the winding mountain road to an altitude of about 2500m.

After another early arrival, I was really exhausted and spent my first day just chilling and having a look at a few of the museums around town, the more interesting of the sites I visited being the Museum of Mayan Medicine and the Amber Museum, both of which were definately worth the 20 peso entry fee, but were definately not worth 21 pesos !!! Still, it was interesting particularly learning about the amber industry in Chiapas; the methods of extraction, means of distinguishing amber from cheap plastic imitations and admiring the very impressive Zapotec sculptures made from amber. I also had a good wander around town, having a look at the Zocalo, churches and other buildings of significance.

On my second day, I visited a small village (San Andres) not far from San Cristobal, in which there wasn`t a lot to see, but the experience was still worth the visit. Highlights from the day were definatley observing the crazy Mayan-Christian religion practiced in the local church. Upon entering I was treated to a face full of pleasantly scented smoke and chanting in some language which I definately know was not spanish. It turns out that the people of Chiapas have created a hybrid religion incorporating both Mayan and Christian beliefs, with certain oddities such as John the Baptist being the second most important figurehead and the belief that Jesus has not risen. The town also offered an insight into the Zapotec `takeover` of regions in Chiapas and of even more interest, the delicate woven handcrafts characteristic of the region. I spent a number of hours scouring the various vendors and managed to pick up a few nice gifts for various people.
My final day in San Cristobal was taken up with a visit to the Cañon del Sumidero, a good 2 hours from the city and a site which I probably should have visited out of Tuxtla Guiterrez instead (hindsight is such a wonderful thing!). The trip was definately worth it and reminded me a lot of the fjords in Norway, with the cañon being (apparently, although this seems a little far fetched to me) in some places around 1000m from the water to the top. Two hours was probably enough as the scenery did become a little monotonous although we did also see a number of examples of the native wildlife on the return trip.

That night I ventured out with another traveller I met during the day and after downing our fair share of Mexican beers in the hostel in which he was staying (much more interesting than my hostel) we went out to a local club. It was ok although the music left a lot to be desired (as per usual) and after a few hours I decided that my `hammock bed` (the hostel was full so I was forced to relocate to the rather chilly outdoor residence) was a slightly more appealing option.

Despite the rave reviews given to San Cristobal, I didn`t think the place was anything amazing and it seemed to be haven for the `alternative, hippy travellers` rather than your mainstream backpackers. Still there were a number of nice sites around the city and the city itself was quite visually appealing and definately warranted a 2 day visit.

Photos 1-4: Cañon del Sumidero.
Photo 5: Views of the city from one of the nearby vantage points.