San Cristóbal de las Casas

The four weeks in Puerto Escondido flew by. I would have loved to stay longer and enjoy the easy surfer life, but I have many places ahead of me, and some of them will also have surf spots. That's why the farewell wasn't so difficult for me. Also because our great group slowly dissolved and everyone went their separate ways. And the constant feeling of 40°-45° is not always pleasant. That's why it's time to go up!

The longest bus ride so far, over 13 hours, took me to the highlands of Chiapas to San Cristóbal de las Casas at an altitude of 2100m. Thanks to little sleep the night before and the quite comfortable buses in Mexico, with plenty of legroom, the trip was quite pleasant.

Upon arrival, the pleasant, expected cool breeze was the first thing I noticed. And the next thing was the incredible coffee from the surrounding area of the city. When prepared correctly, this previously unknown fruity/floral aromas unfold. Amazing! 😋

The city itself is small and charming, with small houses and pretty streets. The food is really good again, and there are many regional products. I could eat crates of mangoes daily.

There are many nature trips to do here, but since I will probably see several lakes and waterfalls, I limited myself to visiting the impressive Cañon del Sumidero. The cliffs tower above the Río Grijalva up to 1000m. By boat, you sail down the river that comes from Guatemala towards the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way, there are crocodiles, monkeys, and many water birds to see. The return trip upstream is quite fast. Two hours in total. The second part went to the Mirador, the viewpoint, high above the canyon, where you also have a spectacular view of the gorge.

A second small trip went with the Taxi Colectivo (minivan) for 90 cents to San Juan Chamula, 30 minutes away. A town where only members of the Tzotzil Mayan tribe live. Actually, there is nothing to see there except the church (you are not allowed to take photos inside), where a mixture of Catholicism and traditional Mayan religion is celebrated. The whole room is full of Catholic saints. However, prayers are said in the traditional Maya way. Occasionally, a chicken is said to be sacrificed in the church, but not when I was there. The floor is covered with pine needles, and tall, thin candles are placed for prayer. A dangerous combination, but the church is still standing. That was all there was to see in the village, and it was time to go back to San Cristóbal to pack for the next destination: Palenque with its great Mayan ruins. Ausserde