San Cristobal ... Insights

Wake up relaxed, hostel coffee, a short chat with the roommates and then at 11 am for the city tour... my schedule for Saturday was quite straightforward. The weather was also cooperating, with glorious sunshine warming the mood. At the central Plaza de la Paz, surprise, the tour guide and tourist group were nowhere to be found. No wonder, as the tour had already started at 10 am.

Following the motto 'A day lost, a day gained', I decided to have breakfast first. Without any pressure, I used the time and focused on my omelette with beans and caramelized bananas instead of the city's history. George Michaels, Adele, and Simply Red were playing from the speakers.

Later, I got into a conversation with Raz from Israel, also very relaxed. He mentioned the afternoon tour to me. So, as planned, I joined the smaller city tour at 5 pm.

Tour guide Lance showed us San Cristobal and talked about the social tensions between the indigenous people and the left-wing Zapatistas on one hand, and the central government on the other. Lance's perspective was strongly influenced by social and environmental movements. The topic of Coca-Cola also came up. Through extensive marketing, the company gained influence in the region and even entered ceremonial Mayan cults, where burping expresses spiritual cleansing. At the same time, the company secured the important water rights in San Cristobal. In my own research online, I also came across massive criticism of the soft drink producer, targeting the massive public health damages caused by type 2 diabetes and obesity in Mexico. It's a whole other story...