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Published: July 13th 2008
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Day 9: Tuesday 8th July - Shattered at the end of a long bus journey
Arrive in San Cristobal at 8am at the end of a gruelling 11 hour bus journey. A young mexican boy of no more than 6 decided that my leg would be a good pillow for the journey, consequently when I get off the bus I have a dead leg!! I didn't have the heart to move him....he was too cute.
After checking in to my hostel and freshening up I wander around the city for a few hours. San Cristobal is up in the mountains and was designed as a Spanish stronghold against a local hostile indigenous population. It is a lot cooler than Oaxaca, not surprising given it is 7000 feet up, but also a factor of a rather overcast day. The city is compact, full of colourful buildings and very colonial in its feel.....I lose count of how many churches I walk past.
Throw in the towel in the early afternoon and head back to the hostel....I've got no energy after that bus journey and need to sleep. End up having a 14 hour power nap (Pauly you'll know all about
those....remember Florida 2003??!!)
Day 10: Wednesday 9th July - A Visit to an indigenous Mayan village
After a lazy start to the day, catch a collectivo van to San Juan Chamula. Debated whether to get a tour for ease and to learn a bit more about the surrounding indigenous villages but in the end decide to go independently. Chamula is 10km from San Cristobal and it takes around 20 mins to get there. Visit the Iglesia de San Juan Bautista which is a humbling experience. The floor of the church is covered in pine needles and the walls must be lined with literally thousands of candles. On the floor Local Tzotils (The indigenous Mayan tribe) have cleared circles in the pine needles and put up to 50 candles down, and are undertaking a ritual invloving the candles, chanting/singing and drinks which they are getting blessed? It has to be seen to be believed but must be one of the strangest things I've witnessed in any place of worship anywhere in the world.
My ticket to the Church includes entrance to a local museum which shows village life - Chamula is only a village so it can't be
that hard to find or so I thought! After asking a number of locals all I find is a poor imitation of a museum which bears a closer resemblance to a scrap yard!! I poke my head in the entrance and a Mexican guy tells me its 10 pesos to look around his yard of junk!! .....No thanks. Accept defeat in my search for the Museum and head back to San Cristobal.
Spend whats left of the afternoon lazing around the hostel waiting for a bus which leaves for my next stop, Palenque at 6pm. Manage to avoid one mighty downpour, which turns the street outside the hostel into a small river! The bus journey takes 5 hours to negotiate only 200km due to there being more speedhumps in the state of Chiapas than there are traffic calming measures in Castelfields Estate Prudhoe! (thats a few by the way) Arrive at Palenque not far short of midnight and wander the scruffy streets looking for a hostel. Its the first time I haven't booked one ahead - starting to feel like a real traveller now! Find one pretty quick, but have to wake the owner.
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