http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from North America , Mexico , Chiapas en-us Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:12:28 BST Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:12:28 BST Well I left Nicola in Palenque so coming to San Cristobal a couple of days ago was my first solo travelling since being in Mexico. Upon arrival at the hostel I joined in on a slasa class which is my third since being in mexico so definitely improving. I hope to do a few more as I continue to get to some sort of a standard. San Cristobal is very colonial and reminded me of the north India town o http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/San-Cristobal-de-las-Casas/blog-303358.html The other water features I visted were Agua Azul and Misol Ha. Misol Ha was a stunning waterfall that one could walk behind and get refreshed by the spray. Agua Azul was a series of falls that was once again set in the jungle. It was extremely dramatic due to the obvious force the river had forming the falls over huge rocks. I loved the huge trees that were groing alongside the bank and anted to http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/Agua-Azul/blog-303341.html Palenque was the site of these incredible and vast Mayan ruins a city to rival Guatamala's Tikal which I will visit at the end of my trip. I got to explore them the first day we arrived and although it was raining for most of the day I was still awestruck. I'm afraid I have no words to do them justice but I spent a good three hours exploring all the ruins and the surrounding jungle whcih giv http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/Palenque/blog-303328.html I have the Sunny Yucatan state. We visited Isla Holbox in our first travelling from Merida an island just off the North of Cancun. Holbox as lovely a true paradise except for the incessant biting of the snad flies who make the mosquito seem saintly. We did our first bit of beaching around and enjoying a carribean blue sea. From Holbox we carried onto Tulum where we proceeded to truely relax. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/El-Panchan/blog-303320.html Efter en haesblaesende bustur i bjergene naaede vi frem til det beroemte San Cristobal de las Casas en rigtig gammel mexicansk hyggeby oppe i bjergene. Byen har vaeret omdrejningspunkt for zapatistbevaegelsen og der har foer vaeret en del ballade. Vi oplevede dog intet farligt i den retning. Da vi ankom travede vi rundt i gaderne for at finde et vaerelse...til sidst fandt vi dog et... ikke saer http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/San-Cristobal-de-las-Casas/blog-302336.html After being here for a little less than two weeks things are finally starting to fall into place. What is taken for granted in the U.S. cannot be in Mexico. Sometimes this is downright charming and in other cases one is left wondering what to think.Perros de la calleor Dogs of the streetMario had told Tessa and I stories about or more correctly stated cautioned us about the dogs in small town http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/San-Cristobal-de-las-Casas/blog-301587.html Efter en 12 timers udemaerket bustur ankom vi lettere forvirrede og morgentraette til Palenque Pueblo busstation kl 7 om morgenen. Vi var naermest ikke traadt ud af bussen foer vi blev hevet og flaaet i fra alle sider af ivirige tourguider og hotelejere og da vi jo som sagt havde tilbragt 12 timer i en bus var vi maaske overraskende nok ikke helt klare i knolden saa vi endte med at sige ja t http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/Palenque/blog-300766.html Before we go anywhere I want you to cast your minds back to a distant tiime in Venus Bay Australia when Richard was practising baby care on a joey wombat in readiness for the arrival of our brand new niece or nephew. Well were pleased to say that little Iona Jade is now safely with us. We were in the land of the Mayans when we heard the news and as jade was the Mayans most precious materi http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/Sumidero-Canyon/blog-300202.html Day 11 Thursday 10th July Palenque Mayan Ruins some impressive waterfallsBooked my onward bus ticket out of Palenque for 9pm this evening I'd been tipped off by an Austrian guy in Mexican City that there wasn't anything other than the ruins to see here so to stay only a day at most. So when I arrived at my hostel last night to be offered a tour of the ruins and some local watefalls that f http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/Palenque/blog-298954.html Just so everyone knows this is Jess and Rach typing these blogs Rach types Jess dictates So from where we left off we have since gone to quite a few other places.We caught a bus to Puebla Jess and I thought wed be catching local buses but to our delight this has meant 1st class seat reclining air conditioned luxury buses. with movies in spanish and much more leg room than a plane http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/San-Cristobal-de-las-Casas/blog-298915.html Day 9 Tuesday 8th July Shattered at the end of a long bus journeyArrive 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 http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/San-Cristobal-de-las-Casas/blog-297631.html Hola amigos and bienvenidos to the mexican leg of our cycle jaunt. We start off in Cancun and oo it ain't 'arf 'ot. Except in our room in Casa Mexico Tipico where it is just about subzero. We are staying with Hilda her family and Pepita the chihuahua. Hilda's mother is a music teacher and we are entertained by a parade of young pianists percusionists and guitarists. All is not harmony http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/Palenque/blog-297202.html This last month has been pretty busy taking buses all over the southern part of this huge country. From Morelia we left at four in the morning to take a bus to Mexico City and from there about eight hours to Oaxaca city. The first classes buses here are more like airplanes airconditioned and comfortable with bathrooms and movies and everything. In Oaxaca City we stayed in an awesome host http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/blog-295063.html So here I am back in Mexico with my backpack on my back all 15kgs of it and the wind blowing the wrong way for the sun to shine at me I hate the cold Brr its like September in England when I have to control myself against putting on my scarf and gloves 2 months too early Athough saying that the sun is actually shining as I type WoohooI managed to do absolutely nothing at all interesting o http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/San-Cristobal-de-las-Casas/blog-295026.html We learned a quick lesson today that in central America your hotel need not have a shower as at this time of year nature is quite capable of providing one for you. We got off our bus and realised it was definitely air conditioned a heat wave hit us as we exited in the small town of Palenque. We have dropped down in altitude now from Mexico city and San Cristobal de las Casas and finally Leanne http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/Palenque/blog-291746.html We have had many a traffic story but we would like to note our ride to Lima Airport with a wannabe rally driver was possibly the worst and even Leanne yelling at him didnt seem to slow him down.It was exciting to arrive in Mexico to start our new adventure. the is something about an international plane journey and a new location that rejuvenates that going on holiday feeling. Too many times http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/San-Cristobal-de-las-Casas/blog-291362.html Id heard that San Cristobal de las Cases was and amazing place but little did i realise just how amazing. This town has such a blend of culture art history and an incredible energy. At the weekend the streets teem with theatre and music from rap stand offs to pan pipe bands. The bars clear the tables for acrobatic shows salsa lessons and bands play rock to reggae into the night. Mayan villagers http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/San-Cristobal-de-las-Casas/blog-291320.html Well it just gets better and better San Cristobal de las Casas SC is a beautiful small town in the Chiapas region of Mexico with a lot of history famous for itlsquos Amber organic coffee. Itlsquos home to the Mayan people called indigenous people rather than Mestizo who are the mixed race folk with Spanish ancestry. A colourful great place to chill out and enjoy real Mexicana w http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/blog-288211.html 18th May 6 months exactly since we started the adventure and what a weird day We leave Hong Kong at 1135am and get to San Francisco at 0830am the same day after an 11.5 hour flight Have crossed the international date line. By the time we get to Mexico City MC at 600pm we have been up for 24 hoursWersquore staying at Mexico City Hostel in the heart of the city near the Zocalo a Mexica http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/San-Cristobal-de-las-Casas/blog-283479.html Hello to all you loyal readers Before I start I think its worth mentioning that all your comments are well appreciated. We notice when we haven't blogged for awhile because those friendly reminders of our kin back home and around the world aren't quite so present in our lives. We love those bits and pieces that bounce back at us from these. LoveOn with the storyhellip Just over two weeks ago http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/Agua-Azul/blog-279221.html Hola de nuevo a todo el mundo. Atras dejamos Centro America y entramos a Mexico lindo concretamente al estado de Chiapas y a la preciosas ciudad colonial testigo del levantamiento zapatista de 1994 San Cristobal de Las Casas. Llegamos a un hostal muy majete donde conocimos a un yanki rojo llamado Marcus si si llevaba viajando muchos aos a base de prestamos para estudiante que no pensaba paga http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/San-Cristobal-de-las-Casas/blog-274869.html San Cristobal de Las Casas is a colonial town that is quite small and so perfect for walking. It also has a very pleasant microclimat which means you dont have to sweat anymore Woohoo Needless to say we loved it straight away because we could finally breath some fresh air and walk around the town without constantly trying to find the shade. Other than the perfect temperature San Cristobal is http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/San-Cristobal-de-las-Casas/blog-274515.html Leaving the Yucatan Peninsula and getting into Chiapas was like entering another country one that is more green hilly and simply more Mexican. It felt so much better when I could see whole Mexican families how they eat have fun and even do touristy stuff. The thing is there really arent that many white tourists here which is strange and quite refreshing at the same time. It forces you to le http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/Palenque/blog-273310.html Firstly an apology for not filling you in on all the travel gossip for the past 2 weeks ish. The last hostel didnt have free internet so...not a great excuse but we like itWeve been a pair of busy bees....Mexico CityWe visited the pyramids at Teotihuacan after a trip to an obsidian workshop where they plied us with shots of tequila and mezcal at 11am in the morning. We walked up the py http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/San-Cristobal-de-las-Casas/blog-272028.html Palenque is a small town in the Southern Mexican state of Chiapas near the border with Guatemala. Its more Central American than Mexican as its surrounded by thick green jungle and humidity you almost have to swim through. The main draw here is a set of ruins built by the Mayans that have been absorbed into the jungle and untouched for a very long time. They were good to wander around for a http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/Palenque/blog-270088.html Nyt olenkin jo Meksikossa tosin ainakin tarkoituksena on viela tehda kierros Guatemalan kautta ennen Cancuniin menoa mutta sen nakee sitten miten siina hommassa kay. San Salvadorissa vierahti sitten pari paivaa kun tapasin hostellilla mukavan Sveitsilaisen Michaelin jonka kanssa kaytiin tutustumassa myos San Salvadorin yoelamaan. Muita valkoihoisia ei juuri missaan nakynyt ja saimmekin osaksemm http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/San-Cristobal-de-las-Casas/blog-269326.html This blogging thing takes a lot of work it seems or at least a longish attention span. Have been moving around a bunch since the last post but have been having some trouble finding computers that are good with the photos. The week of Spanish classes went greatwhile in Guatemala. Then I left for San Cristobal Mexico and no ones been able to understand a word Ive been saying since.Before http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/San-Cristobal-de-las-Casas/blog-265087.html Flash followed but a roaring billowing BOOM. The lightning is close very close. The sky is a constant flicker of light as sparks jump through the clouds. A heavy rain pitter patters on the aluminum roof of the truck. We just cooked a vegetable pasta dinner in the most extreme cooking conditions of my life. We were able to get the stove started on the tail gate just before the storm hit. i http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/Palenque/blog-264453.html The tranquil roar of rushing rapids over limestone fills my ears and penetrates deep into my core washing away my worries and letting some calming peace flow in. Fireflies dance in the night sky as Orion creeps out from behind the jungle canopy. It's safe to say that this is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. With our hammocks strung between a couple rocks near the river we rela http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/Agua-Azul/blog-264444.html 105610911080108510991088109110801085109910881091108010851099... 1057 1091109010881072 10841099 10861090108710881072107410801083108010891100 10851072 Chiapas Ruins. 105310721088108610761091 1073109910831086 10861095107710851100 10841085108 http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Chiapas/El-Panchan/blog-263037.html