Mexican Diary 2: Zapatista country

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Our timings on our trip with Louise had gone so well that we had time then to bus down to San Christobal Las Casa for our last few days with her. The bus journey was one of the most stunning I have ever been on - from jungle covered hills, rising steadily through green valleys until we had vistas for miles, the vegetation started to change to conifers and pines, and the air got noticeably colder. Then we arrived in San Christobal De Las Casas.

People had told me that San Christobal was a good place to come and it surely didn´t disappoint. Old colonial buildings set around some large plazas, with nice churches dotted about in the centre and on the surrounding hillside. It was well developed for tourists but didn't feel like it existed solely for them. There were great restaurants, bars and even a few cool social centres - San Christabl is a place that attracts Mexicans with an alternative outlook, not least of course beause this is the city in the centre of Zapatista country. In Lou's last few days we took a tour of the nearby communities around San Christobal - San Juan chamula and Zinacantan. These communities are almost completely autonomous - only people from that community can live there and they have their own leaders (civil and spiritual). They even have their own justice system - the town jail is open for three days a week and criminals first spend a few days here to be shamed and then are forced to be policemen for a designated period of time - now that´s what I call rehabilitation, or is that good career guidance? (for serious crime, people are handed over to the state). Churches are the centre of both communities there but at least one of the communities kicked out their Catholic priest about twenty years ago and practice an animist-catholic mix.

At night in San Christobal there was great live music every night and so we had a few good tequila and dance nights out before Lou had to sadly leave us to get the long bus journed back to Cancun to catch her flight. We really miss her.

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Photos

Inside of a shop in san Christobal
For all your icon and blue teapot needs..

Left half of Funk band
a benefit concert for the people killed by the police in Aticlan, Mexico city, as well as other massacres committed by army and police in Mexico in the last fews years

Photos of the dead
Zapatista communities around San christobal are closed off at the moment of red alert because of the fight in Mexico city and huge demonstrations in Oaxaca

Children mascarade in San Juan Chamula
part of a two-day religious ceremony in one of the autonomous communities we visited

Mayan Crosses infront of church
The conquering Spanish thought these crosses were signs of christianity. But they represent the directions of the universe, pointing to the heavens (up), the land of the living (left and right) and hell (down)

Mayan Crosses and church at Zinacantan
The other community we visited - just in the next valley but with a different dialect, customs and dress.

Our guide Cesar
He was a wealth of information about the cultures and beliefs of both communities - made the tour fascinating. There were just seven of us so too we didn´t feel too imposing.

Local women weaving
In their home in Zinacantan

Comments

[Eva]

que bola?
Hiya! You're there and we're still here and soon Angela's leaving as well and I will be the only one left in Cuba. Well, Carlos is taking care of me very well and I'm sure time will fly and before I know it, I'll be back in Austria again. But enough from me. Mexico sounds great (looks great as well)! You seems to have seen loads of impressive stuff and I'm almost feeling sad about still being in Cuba instead of being in Mexico (or Guatemala now) with you. We are thinking of you and missing you lots! Eva and Angela xxxxx