March 1999 and a few languidly pleasant days were spent absorbing the unique ambience of San Cristobal de las Casas, deep in the south of Mexico. The amalgam of the ubiquitous Spanish colonial architecture and indigenous Mayans wandering amongst made this town a standard stopover enroute to or from Guatemala. In the interim, European chic came to town and decided to stay. The resultant love child may be mourned by some who bemoan the myriad of trendy bars, cafes, restaurants and boutiques now operating behind the colonial facades, but not us, we thrived on it. The sight of gritty indigenous street venders cohorting tourists directly in front of some of these edgy establishments is a sight for jaded tourist eyes. VIVA la Juxtaposition! This week the town was packed with visitors, mostly Mexican but also a
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