Shops in San Cristobal

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SHOPS IN SAN CRIS

Walking the streets of San Cristobal has been delightful!  Many streets in the downtown areas are clean and cobble-stoned or made of geometric pavers.  This town has a sense of pride because it values the international community that frequents the city, and gives them what they want - good food, excellent places to eat & drink, a few museums & galleries, lovely churches, quaint neighborhoods, and a great live music scene! 

I found this Art Gallery (left) at the Del Carmen Cultural Center.  There are NOT the profusion of art, archaeology and cultural venues that were available in Merida, but I am SO much more "at home" here, where I already feel like I am becoming part of the community. Also Merida is HOT and San Cristobal is mostly COLD, although with some lovely days and cool nights, as it is 7,000 feet high in the mountains of Chiapas.

In this Bicycle shop, I found a long-haired "Dread" handily repairing a bike.

I took a picture of the Pachamama Baby Shop but somehow lost the photo.  Luce, the owner was very helpful, so I may go back and try to get another photo.

Down the street in the same neighborhood, between The Church of Guadeloupe and the Guadeloupe Andador, was this flower shop... near the church and designed for church functions - wedding, funerals, etc. 

A different day I went behind the Municipal Open Air Market looking for furniture stores, where artisans make wooden tables, chairs, armoires, etc.

Hardwares

This was in a more "industrial" part of town that was not as clean and nice as downtown, but since I hope to return to San Cris and rent an apartment, I am scouting out things I may need.

Here are a Hardware Store near the Municipal Market and a Vet store with feed and medicine for animals... horses and pigs included.

Also behind the Market are open fire chicken roasting shops.  For non-vegetarians, it looked tasty.

Much more upscale, along the Andador below Santo Domingo are shops of jade, amber, designer clothes and high priced artifacts, such as this stunning Jaguar.


And, of course, for the expats and upper class Mexicans, there are the Supermarkets and Department Stores, such as in the Chedraui Plaza below.

Here are some of my favorite shop signs....

There are lovely hotels and restaurants as well.

La Paloma

Dreams and Realities in San Cris, Part II

ABUELITA (mostly English) BOOKSTORE

 Just a half block off the Guadeloupe Andador (pedestrian street) on Avenida Cristobal Colon in the heart of downtown SAN CRISTOBAL is a sweet little Bookstore with books in several languages (Spanish, French & German) but the largest selection is in English.  The owner, Kris Olmsted, is an American, has lived in San Cristobal for about 5 years, found her Chilean husband through the bookstore (which is a low-key gathering spot for travelers and English speakers) and now has a 6-month old baby.  So her focus is shifting away from business and more towards family.  For this reason, she wants to sell her shop. 

It is a sort of cafe as well as a bookstore, as Kris makes coffee or tea and cookies for her paying customers.   (It could use a small espresso machine).  Abuelita's would give me  a place to land, an opportunity to be a apart of the community with a role to play, and a chance to cover expenses.  A little profit would be an extra bonus!

She has a pre-arranged lease (which costs about $500/mo plus utilities) which includes a small one-bedroom apartment upstairs with covered rooftop terrace.

With unfurnished apartments in Mexico, the tenant is responsible to provide the refrigerator and stove, an extra  expense.... 

One day I visited the bookstore with my guitarist friend, Kevin Walker (who is in town because the music scene is so good here - he can get about 4 gigs per week during tourist seasons - Christmas & Easter times and July & August mostly).  I love the rooftop terrace.  It's a great place for a container garden since it doesn't quite freeze in San Cris, although it's surprisingly chilly most days.  With the rainy season approaching, it's often overcast as well...

The views of town from up there are especially nice ... across clay tile rooftops to the surrounding hills beyond!  

San Cristobal is at the end of the "Gringo Trail" of hippies and tourists who are taking in Palenque (about 5 hours to the north by bus), the tall pine forests and azul waterfalls of Chiapas, or those avoiding the heat of central Mexico and the Yucatan in the summer months.

Kris and Happy Baby

So if all goes well, by 2013 I hope to become the proud owner of Abuelita Books in the international and musical town of San Cristobal, Chiapas!  The name Abuelita is "Grandmother" in Spanish... and  I certainly have that look about me...  So purchasing Abuelita Books and moving to San Cristobal for a couple of years is my newest DREAM!

I would relish a little business opportunity in a clean little Mexican town with great music!  Maybe you'll come visit me there in the coming years....

Downtown San Cristobal - Adelina Flores Street

Dreams And Realities in San Cris, Part I

Cuxtitali

Discovering San Cristobal - April 20, 2012

Barrio Guadeloupe

San Cristobal has been the "Land of Discovery" for me.  Although not everyday am I ready to wander the barrios, churches, hillsides and andadors - my body revolts some days or other activities take priority - but I am loving exploring this town.

At the opposite end of the Guadeloupe Andador from the Zocalo, high above downtown, stands the Templo de Gaudeloupe.  The neighborhood surrounding this lovely church is called Barrio Guadeloupe.  

Templo de Guadeloupe Steps

Guadeloupe Andador

The only way to get to the Church is UP, with steep stairs leading to it from 3 cardinal directions, the most noteworthy being the steps facing the Andador and the Zocalo.

In Guadeloupe's Exquisite Nave is a reclining "Black Jesus".   I'm never sure whether taking pictures in Church is in "bad taste" or not, but if I don't take them, I can't share what I am seeing and experiencing here....  

Guadeloupe Nave

Black Jesus

 From atop Guadeloupe Hill, one can view the other Barrios around it, like Cuxtitali, where I am staying, just ~ 8 blocks from the center of town.  (This neighborhood has wonderful streets made of pavers laid in geometric patterns.)  The views from up here are wonderful!

Calzada La Quinta

     

Barrio Cuxtitali

  

Street Graffiti in San Cris

STREET GRAFFITI

One of the most striking effects seen immediately in San Cristobal, Chiapas is the STREET GRAFFITI.  Some of it is quite good and alot is simple "tagging" and quite an eye-sore.  But it is ubiquitous!

The top one I found on my way to the Municipal market, referred to in the last post. The one to the right was found downtown, below the Zocalo.

Here's a colorful one near where I am staying (below).

To put the tagging in context, I took a photo from the park of Templo del Cerrillo, behind Santo Domingo Church, which you see in the distance, and where the biggest artisan market in town is set up daily with an even bigger version on the weekends.










Below is one of my favorites in green.

I even found a Graffiti Artist in the act one Saturday, as he designed a sexy black and white piece of art.  Sorry it's so hard to see... if I go back that way I'll get a better picture of the finished work and add it later...


Here's one that has faded over time but still looks good (above).




But by far the most prevalent is the lousy vandalism tagging sort, I'm sorry to say.

Street Graffiti seems to be an accepted part of the culture.  The artist above did not have to hide in the shadow of night and was happy to let me photograph him.  I wonder what it would cost to get an artist to do a wall mural???

MORE GRAFITTI  :