SAN CRISTOBAL, CHIAPAS

I have GOT to talk about San Cristobal, “the Magic City” as they call it! 

I  hope to go back and discuss Mayan sites that I have not had time to process for blogging yet, but IN THE MOMENT, I am in San Cristobal, city of hills...

I arrived from Palenque with the sniffles which quickly turned into a full blown flu, complete with torrents of mucus followed by stomach cramps, all of which progressed intermittently for a week, leaving me weak and wobbly...  

Municipal Market

Today, the Saturday before Easter, it was my first day out and about.  After the thick morning fog cleared, and a hot shower, I began the day by heading out to market on foot,  approximately 6+ blocks along new territory to explore...

What I found was a sprawling, dirty, crowded and overwhelming market scene with considerable numbers of people and things, all pressed into a surprisingly compact space.  The market was muddy, as yesterday had brought much traffic and strong rains.

Market Video Games

There were aisles upon aisles of vendors with pyramids of tomatoes and peppers, potatoes and onions,  limes and mangoes, bananas and strawberries, blankets and baby clothes, tools and toys, candles and  metalware,  jeans and blouses, sewn curtains and hand weavings, plastic trinkets and kitchenware, all interspersed with an assortment of "strange" foods I could only guess at…  

Behind the Market

The entire market was like a labyrinth of passageways that I followed rather randomly, just trying to get a handle on where I was, wanting an overview of what could be bought there, and looking for an exit, picking up a few goodies along the way – a papaya, some ginger, mustard greens and potatoes, slices of watermelon, and a pretty plant for my balcony garden bed. That was about all I could carry, so when my camera malfunctioned, I figured it was time to take my treasures...

Tapachula Street in front of Casa Morada Apts.

...and beat a hasty retreat.  Luckily my instincts were good that day, as I successfully exited the market in a different place than I had entered and did not get turned around. Thankfully, the hills, visible all around the city, gave bearing, so I headed in the right direction and soon was “home” to my little rented studio apartment.



Unloading my satchels left me feeling surprisingly exhausted, although I had only been gone somewhat over an hour.  That week of sickness had obviously taken a toll on my strength, so I retreated to my bed and slept for a couple of hours.

Casa Morada #4

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Upon waking, I snuggled up with a guide book on Chiapas to see what it had to say about San Cristobal.  After reading about the Zapatistas' takeover of San Cristobal on New Year’s Day 1994 and the struggles with the government that ensued, I gained a healthy respect for the peaceful feeling of safety that is evident on the streets of this laid-back town of 31,000 inhabitants today!  A full quarter of the population in town are indigenous, while the surrounding hills are predominantly indigenous... the Tzeltal, the Tzotzil, the Lancandon and Chuj, plus many more tribes, each with their own language, which has forced them at times, to fall back on Spanish as a common tongue....

Santo Domingo

Reading further, I discovered that the "prettiest" church in town is Templo de Santo Domingo, which is said to be at its best glow with the rays of the afternoon sun.  Scrambling through my maps to find its location, it turned out to be about the same distance as the market - 6 to 8 blocks - but in a different direction.  My strength renewed by my nap, I strapped on my water bottle, tucked away a jacket in case I stayed out late, threw a sarong across my shoulders, grabbed my purse, double locked my way out of the apartment compound, and headed off, with a pretty good idea of where I was going.  Clouds were gathering in the sky but they luckily held off for the remainder of the afternoon and evening.

Arriving at Templo Santo Domingo, I was surprised to discover that there was a MAJOR Artesanias market surrounding the church with neat rows of amber bracelets and woven goods, turquoise and trinkets, bright colored grasses and feathers – a delightful array of hand-made goods of all sorts!

Santo Domingo Artesan Market

In fact it was hard to see the church through the canopies of booths!  Charmed by so much lovely workmanship, I had to snap up a few goodies as keepsakes and gifts. 

Wading through the crafts fair, I found myself at the top of a pedestrian mall of a street, swarming with Semana Santa crowds on the Saturday before Easter.  

The Cathedral across from the Square

Pedestrian Mall w. Burger King to the Left

Following the throng, I descended the avenue, noting a few choice stores along the way until I came upon a fully costumed Mayan man posing for photos in the doorway of a local Theatre presenting “Palenque Rojo”.  Delighted, I spoke with the Moroccan woman who was selling tickets to the show.  Armed with knowledge of the cost of the tickets and the time of the show, I resolved to return in a couple of hours.

The crowded pedestrian avenue led straight to the Zocalo, or Central Square, where the Cathedral and stately Government buildings surrounded a lovely park with a central Gazebo from which was coming the lilting strains of lovely marimba music.  

     

Gazebo at the Zocalo, Easter Weekend

Marimba Band in Gazebo

I circled the gazebo until I found the stairs which led up to the tables of a café where a 5 piece band was playing.  Choosing to stay and listen to the band, I ordered a mocha coffee and watched 2 master marimba players, a saxophone player, a guitarist and the drummer perform their magic while I sipped my late afternoon brew, thoroughly enjoying my perch atop the plaza.

Music in the Park for Easter Weekend

A few songs more and the band quit to give way to the Easter Music in the Park program of more staid classical Mexican music that was happening in front of the Governor’s Palace. Because I was low on cash, I found an ATM in the square and returned to listen to this music until it was time to wonder back up the avenue for the 8:00pm “Palenque Rojo” theatrical show.



I arrived in time for a front row seat, and chatted with the Swedish woman next to me who was on a week’s vacation from her Embassy job in Mexico City, wishing she had longer...

The show began with the jungle sounds of a growling jaguar, a wild boar, a crocodille and a monkey who encountered the twin brothers of the Popol Vul, one of the classic Mayan tales that includes a journey into the underworld of Xibalba, land of the dead.

After a stunning display of headdressed chieftains fighting among themselves for respect and honor, our Hero King, adored by the women, but partial to one, is stabbed by his trusted ally (and brother?) who is jealous over the crown. Dying, our Hero descends into Xibalba where he is tormented by gruesome Bruhas and insectoid creatures.

Somehow he is redeemed and returned alive, where his traitor friend is brought before him to be slain.  In compassion for his friend and brother, instead of stabbing him, our Hero frees the betrayer and crowns him King.

There were aerial acrobatics and live drumming that accompanied the entire show and the costuming was sumptuous!  There was even a dwarf, reminiscent of the Dwarf Sorcerer King of Uxmal.  The show was phenomenal – the body paint and masks, the feather headdresses, the accompanying music, and physical agility of all the actors….  It was quite a sight to behold and I was very glad to have seen it!

Revolution Cafe During the Day 

After “Palenque Rojo”, I was on a mission to find good live music as it was Saturday night and I had heard that San Cristobal had a lively night life. 

First stop was Café Revolution, but it was too jammed with people, so after listening from the sidewalk for awhile, I decided to look further down the street.

Friendly Bar

Peeking behind saloon swinging doors, I found a small friendly bar with rap music in the background and stopped in for a beer because the people were so welcoming.

Entropia

After the drink, I asked the English-speaking proprietor for her suggestion regarding live music, and she sent me a couple of blocks further down the street to Entropia, a restaurant with delightful ambiance plus good food and drinks. The band was just getting started so I ordered some “papas” with a chipotle dip and a Dos Equis Ambar.  I am not astute in all the many variations of music, but I would say they were playing “Salsa” or a variation thereof.  It was enjoyable listening and my French Fries were good too.  I DID miss having no company to chat with or to embrace on the dance floor, but since I chose to travel alone, I am alone.  However, I will say that I felt quite comfortable alone, which was not really the case in Merida.  I believe there is a singles' life possible here in San Cristobal... with chances to make friends fairly easily.  It has a bohemian flavor about it, and the occasional "Dread" can be seen walking down the street...

Full Moon Rising Over Flores Street

By midnight I had had enough fun for the evening and headed home.  I knew the general direction to walk, but not how many streets I would have to cross before coming to a street I would recognize, and since they were not marked, I walked past the street I was looking for without realizing it, and just kept walking into the night.  At some point I realized that I was in totally unfamiliar territory and when a taxi came by, I flagged it down to get me home safe and sound.

Favela Hillsides of San Cristobal

I had walked too far, but the streets feel completely safe and there was no sense of anxiety what so ever about being a lone female on the streets after midnight!  You can’t say that for many US cities!

Once "home", I was too wound up to go to bed, so I set myself to writing this blog while my energies quieted down enough for me to sleep.  

After being sick for a week, I MORE than made up for it today!  And JUST in the nick of time with the big Easter weekend (and my daughter's 29th birthday!)