Francisco at Palenque
On Sunday, we woke up at 5:30 (eek!) to go to Palenque, a Mayan archeological site 5 hours north of San Cristóbal. On the way, we stopped to get breakfast in the town of Ocosingo and then saw two beautiful waterfalls (Agua Azul and Misol Ha). When we arrived at Palenque, we found a guide with some of the other people from our bus (one of whom worked at ECOSUR previously!). In one of the crumbling temples, we saw the Tomb of the Red Queen, with a large stone sarcophagus where archaeologists discovered the remains of a woman. The woman had been adorned with jade jewelry and was buried with cinnabar powder (a red pigment). Archaeologists believe that the woman was the mother of Pakal the Great, Palenque’s most influential leader. We also learned from our guide (and guidebook) that December 21, 2012 will mark the end of the first Great Cycle in the ancient Maya calendar, which is a period equivalent to around 5,125 years. Intriguingly, 2012 is also the year when the earth, sun and Milky Way will be aligned in a way that occurs only once every 26,000 years. Predictions have been made that on this day, the world may end. Well, at least if it does I will have graduated from college J Around 4:30 we strolled back to the entrance and after a 5-hour bus ride back through the mountains and valleys of Chiapas, we arrived back in San Cristóbal and got some pizza.
In front of a waterfall (I think this was at Chiflón)
On Monday, Francisco and I woke up early again to go to the caves of Rancho Nuevo and to travel east to see the Lagos de Montebello (Montebello Lakes). The highlight of the day was definitely when we stopped at a waterfall called Chiflon, which had a zip-line over a giant waterfall. Francisco took the plunge over the mist-drenched platform and zoomed over to the other side of the waterfall. Even though I was too afraid to take the plunge myself, it was fun to watch him zipline back. When we reached the lakes, I was impressed by the colors of the water, which ranged from emerald green to indigo. We got some lunch in a small little stand where a woman was making quesadillas made from flor de calabaza. From one of the lakes, we could see the Guatemalan border.
Francisco zip-lining across la Cascada Chiflón
Behind us you can see the Guatemalan border
On Tuesday, Francisco and I went to Cañon del Sumidero, a narrow and deep canyon near Tuxtla Gutiérrez. We got in a boat that took us along the river through the vertical limestone walls, with the highest wall reaching a height of a thousand meters. Our boat guide also pointed out some crocodiles taking a nap on the bank of the river. When we docked, we had some time to walk around the small town of Chiapa de Corzo, where people were celebrating “Dia de los Muertos”. The Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday in which families gather at local cemeteries to honor loved ones who have died. In the town, there were people in the market buying flowers and we passed several altar displays honoring deceased family members in front of a church. The altars were adorned with flowers, as well as photos of the person and the favorite foods and beverages of the person (we saw marshmallows, peanuts, and Corona beer on one of the altars).
A crocodile at Cañon del Sumidero
Cañon del Sumidero
When we returned to San Cristóbal on Tuesday afternoon, I convinced Francisco to come to salsa class with me at Zirko. Despite being reluctant to join the group of dancers, he picked up the steps and was smiling by the end of the class. After briefly contemplating traveling to Guatemala, we decided to instead take an overnight bus to Puerto Escondido (“Hidden Port”), a beach in the neighboring state of Oaxaca.
We arrived in Puerto Escondido the next morning at around 10:00 a.m. and were hit by the 90 degree heat (which was a definite change from the 40 degree weather in San Cristóbal). We found a hotel near the beach that was run by a nice German man and had a great view of the town and the main beach. That afternoon we walked down to the main beach (Playa Principal) and relaxed. Francisco joined a pick-up game of soccer and then we walked along the beach to Playa Zicatela (also known as the “Mexican Pipeline”), where international surfing competitions are held. According to Wikipedia, this beach is considered to be the second best place in the world to practice surfing because of the high waves, which can get up to 16 meters high. We walked back to swim at Playa Principal where the waves were much gentler. That night, we passed tons of small Italian restaurants (apparently there are lots of Italian immigrants in Puerto Escondido) and decided to try one. The food was incredible – some of the best Italian food I’ve ever had.
In Puerto Escondido
On Thursday, we walked around the town of Puerto Escondido, which was mostly downscale and rustic. After eating breakfast at a small restaurant with plastic red chairs, we walked toward another beach. On our way to Playa Angelito, we passed the Centro de Salud, which I was very happy to see was open and had a banner promoting safe pregnancy. We arrived in Playa Angelito, where the water was crystal clear. There were lots of boats docked in the small bay, and we were able to get a boat ride to another beach called Playa Carrizalillo, with white sand and blue water. We spent the rest of the afternoon at the beach, swimming in the small waves and watching the beginner surfers.
The dolphins we saw from our boat
Friday morning we woke up at 6:00 a.m. to meet a guide who would take us to see dolphins and turtles. At the beach, we got in a boat with some other tourists and set out into the deep blue sea. Our guide pointed out some turtles in the water and as we drove further, we saw a group of bottlenose dolphins. It was cool to see them in their natural environment – not in an aquarium show or in an enclosed area. They were incredibly fast and dove deep into the water under our boat. After unsuccessfully trying to swim with the dolphins (they just swam away), we returned to the beach. In the afternoon, we went back to Playa Carrizalillo. Because there was no road down to the beach, we walked down a path and a stairway that descended the steep slope to the beach. After soaking up the sun and swimming in the warm water, I was not ready to return to chilly San Cristóbal, but I promised myself I would return someday to Puerto Escondido.
Me on our boat
We arrived back in San Cristóbal on Saturday morning after spending 12 hours on a bus. It was a beautiful day and we walked through the artesanías market and the food market. That night, we went back to salsa class at Zirko before heading to dinner with Rahul and our friend Paco from ECOSUR. We went to a restaurant where Rahul and I had been once before where we heard a Mexican band sing John Mayer songs. On Saturday, the restaurant had an improv group performing. Rahul and I tried to decipher the jokes in Spanish (with some help from Paco and Francisco), and then we all met up with Milton from ECOSUR and went to a salsa place. Francisco and I practiced the moves he had learned and enjoyed chatting with Milton’s friends from high school. I am always amazed at how friendly everyone is to us, and I know I am going to miss the people when I leave.
Francisco walking through the food market
On Sunday, I went to drop off Francisco at the aiport in Tuxtla. It was sad to say goodbye after such an incredible week of traveling, but it was fun to be able to share this place with someone from home. He fell in love with San Cristóbal, just like I have :-)
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