For this blog post I'd like to share a particular day during our trip that really stuck with me.
We started the day in the town of San Cristobal de Las Casas where we stayed in a quaint hotel with an amazing hot breakfast buffet that served frijoles negros grown in the same town. On the mini bus we encountered people from different parts of Mexico; mostly from New Zeland and Leslie from Panama. Our daylong adventure started at the Agua Azul waterfalls but because of the rainy season, were muddy and not blue at all! A bit of a bummer but still a fun place. The second stop was the Misol-ha Waterfall which I felt had really set the tone for our trip. I enjoyed the waterfall from inside a little grotto where the mist of the waterfall covered my skin, then my hair and clothes. We hiked until reaching the near top and this is where we discovered that Leslie from Panama was just as adventurous as Miguel and I as he took pictures from crazy angles like todo un professional.
The next stop was across the state to Palenque, where we were going to see some of the oldest Mayan ruins in the Americas. We were able to go inside where we imagined what it would be like to be 4 feet tall like many Mayans were as we crouched down to be able to fit in some parts of the pyramids. It was so amazing to see the work and homes of previous civilizations, and learn about their beliefs. Did you know that to distinguish yourself as royalty in Mayan culture, your head was wrapped as a small baby to form a cone shape so that others could see that you were closer to the gods and therefore royalty? Iknowright?! We saw the tombs of previous Mayan leaders and admired artwork that was created by our ancestors centuries ago.
After returning to the bus from what seemed to be an alternate universe we had dinner at a mom and pop shop where we had tacos and headed back to San Cristobal.
The first day was filled with all these new things and an overall amazing experience.
The next day our guide had to take an alternate route because there were some people blocking the road. There was a manifestation of native people that didn't want the government to take their land, as a sign of protest they weren't letting anyone in.
So there it was. Perhaps the alternate universe wasn't so alternate. Instead it now coexists with with others that don't respect the land and rights of the indigenous people. I couldn't help but think of the rest of Mexico (and the Americas), the bloody history against natives that seemed so far away yet right before my eyes.
Pero el pueblo se defiende.
If you get a chance to go to Chiapas visit the Zapatista collectives and donate to the cause, as visitors we can only understand their struggle and stand in solidarity but we let them know that they are not invisible and that across borders they have support.
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Background: In September of 2012, my husband Miguel and I traveled to the state of Chiapas; a first for the both of us. The rich history and culture that remains in this state through several centuries is definitely part of the experience. We went for my husbands 30th birthday, which was during a particularly difficult time for us. We had begun living in different countries in December of 2011, got married in Aguascalientes, Mexico on April 20, 2012 and then I flew back to the states on April 26th without him. In a lot of ways Chiapas was our honeymoon, birthday and overall celebration of persistence. I am anxious for the day that Miguel and I can return with our future children so that they can befriend Chamula children and understand this important part of their culture.
