Chiapas

We only have two days in San Cristobal de las Casas, but there is so much to do that we have agreed that we will have to come back someday. Yesterday, we spent the evening wandering around the plaza, reading the paper, and enjoying a leisurely dinner after our long drive. San Cristobal is a beautiful colonial town, surrounded by villages still inhabited by native tribes, and it was the flashpoint of the Zapatista rebellion in 1994. In fact, it takes its name from Bartolome de las Casas, a Spanish priest who was known as being a "Defender of the Indians" and sending information about the mistreatment of indigenous peoples to the Spanish monarchs. As we sat at a European-style sidewalk cafe, we were continually approached by native children trying (and often succeeding, as I am a giant softie) to sell us souvenirs and handicrafts.

This morning, we went to visit their villages. I had read about a tour group that has a great reputation in the region for being culturally sensitive, so Sergio and I called from Teco to reserve spaces. We met them at the cross in front of the cathedral at 9:15, and set out for San Juan Chamula. (All of the towns in this region have two names - a Spanish name and a native name.) Our guide, Cesar, is half Tzotzil (the ethnic group that most of the people around San Cristobal belong to), was raised on the outskirts of San Cristobal, and speaks some of the language. (He also speaks great English and even threw out a Dutch word to translate for some Europeans on our tour - very impressive!) Although the tour group was bigger than I had hoped, Sergio and I scored seats in Cesar's car since we were the first to arrive, so we got to hear his commentary on the drive.

Although the people in this region are all Tzotzil and all speak the same language, each village has its own distinct dress. In Chamula, the women wear black wool skirts and embroidered blouses, and the men wear black wool tunics. (Many of the women were also wearing cardigans, as it was a little chilly today - I told Sergio that I felt right at home!) In Zinacantan, the second village we visited, the women wear skirts and shawls and the men wear tunics all with the same embroidered blue floral print.

It would take much more time than I have this evening to write about everything we saw and learned on our tour, but it was a wonderful experience! It was great that we got to go on a Sunday, because that's market day, so there was lots of activity (and lots to buy!).