Rebel territory

It was a long, windy road from Palenque south to San Cristòbal de las Casas. It took just over 5 hours, and although the scenery was gorgeous, lush mountains and jungle, we were glad when we finally arrived, our stomachs a bit sensitive.

San Cristóbal de las Casas is a cute little town of about 122,000 people. Founded in 1528 by the Spanish military as a point of control for the fractious Maya of Highland Mexico. It still has all of its colonial charm and character with its narrow, cobbled streets and colonial buildings. It reminds us of Cuzco, Perú, especially since it´s in a valley up in the highlands. And it is pleasantly cool compared to where we´ve been lately. San Cristóbal is surrounded by indigenous villages. The town´s name is after the sainted 16th Century Spanish Friar who came to be called ¨The Protector of the Indians¨ for his tireless fight on their behalf. But the indigenous have not been treated fairly. In February 1994, the Ejercito Zapatista de Liberacíon National, or Zapatistas, took over the capital of Chiapas, San Cristóbal de Las Casas, and several nearby towns and held them for 48 hours in an attempt to bring attention to the treatment of indigenous peoples. Today, the Zapatistas in this area are still around, seen in the mini-rebel dolls for sale, t-shirts, and a heavy military presence.

We walked from the bus station around the centre of town and found a hotel, Posada Mexico. A nice place made of bright white adobe and wooden beams...very Mexico! After dropping our gear, we headed back out for a wander around the plaza and along the small streets, full of shops, restaurants, & cafes. The town is definitely preparing for the country´s independence day on the 15th. A bandstand is going up in the plaza and on every corner someone is selling flags, hats, noisemakers and ¡Viva Mexico! paraphernalia.

With so many restaurants to choose from, it wasn´t hard to find a delicious dinner & some fresh, hot churros for dessert before heading back to the hotel.