SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS (CONTINUED)

PART IX: FINAL THOUGHTS AND THE FINAL CHAPTER





Here's a friendly little guy I encountered on my visit!



Although the trip started out on a rather sour note with me being quite ill, my travel companion getting ripped off on the bus and having to return to Merida, and that horrible B&B that we booked, it turned out to be a wonderful “diversion excursion” after all.

San Cristobal is a charming, old colonial city with much to offer. The Government has closed several streets to vehicle traffic except for service vehicles and then, only very early in the morning. You can leisurely stroll by numerous shops that sell local artisan wares including some magnificent amber pieces. Chiapas has one of the richest deposits of amber in the world and prices are reasonable and craftsmanship is outstanding.

While I did encounter a few tourists from North America, the vast majority of visitors were European, and more specifically, Italian. This could account for the multitude of Italian restaurants I saw. Backpackers from all over the world were also in abundance.

The zocalo (main square) offered nightly entertainment, always free of charge. There were bands, singing, dancing and a party atmosphere prevailed. These fellows dressed in some sort of native Indian garb, danced, around putting on a show, and then posed for pictures with you for a propina, or tip.

Restaurants are plentiful and are clean and reasonable. In addition to numerous Italian restaurants, there was a fair share of Argentine steak houses. There was also an abundant supply of typical Mexican restaurants, and they actually were the busiest.

The fragrance of fresh ground gourmet Chiapan coffee wafts through the cold morning and night air and I found it to be irresistible and quite delicious and warming, too! French pastry shops sell some very tempting treats, also. The coffee shops were busy from opening to closing as were the restaurants that specialized in wines, including one that served hot wine. That was a first for me.

As I was feeling somewhat better the last few days there, I ventured out more and tried some of the more interesting choices for dining. One very peculiar place became my favorite. I say peculiar because the dining area was in a courtyard lined with several gift shops and kiosks. There was a sign boldly declaring that the shops were members of a Zapatista cooperative! (The Zapatistas are a revolutionary group that actually stirred an uprising against the Mexican Government demanding human rights and assistance for the indigent poor in Chiapas.) Perhaps the most unusual feature of the restaurant was an altar (of sorts) that displayed a crucified Mayan God named Pacal and a naked woman crying out to him. The food was very good and I had one of the best pizzas (sold by the slice) I have ever eaten in Mexico! I called the owner over to compliment him and found out he was from a small village outside of Milan, Italy. I wanted to ask what the Zapatista connection was, but decided I better not go there!

On the sidewalk across the street from the No Bolom Museum and Guest House, sits this very old wooden boat. It is so out of place that there must be a great story that goes with it. Unfortunately, everyone I asked just didn’t know for sure. I guess I’ll just have to go back and find out for myself!

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If you haven’t already guessed, I really like San Cristobal. It is one of my favorite places in Mexico.

A special note of thanks to all who have left comments and sent me e-mails. I appreciate all of your wonderful comments and thoughts and I hope you enjoyed sharing my "diversion excursion" to San Cristobal de las Casas. If you are planning a trip to Mexico, consider putting San Cistobal on your list of places to see.