San Cristobal las Casas

It´s really quite difficult to leave San Cristobal because of the wonderful time this beautiful city showed us. We have been here only four days, but we have enjoyed so much it has to offer. The architecture is very beautiful with the vivid colors many Central American cities have, and the central square is very picturesque with trees, shrubs and flowers around a two story band shell. The main floor is a round restaurant, and the band floor is above it. Every night a marimba band plays and people dance.
The natural surroundings are also spectacular. We took a boat ride down the Rio Grijalva into the Canyon del Sumidero and every turn showed us a new and steeper vista. The walls of the canyon grew as we slipped by them and turned into the steepest in Mexico (if I understood the Spanish speaking guide correctly).
The culture of this area is largely Mayan. We went to Museo de Medicina Maya and learned about the herbs and animals they use to heal illnesses. This was fascinating, and they were very eager to share their traditions. I was amazed to see the different parts of squirrels, hummingbirds, spiders, and snakes that they used to dispel fear, anger, envy or greed. They had a garden filled with medicinal herbs that they picked, dried and dispensed to anyone who wanted to buy them. The most intriguing part of the museum, however, was the rituals associated with childbirth. From the way the baby is born to the chicken´s egg the midwife touches the baby with to protect him from evil spirits, to the way the placenta is buried in the floor of their house, all of it was spellbinding. Originally, they used posh, a sugar cane liquor, as a curative for various illnesses and spells, but it has been replaced in many areas by Pepsi or Coca Cola, and now those soft drinks can be found in almost every ceremony. Today we visited a nearby village called Chemula to see their church. It looked like many other Catholic churches we´ve seen, but when we stepped inside, my eyes widened at the sight. There were 1000´s of candles everywhere, on the floor, on tables, on windowsills, in designs or straight lines. People sat on pine needles that were strewn on the floor and prayed aloud. It sounded more like chanting or talking to God. In two cases, the families were healing someone by passing chickens over the candles or the people and then killing the chickens by breaking their necks. It really was incredible. And last night we were to a sort of Mayan opera/ballet which told the story of a Palenque leader and his encounters with animals and strangers of another tribe. The dancing, singing and costuming was magnificent! No photos allowed, of course, but I wanted to and had to think twice about getting kicked out of the theater.
Tomorrow we take the bus to Palenque. I´m excited to see this amazing ruins. We´re still trying to decide if we will also take the time to see Agua Azul. We´ve heard so much about these gorgeous cascades of water. Stay tuned. We´ll have to make a decision soon.