San Cristobal de las Casas, Central Mexico and Gulf Coast, Mexico
Saturday, August 15, 2009
At the moment, we´re in the middle of a series of ´quick visits´. I think we´re both looking forward to spending some time relaxing in a set place -- a beach, a language school, a volunteer location, etc. In the meantime, though, there´s much to be seen on the way. So, today was another quick visit, this time to the town of San Cristobal de las Casas. In addition to being a nice highland town in itself, this is also a common base for exploring some of the indigenous villages of the area, as we did this morning. We went with a small group tour to the towns of San Juan Chamula and San Lorenzo Zinacantan, where a guide explained some of their traditions and cultural differences. Of particular interest was the church in Chamula, where they blend Mayan and Catholic customs to create their own form of religion. We observed a small procession (taking the saints out for a lap around the square) and several rituals within the church.
