Saludos!
I arrived in San Cristobal after 12 hours on the bus driving through more amazing scenery. Given the frequency with which my ears were popping during the last two hours of the ride, I may as well have been in an airplane. We drove high up into the cloudforested mountains just as the sun was coming up. The light of sunrise doesn't often penetrate my lids, so that special glow always comes as a surprise. What a great moment -sitting at the window, sleep still in my eyes, looking over miles and miles of jungle below, the morning clouds rolling languidly through the trees, the moon and the sun equally low in the sky. Hmmmm, this is life.
I had reservations at a youth hostel and found it easily after a quick jaunt through downtown. The place is simple and not too crowded, but more importantly very, very cheap. Who can balk at $4 per night, huh? My roommates and I bonded quickly but briefly, since they made their way to Guatemala this morning.
San Cristobal is a walker's town. I spent the first two days walking and walking and walking. For the first time in Mexico, I have been able to get gloriously lost in remote alleyways without the threat of oncoming traffic crushing me to bits or finding myself in a suddenly highly creepy, unattractive stripmall sprawl. I've happened upon the local feminist bookstore and cafe, cheap Chinese massage, an incredible photography exhibition (which I now can't find again, sadly) and a bunch of great live music. The air is fresh, the streets are pretty, the people are interesting.. I love this place. The tourist presence is obvious, but within measure and doesn't seem to intrude too heavily on the spirit of the town as yet, allthough the city is clearly growing at an unhealthy speed.
There are some very marked differences between Chiapas and the more western parts of Mexico. The difference in atmosphere is defined in part by the large indigenous population, in part by the political efforts in the region and at least in my impression by the many immigrants to this place from larger cities in Mexico and throughout the world. The look is bold- everything is painted, dyed and decorated in bright primary colors - the traditional dress of the indigenous women especially. But, the cheerfulness of the colors stands in stark contrast to the darkness of the general social plight. I am not new to seeing poverty in the streets, but it is clear to me that there are people here fighting for their survival on a daily basis, and it is having a humbling effect on the way I carry myself.
Yesterday afternoon I summoned my courage to make another connection with a few local folks by calling up the friend of a friend of a friend to request some personal guidance through the place. I got in touch with Ximena, whom I met for lunch with her boyfriend that afternoon. They invited me out for a morning jaunt in the woods today, and I walked up to the cathedral de Guadalupe to meet them bright and early -yet another Chiapas sunrise for me. I enjoyed the company, and we talked mostly dogs and politics. Ximena's boyfriend Paco (?) offered to talk to some of his buddies for me to see if I might participate in an irrigation project build in one of the indigenous villages before I leave - which may extend my stay, but we'll see. It being Semana Santa, I may have chosen a bad time to offer my services. Everyone is on vacation at the moment and most projects seem to be on hold.
I expect to do quite a bit of learning while I am here. One of my primary interest while travelling has long been regional contemporary politics and social movements. How could Chiapas not pique my interests - if not here, then where exactly? So. I am collecting reading recommendations, having inspirational conversations and feeling very well fed intellectually.
I am also now at a stage in my travels where I am treading on entirely new territory. I have no plans whatsoever past this week, which feels both exhilerating and scary. My year old obsession with the chance of living on a sailboat for a while is starting to knock a little louder, and it may be the next big project to make that dream a reality. Stay tuned....