Thursday 22nd -24th October, San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico

Early morning starts are becoming a bad habit and we’re up at 4.45am to catch a mini-van for 2 hours to Panajachel on Lake Attilian for a quick breakfast (where we arrive safely despite the fact the driver was falling asleep for the last 40mins and I kept kicking his chair to keep him awake). Another 4 hours in another mini-van to the Mexican border (where we arrive safely despite the best efforts of the driver to induce a head on collision by overtaking on blind corners numerous times). Yet another 3 hours in another mini-van and we arrive at San Cristobel at 3pm. Backpacks on we wander the streets in search of a hotel (another first for the trip), check in and then explore the town and find a great little wine bar with an excellent restaurant next door that serves amazing soup.
San Cristobal is medium size town in the southwest of Mexico in the state of Chiapis. It’s relatively high up in the hills surrounded by pine forests. Another Spanish colonial city built centuries ago, it is similar to Antigua but has grown much larger and while not as quaint still retains plenty of charms for travellers with good food, friendly people and old but colourful buildings down every street. The locals also generally ignore the tourists and go about everyday life as if we weren’t there. We walk to the two churches at either end of the town, both with vistas of the town and surrounding countryside, and then eventually back to the wine bar for a few games of dominoes and some Chilean cabernet sauvignon.
Saturday is another relaxing morning in the hotel before we grab a taxi to the nearby town of Cherinmal??? to see the market and church. Inside the church the locals, most of whom appear to be Mayan Indian descendents that are quite poor, appear to be practicing a unique blend of catholic and local traditions. We see one ancient lady kneeling before a group of 30 candles set on the floor (the entire floor of the church is covered in fresh pine needles) open a bottle of beer, pour a little on the floor as an offering, say a short prayer and down the rest of the bottle in one go. Obviously the secret to a long life. The pine needles we discover, although not witness, also help soak up many other small sacrifices made by the locals to Jesus including soft drinks, biscuits, chocolates and the odd live chicken! Back in town we pack our gear, grab a steak at an Argentinean restaurant and jump on the overnight bus at 10pm for the 12 hour trip to Puerto Escondido.