My Journey Round The World

We had a nice & quiet last day in San Cristobal, having lunch in a typical cantina “Los Amigos” & visiting for the last time the city…

On Friday, we decided to go to visit the Indigenous city close to San Cristobal. As most of the travel guide said, it was a really touritic place! After Chamula that we didn’t like because of that, we moved to Zinacatan. A bit less touristy… Just a bit… As we were got up by a little girl who bring us to her house to show us their work. Which was pretty interesting! We then had a short walk around the city & stop for a small lunch before going back to San Cristobal & seeing the kids coming back from school with their tradiotional clothes

We had a really quiet evening, preparing Guacamole & having fun in our lovely hostel

Such a beautiful city! The oldest Spanish city from the Chiapas region with low-lying haciendas, tight sidewalks, cobbled streets. The town, made famous when Zapatistas took briefly control in 1994, is surrounded by Maya villages. It’s a cosmopolitan city full of foreigners as well as Tzotziles Indigenous, coming down from there mountains to sell their products on one of the most fascinating market in Mexico. At 2140m, I was so happy to find a better climate for me A bit cold at night but at least not so hot during the day!

We arrived around 10am & found a lovely hostel thanks to my dear Routard guide Only french people there… Fleur was the only “foreigner“ :) We went for a walk around the city, discovering our new environment… Lovely!

As the taxi driver, who bring us to the hostel offer his service, we decided to go on a trip to the Sumidero Canyon (Tom you would love it!) & the zoo in Tuxtla, on the next day. On the way there, he stopped at the cimetery: so colorful! He explained us that compared to Europe, death is not a sad moment, that’s why graves are so colorful as well as church. Those colours represent the sunbeams – if I get everything right as it was all in Spanish!

Thursday we went to visit the market, huge one with one part dedicated to Indigenous. You can see the different traditional cloth, small kids behind back of women or even small girls selling you vegetable or fruits – they already have really good commercial skills!!!

Again so many things to share: this beautiful San Cristobal de las Casas city, boat trip on the Canyon del Sumidero, colorful San Cristobal market – where I tasted an ant this time (I have pictures, yes, yes!) , the Maya villages, our lovely “french” hostel, the little disappointment to miss my friends Fred & Vincent, our great food tasing… but time is flying!

Tomorrow, we’ll say goodbye to Simon & I will be leaving with Fleur to reach Palenque, last stop in Mexico! Hope to find time to write about all the adventures soon! Still you might be able to see some pictures soon, thanks to Ariane

When coming back from the Turtle Center, I spent sometimes on Mazunte beach, there I met Simon! We had a small lunch & decided to leave the same night for San Cristobal de las Casas. So I went back up to my lovely house in order to say goodbye to my host & pack. I totaly forgot that I’ll have to go down again, by night… I have to say that I had fun, with my frontal lamp, my 2 backpacks & my sticks – to be sure to arrive in 1 peace!

Unfortunately the bus was full on Sunday evening… As Potchula was a total dead city, we end up in Huatulco, a bigger beach resort 100km away. Me who wanted to escape beach & hot weather! I know lot of people love it but  it was really too hot for me… At least we had a good fish lunch! In the evening – while waiting for the bus until midnight – we went to the Zocalo – main square – which is usually full of people. However this time it seems pretty empty but really noisy because of birds… Just behind us, we heard singing, we finally followed a church service, just outside the church with people singing & dancing. It was amasing to see all those people so “motivated” & happy! I wish it could be like that when I was going to church as a kid!

When we got on the bus for San Cristobal, I foundFleur – an Australian girl speaking french! - who I met in Oaxaca hostel on the day I was leaving  

Such an amasing day… Kind of a little dream! I climbed down the paradise house to go to visit La Ventanilla, an ecotouristic reserve with a mangrove: home to crocodiles, birds, turtles… I don’t know how, but I joined a mexicain tourist group while boarding. Thanks to their guide – Moises – I was directly integrated! Jorge & Hilda offered me snack on the island – I taste sope (toasted tortillas with red beans, cheese & salsa) thanks to them! They even offered me the entrance to the turtle center and more! They told me that people were always really helpful with them while travelling to Europe so they wanted to offer that too! It was hard to leave such nice people when they were heading back to Huatulco! THANK YOU VERY MUCH – I had a wonderful time!!! I’ll be really happy to go & visit them in Mexico – where they invited me – lucky me!

Little corner of paradise, but I can tell you, the place was worth the effort! I had to climb kind of “road” full of holes – but yes, even cars are coming here – with my 2 bags – good training for the Machu Pichu! – up to Edwige & her son Dorian who welcomed me in their superb house above Mazunte. Colourful house, really nice kitchen & lovely bathroom without telling you about the terrace… Gorgeous view! The way down at night with the frontal lamp was quite something! 

Puerto Angel is a small fishing port on the Pacific side. Fisherman are driving their boat directly on the beach – easier & pratical, however after that they have to push it back to the sea… Not always so much fun!

I did a boat trip to see some dolphin, turtles as well as to do some snorkeling. It was a good experience as I never did any snorkeling before, but I’ve seen most of the fish in Nausicaa Still I have some questions for you Catherine…

I met 3 french guys on the trip: Stéphane, Eric & Simon and we had fun jumping from a rock to the sea At the end of the day, we’ve seen 1 dead turtle (!), some dolphins (sorry too fast to take pictures!) & we ate a really good fish plate in front of the snorkling beach – it was a nice really warm & sunny day

This travel in suburban (small van) was really interesting… Luckily I was in front which allowed me to see the beautiful landscape all the way long! Less lucky thing was that the security belt was broken… Fortunately I’m usually not scared in cars, however here it was sometimes a bit scary: driving pretty fast on a mountain road or overtaking in curves for example… It was epic I have to say! Also considering that they have to slow down really often because of the tope – bump - or even worse, the hole all over the streets. However, drivers knows pretty well the road!

It was interesting to see that even if driving is a bit crazy, they do have the same rules as we have in Europe such as putting the warning when there is a slowdown. I also noticed that from time to time WC needed to be paid as it is in Belgium

Just before starting the mountain part, driver stoped to put more air in tyres… Not wondered why when I’ve seen the road! Changing from Spanish-Mexican music for American one such as: Daddy love, I will survive, Bee Gees, YMCA… Maybe to give him some energy… Ok after 3 or 5 times the same music – I finally fell asleep in between! Someone asked him to put the radio!

I was unable to speak properly – I wanted to ask so many questions about what & where we were, which I could have done, but I won’t have been able to understand the answers! So I shared my small lunch & water with the driver which seemed to appreciate… At least it was another way of communicating

We crossed the Sierra with lot of different areas more beautiful than each others, smelling coffee, seeing such nice landscape… I thought about you Martina when seeing those huge Banana trees

I loved this travel!

Arriving in Potchula, I had to take a taxi collectivo in order to reach Puerto Angel… Such an experience too! 6 people in 1 car, 2 in front & of course I was in the middle next to quite a big guy… Taxi driver wanted me to pay 15 pesos instead of 10! No way!!!

Hello! So many adventures to tell you about… From Oaxaca travel to Puerto Angel – beautiful road, scary drive, nice “chat” with the driver to this little corner of paradise: Mazunte! Need to find the time to write all that and show you the pictures!!! Tonight direction San Cristobal de las Casas…