Six-week trip to Mexico (page 5 of 12)

I’m following the journey that will be exactly mine! It’s so exciting! I read this travel journal like a serial every day, and each day brings me closer to Mexico (departure on February 8th). Yes! What a great idea to start a discussion about textiles! Especially since I’ll be visiting Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize—and the topic of "fabrics" fascinates me, weighs down my return suitcase, and takes over every corner of my house where I can display them 🙂 Thanks for sharing, Georges!

2 textile museums:

In Valladolid, Yucatán, there’s a new museum: https://sic.gob.mx/ficha.php?table=museo&table_id=2068

In Oaxaca, there’s a great little textile museum: https://museotextildeoaxaca.org/

I’m following the route that will be exactly mine! It’s so exciting! I read this travel journal like a serial every day, and each day brings me closer to Mexico (departure on February 8th). Yes! Great idea to start a discussion about textiles! Especially since I’ll be visiting Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, and the topic of "fabrics" fascinates me—it weighs down my return suitcase and takes over every corner of my house where I can display them 🙂 Thanks for sharing, Georges!

Textiles, an endless topic… Well, it’s definitely an idea to keep in mind!

I see that for Agua Azul, you were even less lucky than me.🤪 I went outside the rainy season, and unfortunately, I didn’t know that the waterfalls are only azure blue during April and May. In the end, for me, the water was just the classic river color—I was even more disappointed because I’d postponed my trip by a month hoping to see the turquoise waters, and as a result, I couldn’t see the whale sharks in Yucatán.

Despite the rather brown color, we weren’t disappointed because the flow of the waterfalls was more than impressive. For Obeopai, who’s following the story (he chimed in a few messages ago), I’d say the "famous" Erawan Falls in Thailand are tiny in comparison—you could call them "a drop in the bucket."

True...

But if it weren't for a certain Marcos, who would care about Chiapas, the SCDLC, and the Tzotzil Mayas today?😛

Can you explain? There are several Mayan ethnic groups spread across Mexico and Guatemala, but also Belize, I think, and Honduras. Aren’t the Tzotzils we meet around SCdlC originally "Mexican" Mayas? And what about the Tzeltals?

Aren’t the SCdlC originally "Mexican" Mayans? And the Tzeltals?

Exactly.

But Marcos’s first concern was to return to the Mayans of Chiapas what was rightfully theirs, particularly land redistribution… If you want to dive deeper into the topic, we should also discuss the issue of ''Ejidos''....** And talk about the Mexican Revolution, dear to our friend Pancho Villa…

** The most accurate translation seems to be ''cooperative''.....

PS: Sorry, but we’re gonna lose all the readers who love the Riviera Maya…😛🤪

PS2: I couldn’t resist mentioning Guatemala because the most beautiful huipiles I’ve seen were in Guatemala—a country I’ve got an unreasonable soft spot for…😎

….

PS: Sorry, but we’re going to lose all the readers who are fans of the Riviera Maya……..😛🤪

When people get interested in the geology of the Yucatán, they only ever talk about the Chicxulub crater, the famous meteorite impact that ended the Cretaceous period and caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. What’s much less known is that the Yucatán Peninsula was originally connected to Texas and Louisiana, and was therefore completely part of the North American continent. This goes way back, of course—I’m talking about the Jurassic period, which lasted from 145 to 200 million years ago. The opening of the Gulf of Mexico caused the Yucatán Peninsula to detach and "drift," if you will, from the current coasts of the USA until it "collided" with Central America some 1,500 km further south.

Of course, this is just a joke. This geological event has no real significance when it comes to human history. But isn’t it ironic that geology somehow confirms just how remote the Yucatán is from the rest of Mexico?

At the risk of making some enemies, I’d say that those who only know the Riviera Maya don’t really know much about Mexico at all!

….

PS2: I couldn’t help but talk about Guate because the most beautiful huipiles I’ve seen were in Guatemala—a country I’ve had an unreasonable crush on…..😎

That’s understandable—Guatemala is an extraordinary country. I passed through there at the end of 1981 and have amazing memories of it. I must still have some stunning Kaqchikel textiles somewhere…..

Hi,

I think I missed your visit to the Anthropology Museum in Mexico City...

But since you spent 3 days in QUERÉTARO, you should be able to tell us the *full* name of the divine Marquis (the one with the statue in the main square).

*It’s trickier than the margarita recipe.

Hi,

I think I missed your visit to the Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City...

However, since you spent 3 days in QUERÉTARO....you should be able to tell us the *full* name of the divine Marquis (the one with his statue in the central square)

*It’s trickier than the margarita recipe.

Hahaha, good one! It’s true we didn’t go to that museum—you can’t do everything, and I’ve said it many times, we prefer taking it easy rather than frantically ticking off all the boxes. For this first visit, we stuck to the historic center, which was plenty for a few days. I do plan to go back to Mexico to explore further, though.

As for the "divine marquis," if it weren’t Mexico, I’d say the Marquis de Sade. Alright, I’ll go with Marquis Juan Antonio de Urrutia y Arana!

San Cristóbal de las Casas 2

You might say, "All these interesting sites in SCdlC are great, but what about places to eat and drink?" Don’t worry—eating and drinking are pretty high on our priority list. To start, how about a nice little coffee? You’re in luck—Mexico, and especially Chiapas, has no shortage of those. On the street leading to the Santo Domingo church and the Mercado Municipal, there’s this charming little café, for example. The coffee beans themselves invite you in right from the doorstep—check out the photo! 😛

You can’t spend two or three hours in this city without stumbling upon the two streets that start from the central square: Real de Guadalupe and Francisco Madero. That’s where you’ll find most of the cafés, restaurants, and shops. These streets are really pleasant for a stroll, even in the rain (thankfully, it’s light and intermittent). At Contenedor, Y is in heaven, sitting in front of a fantastic margarita 😉😎😛 (sorry for partially covering her face in the photo—I’m a bit modest).

At the end of these streets and in the parallel ones, it’s quieter. The vibe reminds me of the small towns in the Zona Cafetera of Colombia, which I visited in 2018 with my son: colorful houses, clean streets (always!), roads radiating from the city center (which is uphill) down to the outskirts, with mountains and clouds on the horizon. I really love the large, flat stones used on the pavement instead of cobblestones. With temperatures that are neither too cold nor too hot, it’s just so pleasant. Have I mentioned that already? This is what they call a high-altitude tropical or subtropical climate. Along with Mediterranean climates, it doesn’t get much better. 🙂

Since we keep passing by the Mercado de la Caridad y Santo Domingo (Catholicism obliges), the market next to the Santo Domingo church, we eventually make a purchase: a large cotton bedspread with a simple, elegant design. The woman running the shop tells us it’s from Oaxaca. We haggled a bit and paid 500 pesos for it, which might not be too expensive compared to the smaller "mantenes" (table runners?) of the same style we bought later in the Oaxaca region.

In the evening, we find what we’re looking for at the indigenous market in front of the cathedral. Since it gets a bit chilly at times, we buy cotton and wool jackets—one each—for 450 pesos. They’re beautiful, simple, and keep us warm. Sorry, no photo this time!

Right next door, there’s a festival happening—guess what it’s called? The Festival Cervantino Barroco. Again! Clearly, Mexicans haven’t forgotten their Iberian heritage and love putting Cervantes in every possible context. We sit down and spend a relaxed hour enjoying the shows: music, clown acts, and the laid-back, good-natured vibe of the crowd. Before wrapping this up, I’ll just say that the vast majority of tourists here are Mexican.

Hello! Reading you is a delight. Thanks.

Hello Reading you is a delight. Thanks.

That’s really kind of you, Gérard! 🙂

Since I’m now traveling in India, it’ll be a few weeks before the next update!

Hi there, I just discovered your trip. We went on a guided tour (16 days) for our first contact with this country. Now we know we’ll be going back when we’re ready. We already have tons of plans for a motorhome trip and others with our 'big backpacks'. I’ll start reading more carefully tomorrow, and I’ll be stealing some ideas for my future stay in this country. You’re right—it’s huge, and the number of days you’ve chosen seems just right. Best regards

Oh, Mexico—it’s truly a magnificent country, and the people there are so warm and welcoming. I went last year with my husband and daughter, who hadn’t been before. I first visited 40 years ago and was lucky enough to return regularly for 20 years after that. Mexico City really surprised me. I left what felt like a third-world city and came back to a modern, clean one (one thing that shocked me: not a single cigarette butt on the ground, and in four weeks, I didn’t see anyone smoking).

To get around Mexico City (and other big cities like Guadalajara or Puerto Vallarta), we used Uber. It worked really well—we did all our sightseeing that way, including Teotihuacan (don’t miss it!), and the drivers were always super friendly. I should mention I speak Spanish, which helps. If possible, avoid speaking English with them, or at least don’t act like a gringo...

I picked a nice hotel near the Zócalo, which let us do a lot on foot (and no, you don’t get mugged at every corner!). Then we headed to Acapulco for five days, from there to Guadalajara, Tequila, and then a beach stay in Puerto Vallarta—though I found it a bit too Americanized for my taste.

I definitely recommend Mexico. Don’t listen to all the negative things people say—I go to Paris regularly, and in some neighborhoods, I feel way more uneasy than I ever did in Mexico City!

Best wishes,

So happy to read this about Mexico City where I’ll be staying for two months in March. I read somewhere that pale faces are called *guey/guera* in Mexico (including white-skinned Mexicans), as opposed to American *gringos*.

San Cristóbal de las Casas 3 - Chamula

I’m back from my trip to North India (my 4th trip there), so I’m picking up my pen again. I’ll try to keep it shorter this time—I’ve been pretty busy fixing up Y’s house...

When you walk around San Cristóbal de las Casas (SCdlC), you can’t miss all the Maya Indians coming to town for the markets, selling and buying. Many of them are Tzotzils, and one of their main centers is Chamula, about a dozen kilometers from SCdlC. There’s a market there every Sunday—let’s go check it out! We easily find the colectivos on the streets below the mercado municipal. The ride costs 18 pesos each way and takes just under an hour. Chamula is a small town, but it’s bustling, with 99% of the people being Maya. What adds to the very "indigenous" vibe are the commercial announcements blaring from megaphones in several spots, in the local language. It’s really great to see a community proudly preserving their identity. If only they could do that in Alsace...

Of course, there’s all sorts of knick-knacks being sold in the streets and shops. We notice the all-black wool that the women use to make those funny, stiff skirts, which make them look like they’ve stepped straight out of Greek mythology—you know, like Pan and his half-man, half-goat companions?

I’m not sure if it’s obvious in the photo, but try zooming in, and you might recognize those amusing skirts.

We arrive at the square of the famous San Juan Bautista church. The good Catholics among you will recognize our French Saint John the Baptist. This church is famous because it doesn’t function like a normal church. For starters, its exterior is anything but ordinary—I’ll let you judge from the attached photo. The style is heavily influenced by indigenous decorative sensibilities.

I try to take a few good photos, but just then, a couple of tourists show up and plant themselves right in front of the entrance, staring up in awe, their heads tilted back to show off their ridiculous khaki bush hats. Ridiculous because they don’t fit the scene at all. And they just stand there admiring, not for 5 minutes—no, I wait nearly 10 minutes, and they still haven’t moved!

Every traveler knows those frustrating moments when you can’t get "the perfect shot." And then there are those tourists who hog interesting spots without a care for anyone else... And those who do their best to stand out like a sore thumb in picturesque settings—like the proverbial hair in the soup. It’s not easy being a traveler, is it!

Joking aside, we enter the church, which requires buying a 25-peso ticket. A local at the entrance makes it clear that taking photos inside is forbidden. Inside, there are no chairs or benches—the floor is covered with pine branches (we saw them in our hotel in SCdlC too!). On either side, rows of statues that are hard to make out due to the dim light and thick incense smoke. They’re saints, no doubt, but they’re also said to represent indigenous deities. On the ground and up high, from one end of the nave to the other, hundreds of lit candles. It feels like we’ve stepped into a vampire’s lair!

At the back, near the altar (though I’m not sure there even was one), three men stand: one plays the guitar, the second accompanies him on a small drum, and the third sings. It doesn’t sound like familiar hymns, and they’re putting a lot of energy into it—no doubt helped by a little alcohol. No judgment here—everyone does what they want, right? I’ve heard that indigenous people in Mexico make heavy use of alcohol for spiritual purposes.

On the way back to the colectivos, we stop to eat roast chicken at a little roadside spot (100 pesos). And, of course, the leather goods are too tempting: a bag for Y, a bag for me, and two small bags to give as gifts to friends. The total comes to 60 €.

It had been sunny all morning, but on the way back to SCdlC, we’re caught by a few heavy rain showers. It’s late October, and we’re in the mountains—don’t forget that!

Well done, Georges... but there's one important ''detail'' missing:

In the religious syncretism that affects the Maya, it's customary to ''burp'' uncontrollably during religious ceremonies. To help with the ''burping'' (?), the Maya drink a lot of Coca-Cola (!).

You’ve probably noticed the huge stockpile of said Coca-Cola to the left in front of the church...

Coke knows exactly where its customers are. 😛

Welcome back to the site after your trip to India. It’ll be great to read your travel journal again.

Well done, Georges... but there's one important ''detail'' missing:

In the religious syncretism that affects the Maya, it's customary to ''burp'' uncontrollably during religious ceremonies. To help with the ''burping'' (?), the Maya consume a lot of Coca-Cola (!).

You’ve probably noticed the huge stockpile of said Coca-Cola to the left in front of the church...

Coke knows exactly where its clientele is. 😛

Thanks for your explanations. Some truly surprising local traditions!

Welcome back to the site after your trip to India. It’ll be a pleasure to read your account again.

An account of India??? That’d take me weeks of work! Especially since I’d end up referencing my three previous trips… with a total of around four months spent in India, the experiences, impressions, and reflections really start to pile up.