San Cristobal de las Casas

The first of many bus rides has taken me 12 hours into the Mexican mountains to the quaint little mountain village of San Cristobal de Las Casas. I arrived at 6 am, tired, twisted and sore. I picked up my backpack, which I'm convinced has doubled in weight since I loaded it in there the day before; and went in search of a cheap hotel. Luckily I found one relatively quickly, so I unbagged and began my exploration of the town.

Its much more rural that the other places I've visited in Mexico, yet it has an alpine feel to it. Its completely surrounded by mountains, the air crisp and the colors vibrant. I counted 8 churches in a 2km radius, each of different sizes and colors. It was sunday, so I sat in on a bit of mass at a small church. It was packed with indigenous people, the men on the right and the women to the left, divided by the long path to the altar, where small children drifted back and forth. Then I exited this church and a small marching band started playing to nobody in particular.

I wandered through the local market, which sold everything from superglue to small rabbits (50 Pesos). Here all the mayans from surrounding villages come to sell their 'productos artisanales', from woven skirts to woodcarvings, bookmarks and handbags. They're all still dressed in their bright traditional dresses, many with babies slung over their backs.

And so my relaxing day in San Cristobal finished, and today I take a 5 hour bus ride to the mayan ruins of Palenque.