Really. I’m not kidding. 
You’d think Mexico is a warm country throughout the year, but some places are freezing. Well, it is December… And some cities are located at very high altitude. San Cristobal de las Casas, for instance, is about 2,200m above sea level. Makes for a chilly night.
When I was back in Guatemala, I skipped the indigenous culture route. I’ve heard that San Cristobal was pretty similar to those Guatemalan towns. Why not check it out for a couple of days?!
I had to take my fleece out as soon as I stepped off the bus. Dreary and cold.
On the way to my hostel of choice, I ran into a Korean guy (Yun) I met on the airport bus in Cancun. He told me his hostel was pretty good (I was actually handed the brochure at the bus stop), but I wanted to check the other one out first. Which was closed…darn it. With nowhere else to go, I headed back to where Yun was staying.
BTW, there’s a popular Japanese guesthouse here in San Cristobal (サンクリ to the Japanese) as well. But it’s a bit out of town and I’ve heard bed bug rumours. Why risk getting bitten by those creatures. Major itch.
San Cristobal is relatively cheap in comparison to the rest of Mexico. The hostel cost only 50P a night, whereas those in Cancun and Merida cost me about 100P.
I wouldn’t mind paying a bit more if they’d provide heating, but that wasn’t an option. It seems like heating is available in only the higher end hotels.
Yun was soooooo nice! He made me lunch when I got there : ) Very random mix of everything. Very guy cooking. Yet, with the Korean hot sauce, everything tasted fine.
There aren’t any real tourist sights to see in San Cristobal. There are some churches of course, but the main thing to do is to stroll along the streets and shop at the markets. They have some adorable stuff at the arts market. I wanted to buy all of these handmade stuffed animals!
And the food market is amazing! Fresh fruits, vegetables, and spices everywhere, neatly lined up. Loved it. Also had a variety of delicious tacos at a stall for 5P each. 
The locals shopping for some meat. I hope there’s no avian flu here… 
One day, Yun and I took the collectivo to Zinacantan, one of the indigenous villages. Very quiet because we missed the market day when most tourists go.
They are highly religious here, and it is forbidden to take photos of the main church in the plaza. I sort of did though… The traditional costumes worn by these children playing ball was just so cute, I couldn’t resist.
Before I left the town, I couldn’t refrain from buying a piece of textile either. I think it’s sort of like a shawl. I have no clue when it would ever see the light of day, but the embroidery was too beautiful.
What else… Oh, went to a dance show one night which presented Palenque’s history. Reminded me of The Lion King musical for some reason. Pretty entertaining, but overpriced for 100P, me thinks.
There’s also this Mayan Medicine museum outside of town. Herbal medicine, Mexico style. Here, I learned that the indigenous women give birth in the squatting position. Huh…
You’d think Mexico is a warm country throughout the year, but some places are freezing. Well, it is December… And some cities are located at very high altitude. San Cristobal de las Casas, for instance, is about 2,200m above sea level. Makes for a chilly night.When I was back in Guatemala, I skipped the indigenous culture route. I’ve heard that San Cristobal was pretty similar to those Guatemalan towns. Why not check it out for a couple of days?!
I had to take my fleece out as soon as I stepped off the bus. Dreary and cold.
On the way to my hostel of choice, I ran into a Korean guy (Yun) I met on the airport bus in Cancun. He told me his hostel was pretty good (I was actually handed the brochure at the bus stop), but I wanted to check the other one out first. Which was closed…darn it. With nowhere else to go, I headed back to where Yun was staying.
BTW, there’s a popular Japanese guesthouse here in San Cristobal (サンクリ to the Japanese) as well. But it’s a bit out of town and I’ve heard bed bug rumours. Why risk getting bitten by those creatures. Major itch.
San Cristobal is relatively cheap in comparison to the rest of Mexico. The hostel cost only 50P a night, whereas those in Cancun and Merida cost me about 100P.
I wouldn’t mind paying a bit more if they’d provide heating, but that wasn’t an option. It seems like heating is available in only the higher end hotels.
Yun was soooooo nice! He made me lunch when I got there : ) Very random mix of everything. Very guy cooking. Yet, with the Korean hot sauce, everything tasted fine.
There aren’t any real tourist sights to see in San Cristobal. There are some churches of course, but the main thing to do is to stroll along the streets and shop at the markets. They have some adorable stuff at the arts market. I wanted to buy all of these handmade stuffed animals!
And the food market is amazing! Fresh fruits, vegetables, and spices everywhere, neatly lined up. Loved it. Also had a variety of delicious tacos at a stall for 5P each. The locals shopping for some meat. I hope there’s no avian flu here… One day, Yun and I took the collectivo to Zinacantan, one of the indigenous villages. Very quiet because we missed the market day when most tourists go.
They are highly religious here, and it is forbidden to take photos of the main church in the plaza. I sort of did though… The traditional costumes worn by these children playing ball was just so cute, I couldn’t resist.
Before I left the town, I couldn’t refrain from buying a piece of textile either. I think it’s sort of like a shawl. I have no clue when it would ever see the light of day, but the embroidery was too beautiful.What else… Oh, went to a dance show one night which presented Palenque’s history. Reminded me of The Lion King musical for some reason. Pretty entertaining, but overpriced for 100P, me thinks.
There’s also this Mayan Medicine museum outside of town. Herbal medicine, Mexico style. Here, I learned that the indigenous women give birth in the squatting position. Huh…
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