Mexico: Part 4: San Cristobal

An overnight bus brought us to San Cristobal. The night bus was a typical experience, sleeping on and off throughout the evening. After a quick nap at the hotel I ventured into the town. I viewed Santa Lucias Temple and then climbed the steps to Templo de San Cristobal. 

Next I walked over to La Merced, a church and former convent. An amber museum resides in the old convent. Several pieces; jewelry, small sculptures were displayed. 

I returned to the hotel to pick up a few things where I found out that the lock to our room didn't work. After several attempts to lock the door (by myself and the hotel staff) we were given a different room. With our stuff safely locked up Sylvie and I, joined by Gillian took a walk to the Mayan Medicine Museum.

Along the walk to the museum we passed by several markets. The museum is located in a more rundown section of town, dirt roads, shanty homes, etc.

The museum had a small exhibit, a garden with different plants and herbs explaining what healed which ailment. A video also showed a woman giving birth with the help of a midwife. 

The next day the majority of the group took a tour of Sumidero Canyon and the town of Chiapa de Corzo. The canyon offered splendid views, including a small chapel/shrine in the mountainside. The town we stopped by had little to offer but I enjoyed walking around. Photographed a very old tree, a crown- like structure with a fountain inside and saw a small exhibit by local artists.

Back in San Cristobal Sylvie and I walked around the town some more. We found interesting signs, doorways, and anything else we considered worthy of a photo. Our walk led us to the Blom House. Mr. Blom was an archeologist and his wife was a photographer, journalist and environmentalist. I could see myself living in this house and there are guesthouses on the property. A future stay? I fell in love with the garden, possibly a future hobby. There was so much to photograph I became dizzy. Touring this house was a pleasant surprise and quickly became one of my favorite places.

Interesting note: There was a display of artifacts from two seasons of Mr. Blom's archeological excavations. A student from the University at Albany archived records, photos, etc from these excavations for her doctoral thesis. Her advisor was none other than the professor I worked with during my field school in Belize. Talk about a small world!