On the way to Cristobal de la Casacas (or Casas) we stopped at the Agua Azul cascades, a series of shallow pools and waterfalls formed by rimstone dams. The limestone rich water cascades down a series of these natural dams and ends in the clear waist-deep river. During the dry season, in April or May, the water is shimmering blue because of the high amount of limestone in the water.
 |
Our guide mentioned that in this area there were indigenous people, called Zapatistas, who lived outside government control and had their own way of living, keeping their ethnic identity including schooling their children. Their insurgency was mainly defensive though there was some fighting against the government. I mention this because our guide said that we may be stopped by the point of a gun and asked to pay a ‘toll’ to pass through their district. Thankfully this did not happen!
|
At mid-afternoon we arrived at Cristobal de la Casacas aand the Hotel Parador Margarita in the Old Town. The streets were narrow but pretty with houses painted in bright colors and many old Spanish colonial houses. The main industry was tourism. It was cold here and I had to have a blanket on the bed to keep warm.
 |
| Inspection of the Guards |
 |
| Inspection of the Guards |
 |
| A pretty street |
 |
| The main shopping street |
 |
| Colonial buildings |
 |
| Looking from the cathedral |
There were quite a number of churches in the city, many of them used for Mayan as well as Catholic services and one having a long flight of steps to get to the church.
 |
| Various churches inside and out |
On the second day we went on a trip to the Sumidero Canyon. The canyon has vertical walls which reach as high as 1,000 metres (3,300 ft), and is 13 kilometers long with it’s creation beginning around the same time as the Grand Canyon in Arizona (35 million years ago), by a crack in the area’s crust and subsequent erosion by the Grijalva River, which still runs through it. It is home to many species on the verge of extinction, such as the Morely (or American) crocodile, the spider monkey as well as threatened species like the jaguarundi, ocelot, anteater and buzzard king. There are also hundreds of species of birds like herons, vultures, egrets, parrots, toucans and kingfishers.
When the Spanish finally arrived in 1528, the local indigenous people, the Chiapanecas, rather than surrender their culture to the Europeans, committed mass suicide by throwing themselves off the walls of the canyon. Others hid themselves in caves throughout the canyon until the last Chiapaneca leader was captured. The Spanish tied the disposed leader to a tree in the main square of the nearby village of Chipa De Corza, the entry point to the canyon, and burned him to death. The legendary 'burning tree' still stands in the local square today, a monument to these ancient and fiercely independent people.
 |
| Landing stage |
 |
| Passenger boat |
 |
| Diving stages |
 |
| Views of the Canyon |
 |
| Birds |
 |
| and crocodiles |
 |
| Religious Cave |
While at Cristobal de la Casas we went to the town of San Juan to see a church where the floor is always covered with pine needles to find that there was a Mayan ceremony being conducted in the church, something like ‘beating the bounds’ in the local churches in the UK. The words below have been taken from various websites and portray a lot of what I saw. Even though there was a special ceremony taking place we were allowed into the church but not allowed to take photographs. I did take photos of the bandsmen after asking permission thinking that I could take photos outside the church but was told off when I took one of the procession so immediately put the camera away. The church was crowded inside and high with the smell and smoke of incense and candles.
The main attraction of the town is its colonial era church, known as the Ceremonial Centre of Chamula. This lone town church serves hundreds of indigenous communities from the surrounding mountains. Though it appears like any other church on the outside, it is not a typical Catholic church. There are no priests, nor is any holy mass conducted. The only Catholic ceremonies conducted here are baptisms. Every year, on 24th June, a priest comes to perform all the baptisms of children born during the past year. There are no church weddings, only civil marriages. Instead of masses, healing rituals are conducted with candles, eggs, chickens and Coca-Cola. These rituals are done for each individual or family simultaneously inside the huge structure.
Shamans – male or female – are considered as physicians as well as priests, and are consulted on all matters of health and spirit. It is the job of the shaman to balance the body and spirit which may be disrupted by sins and illnesses. After consultations with the petitioner, he determines the changes necessary to regain balance. Depending on the problem, candles of specific size and color are placed in precise positions and burned. In some extreme cases, a chicken can be sacrificed and its blood used to aid in achieving balance.
People place lighted candles on the church floor covered with pine needles. White candles are for various daily or family matters. Red candles burn for someone who is ill, black candles announce death. Petitioners consult the village shamans only, and all the ceremonies take place in small groups on the floor, each headed by its own shaman who leads the group in chanting.
There are no pews or altars in this church, only a large statue of St John decorated with red and yellow ribbons. The Virgin Mary has a place in the observances, but as a saint, not as the Mother of God, because the indigenous villagers consider the concept of a virgin birth ridiculous. They worship the traditional Catholic saints as images of their own gods. This obviously reflects back to the times when they were forced to accept the Catholic religion by the Spanish conquerors
.
Each devotee has a favorite saint among the many whose statues flank the nave. The statues of the saints are dressed in layers of brilliantly flowered clothes with mirrors hung around their necks. Offerings made to them include alcohol, herbs, food, candles and incense. The pagan rites of the Maya merge magically with the Catholic religion, diverging completely from the traditions of western Christianity.
The Catholic Trinity is represented by St Peter, St John and St Sebastian. Although, the Christian cross is found throughout the village, it does not represent the Trinity, but rather the cardinal directions of North, South, East and West. It is used to protect against evil spirits. The pine tree is an important part of the village culture and since it is considered sacred and aids in protection, crosses are often found erected in pairs or threes and adorned with pine boughs. Prayers are chanted in the indigenous languages.
 |
| Temple De San Juan |
 |
| Window above the entrance |
 |
| Local men in traditional dress |
 |
| The procession |
