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Hound Dog

May 8, 2009, 1:30 PM

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The Chicken Bus Always Stops Near Aguacatenango

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But never "in" Aguacatenango which is a Zapatista Village and not disposed to frivolous travelers deboarding amongst themselves while at the same time quite disposed to frivolous travelers and to understand that seeming contradiction is to begin to begin to understand the constant contradictions of Chiapas and while it is true that folks down there care not a whit as to whether or not you, the outsider, comprehend their society, I, as a part-time resident of this extraordinarily beautiful place do care so I plan to make some comments about Chiapas and her sister states of Oaxaca and Yucatan and Quintana Roo and Tabasco and Veracruz and Campeche that may or may not please you so either read my comments or avoid them at your discretion.

I plan to comment on Southern Mexico in three stages. First will be an informal travelogue about Chiapas State itself followed by a travelogue concerning driving from the Chiapas Highlands to Oaxaca City and then a proposition that entails driving from the Chiapas Highlands to various places on the Yucatan Peninsula which many of you may not realize is quite far north of Chiapas but let´s go there when we get there.

We are at Lake Chapala at present which is to Southeastern Mexico is as Vancouver Island is to Alabama. However, we are all part of the same continent so let´s have some fun with this.

My plan is first Chiapas itself and then Chiapas to Oaxaca State and then Chiapas to Yucatan. In all cases my center of thought will be the Chiapas Highlands at San Cristóbal de Las Casas. If this displeases you. do your own travelogue with your own center of gravity.

More soon.

(This post was edited by DavidMcL on May 9, 2009, 12:59 PM)

Hound Dog

May 8, 2009, 4:01 PM

Post #2 of 6 (2299 views)

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Re: [Hound Dog] The Chicken Bus Always Stops Near Aguacatenango

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Our good friend the artesania in Amatenango del Valle near San Crtistóbal was disappointed in the quality of that particular vase she had just molded so she refused to sign it and told us, "That goes on the highway." It´s not that local artesanias only sell poorly crafted wares on the highway but folks who pass by on the carretera are often less discerning than buyers more attuned to what constitutes the best local artisans can achieve at their highest achievement levels so crafts less than that best achieved are more likely to be displayed in public venues easily accessed by less than serious buyers.

That´s life.

(This post was edited by Hound Dog on May 8, 2009, 4:03 PM)

Hound Dog

May 8, 2009, 4:32 PM

Post #3 of 6 (2294 views)

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Re: [Hound Dog] The Chicken Bus Always Stops Near Aguacatenango

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In the four to five hours from the urban maze of San Cristóbal de Las Casas to the run-down precincts of the blight of Palenque Village one drives through extraordinary environmental changes from high mountain alpine forests to coffee and banana plantations to low lying and indescribably beautiful tropical jungles and witnesses ancient ruins at Toniná and Palenque and then can circle back through what just a few years ago was uninviting and difficult to access forest homes of the Lacandon or their ancestors and visit such magnificent places as Yaxchilan and Bonampak and see crystal clear cascades and azure pools and colorful sparkling lakes and then continue on through mountainous jungles which must be seen to be believed to the point that the scenery is overwhelming and then, in time, you are back in beautiful San Cristóbal and you have not even begun to experience this magnificnt Chiapas but it´s a damn good beginning.

Time needed to do this trip right. Three to five days.

(This post was edited by Hound Dog on May 8, 2009, 4:34 PM)

Hound Dog

May 9, 2009, 5:33 AM

Post #4 of 6 (2274 views)

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Re: [Hound Dog] The Chicken Bus Always Stops Near Aguacatenango

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Regarding that circular three to five day drive I proposed from San Cristóbal to Palenque and back, I forgot to mention the important Lagunas de Montebello National Park and the nearby ruins at Chinkultik (with great panoramic views from the top of the pyramid) although I posted about these marvelous attractions earlier. On the way bsck to San Cristóbal one can drive directly through the attractive city of Comitan or drive the indirect route that takes one to the splendid cascade with numerous crystal clear swimming holes known as El Chiflon. The El Chiflon diversion will add a couple of hours to the drive from the Lagunas de Montebello to San Cristóbal but the trip is well worth the time. There are very nice cabins to stay in at El Chiflon and both picnic tables and restaurants.

Lodging on this trip can be found at Ocosingo, Palenque (with some very nice hotels), near Bonampak (in modest but fun lodges run by the Lacandones), at ecolodges abutting the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, at the Hacienda Santa Maria (fabulous hacienda/hotel/museum with a fine outdoor restaurant and bar) near the Montebello Lakes, El Chiflon and Comitan.

Suggested Timing:
Day One: San Cristóbal to Palenque stopping to see the ruins at Toniná near Ocosingo. About eight hours including the stop at Toniná. Five hours if no stop. Perhaps a stop at Agua Azul as well for lunch but be careful as some restaurants there are not as sanitary as one might wish. There are some really good restaurants to choose from for dinner in Palenque both near the ruins and in town.
Day Two: Visit the ruins at Palenque and proceed on to Bonampak. Stay at a lodge near Bonampak.
DayThree: Visit Yaxchilan which requires a boat trip from the border town of Frontera Corozal. Stay that night in an ecolodge near the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve.
Day Four: Drive to the Montebello Lakes National Park and Chinkultik. Stay at the Hacienda Santa Maria.
Day Five: Drive to San Cristóbal or, better still,drive to El Chiflon for a view of the magnificent cascades and swimming pools there and spend the evening in a cabin adjacent to the falls.
Day Six: If you have driven to El Chiflon, take a leisurely back country drive to San Cristóbal visiting Aguacatenango (beautiful primitive church), Aguatenango del Valle (great artesanal vases and other works), Teopisca (for a late campestre lunch on the plaza) and then on to San Cristòbal.

(This post was edited by Hound Dog on May 9, 2009, 5:38 AM)

yucatandreamer

May 9, 2009, 9:37 AM

Post #5 of 6 (2258 views)

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Re: [Hound Dog] The Chicken Bus Always Stops Near Aguacatenango

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We just returned from a drive to Comitan and a lunch at La Central in Teopisca. We bought very inexpensive roadside pots in Amatenango del Valle but much of what we saw was similar to the bright green happy frogs of Ticul, Yucatan. We did not explore too much as it was raining fairly hard but would like to go back if indeed there are people doing interesting work. Please reveal the location and name of your artisan friend. I was fond of the black designs on the fairly plain pots but did not buy those this trip.

I am enjoying your descriptions of Chiapas as we are spending the month here in San Cristobal, loving their market after the pitiful limp offerings in Yucatan and the cool, cool climate while Merida is registering weeks of over 100 degrees and no rain.

Hound Dog

May 9, 2009, 3:07 PM

Post #6 of 6 (2234 views)

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Re: [yucatandreamer] The Chicken Bus Always Stops Near Aguacatenango

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Many thanks for your comments Yucatandreamer. I am in love with Yucatan and Oaxaca as well as the Chiapas Highlands and cannot get enough of this glorious land. I must admit that I am a huge fan of Yucatecan food which I consider to be among the best in the world. Here is a fine reciipe:

BUBBA´S POLLO PIBIL
*Chicken
*Seville Bitter Oranges (naranjas agrias widely found in the Yucatan but not in the Chiapas Highlands nor in Jalisco) An essential ingredient for this dish. I grow one of these Seville Orange trees in my garden in Ajijic but my bitter oranges are not for sale.
*Garlic
*Onions
?Tomatoes
*Condimente de Achiote
*Banana leaves

Bake this stuff in a hot oven. Wonderful.

I´m not going to tell you how to bake this because it´s obvious if you get my drift.

(This post was edited by Hound Dog on May 9, 2009, 3:15 PM)