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Bubba

Jan 22, 2007, 8:10 AM

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The Fiesta Grande in Chiapa de Corzo

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My wife took a weekend off from her home refurbishment project in San Cristobal to attend the last weekend of the Fiesta de Parachicos at Chiapa de Corzo which takes place every January. Many consider this to be one of the the top if not the top festivals in southern Mexico and it draws huge crowds fom all over the southern part of the country. I won´t go into any detail here but the reader can reasearch this festival on Google by simply searching under Chiapa de Corzo festivals.

This is one wild party according to my wife with many incredibly colorful parades, great street food where people eat at large community style tables and all sorts of events over a two week period including the chuntas, who are groups of men dressed and made-up elaborately as women and the parachicos who dance wildly in the streets shaking rattles each day from January 15th through the 23rd.

The festival honors the city´s three patron saints, The Lord of Esquipulas, St. Antonio Abad and St. Sebastion the Martyr.

Wy wife attended the Saturday fiesta and the fireworks on Sunday night which drew huge crowds along the malecon of the beautiful Grijalva River and was spectacular..

Chiapa de Corzo is a very interesting town worthy of a visit any time of year but especially during the winter as it can be quite hot and humid there in the summer and often in the winter as well. For instance, when it is 60F in San Cristobal at this time of year it is often in the 90sF in Chiapa de Corzo and Tuxtla Gutierrez - 45 minutes away. The city is the oldest colonial city in Chiapas having been founded in 1528 by the Spanish conquistador Diego de Mazariegos. Before that it was the home of the famously fierce and defiant Chiapa people who lived on the banks of the Grijalva along the Sumidoro canyon. As I understand it they actually ran the Spanish out of Chiapa de Corzo for a while and forced them to resettle in San Cristobal. Eventually, the Spanish defeated them and, rather than surrender, they committed mass suicide jumping from the high cliffs rising up from the Grijalva to the rocks below.

Chiapa de Corzo is about 20 kilometers from Tuxtla Gutierrez which has only become an important city since the state capital was moved there from San Cristobal. While Tuxtla is a modern and large tropical city, Chiapa de Corzo is much smaller but far more historically important and a very attractive town.

By the way, the huge crowds of locals and tourists were mostly Mexican or other Spanish speaking people. I don´t think she heard English spoken all weekend. If you don´t speak Spanish, be sure to take along your phrase book or electronic pocket translator.

To each his own but if you are beginning to tire of`the influx of often insensitiive extranjeros and the mindless development in places like San Miguel de Allende and Lake Chapala, you will find this part of Mexico refreshing.

(This post was edited by Bubba on Jan 22, 2007, 8:23 AM)

raferguson

Jan 22, 2007, 7:35 PM

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Re: [Bubba] The Fiesta Grande in Chiapa de Corzo

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We liked Chiapa de Corzo. We went as a day trip from Tuxtla Gutierrez. Our main reason for going was to take the boat ride through the Cañon de Sumidero, which is well worth doing. They also had a nice museum with excellent lacquer work, decorative boxes for the most part. I don't remember if that was a permanent exhibit or a temporary one.

Hearing of the dancers, I wonder if those were the ones wearing masks that made them look like Spaniards, white folks. We saw some of that in a restaurant in Tuxtla Guttierez, folkloric dancing and good food also.

Speaking of not hearing English, I still tell the story of our trip to Chiapas, where everyone that we met addressed us in Spanish, even English teachers from Mexico City. The assumption appeared to be that if you were there, you speak Spanish. The timing was good, in that I had finally gotten my Spanish to comfortable conversation level. I had plenty of opportunities to practice Spanish on that trip. ;-)

I guess it is time to go back to Chiapas. ;-)

Richard

http://www.fergusonsculpture.com

Bubba

Jan 22, 2007, 8:16 PM

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Re: [raferguson] The Fiesta Grande in Chiapa de Corzo

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Hearing of the dancers, I wonder if those were the ones wearing masks that made them look like Spaniards, white folks.

Speaking of not hearing English, I still tell the story of our trip to Chiapas, where everyone that we met addressed us in Spanish, even English teachers from Mexico City. The assumption appeared to be that if you were there, you speak Spanish. The timing was good, in that I had finally gotten my Spanish to comfortable conversation level. I had plenty of opportunities to practice Spanish on that trip. ;-)

raferguson:

Yes, I believe their masks are intended to make them look like Spanairds.

It is interesting how people in Chiapas give you no quarter on the language thing. My wife´s Spanish is pretty good but mine is rather pathetic. We met with the architect in San Cristobal on several occasions and he seemed to be at pains to understand me and seemed to know almost no English. Then, one day we had a crisis on the construction sie requiring our precise communication and, since he knew of my limited Spanish skills, he immediately burst into perfect American English. It is precisely this attitude that makes me hope my enfeebled 65year old brain will be stimulated into comprehending Spanish better in Chiapas than at Lake Chapala of necessity. It may be a vain hope at my age. However, I will agonize through the schooling there.

(This post was edited by Bubba on Jan 22, 2007, 8:18 PM)