Churning Ride and Great City

Thursday, Mar. 31, 2011--Palenque to San Cristobal de las Casas

Stopped at a streetside stall and had two chicken empanadas for breakfast.  Then continued to the bus station.  Unfortunately, the bus was coming from somewhere else and arrived 30 minutes late.  When we did leave, the entire trip was through the mountains on twisting narrow roads.  I was thrown both left and right continuously as we made hairpin curves along the route.  It wasn't easy the one time I had to walk the aisle and use the toilet.

I immediately bought my ticket to the Guatemala border for Saturday when I arrived.  Then I headed for my hotel.  I had marked it on my map based on the map at the website for it.  But when I got to that location, it wasn't there and no one knew it by name.  I walked back toward town and asked a man at another hotel, and he directed me.  The map at the website had it located one block further from the center of town than it actually is.  The owner is Cuban and speaks good English with a very nice accent.

It has been my lucky day.  Today, San Cristobal de las Casas is celebrating its anniversary as a city.  I saw a stage set up downtown when I started exploring.  First, I stopped for dinner having a menu of the day--lentil soup and chile rellenos.  I ordered the cheese version of the latter, and it was more than I expected.  There was a mixed vegetable stuffing along with the cheese.

I walked up and down the streets of this nice, colonial city.  On my way back toward the central plaza, I heard music and rushed to investigate.  There was a military drum and bugle corps performing as the flag was being lowered from the municipal building.  Then, as I walked further, I saw a banner advertising a free symphony concert at 7:00.  I went into a store to get directions to the theater, then I had to stop twice more for directions because it was far out on the west side of town.  I got there 15 minutes before time for the concert, and there was a long line snaking around the building.  I went to the end and waited with everyone else.

When we finally started walking, a young man walking beside me asked where I was from.  We started talking, and by the time we got to the entrance of the theater, we had introduced ourselves (his name is Alejandro) and had decided to sit together.  He used to be an English teacher, but now he is principal of a public secondary school.  However, he said he also has to have a second job like most people in Mexico, so he operates a spa--sauna, massage, etc.  I told him I was a former teacher, too, and we talked about education until time for the concert to begin.

The concert hall was nice.  Alejandro told me it is only about 15 years old.  It was the Chiapas Symphony Orchestra playing.  At intermission, Alejandro told me he had to go because his mother expected him to meet her.  I stayed for the second half which was better than the first.

When it ended, I rushed back toward town due to the fact that it was getting a bit cool for me wearing only a short sleeve shirt.  As I approached the central plaza, I could hear more exciting sounds.  A samba group was drumming its way through the streets.  I managed to get ahead of them, then all of a sudden, there was Alejandro again with his mother!  He introduced me and we visited a bit longer.  The samba group was moving so slowly, though, that I decided to leave.  His mother could not speak English, and I didn't want to spoil their time together.  Besides, Alejandro had already told me at the theater that he had to be out of town tomorrow but would try to contact me tomorrow night around 19:00.