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Chiapas Part 2: What to do at San Cristóbal's Zocalo?
Traditional dance by pineapple-carrying performers on a stage at San Cristóbal's Zocalo. This performance was one of many delightful (and free) activities we encountered in the area around the Zocalo...
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Chiapas Part 3: La Catedral de San Cristóbal
La Catedral de San Cristóbal de las Casas occupies one whole side of the Zócalo. Oddly, it was built to face its own Plaza Catedral rather than facing the main plaza. Other cathedrals I have seen were...
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Chiapas Part 4: San Cristóbal's pedestrian-only streets - Anador Real de...
Pedestrians enjoy a stroll along Real de Guadalupe on a brilliant August morning.San Cristóbal de las Casas has several pedestrian-only streets. They radiate out from the Zócalo, going east, north, and...
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Chiapas Part 5: A stroll along Andador 20 de Noviembre to Templo de la Caridad
A friendly jaguar greets passersby along Andador 20 de Noviembre. The doorway is part of a converted colonial mansion now serves as an artisan's shop. Andador 20 de Noviembre heads north from the...
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Chiapas Part 6: Andador Miguel Hidalgo, University of Chiapas, & Templo y...
Templo y Arco del Carmen looking south. The Arco is a San Cristobal de las Casas landmark and symbol of the city. This tower arch marks the southern end of Andador Miguel Hidalgo (also known as Andador...
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Chiapas Part 7: Na Bolom and San Cristóbal's own "Indiana Jones"
Frans Blom, a real-life "Indiana Jones," shown as a young man. The original photograph is dated 1922 and is located in the museum at Na Bolom (House of the Jaguar), his former home and expedition...
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Climbing Cerro Garcia, Lake Chapala's highest peak
Cerro Garcia, looking southeast from the new bypass road above Jocotopec. The town lies on the extreme western end of the lake. Last Tuesday, I accompanied three other hiking friends on an ascent of...
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Chiapas Part 8: Museo de Trajes Regional, a stunning collection of...
Museo de Trajes Regionales is packed with exquisite Maya textiles and clothing. On our visit to San Cristóbal de las Casas we had a "must-see" list. Near the top was Museo de Trajes Regionales (Museum...
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Chiapas Part 9: The pueblo of San Juan Chamula and its other-worldly Maya church
Green Maya crosses symbolize the ancient religion as well as Catholicism.The crosses above embody what Mexicans call sincretismo, which means the mixing of cultures. After our visit, Carole and I...
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Chiapas Part 10: The ornate art and architecture of San Cristóbal's Templo de...
Detail of a retablo on the side wall of Templo y ex-Convento de Santo Domingo. A small figure wearing a straw hat and carrying a basket of flowers peers out from the middle of a fantastically ornate...
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Chiapas Part 11: San Cristóbal's vivid street markets
Colorfully woven baskets were on display at the craft market near Templo Santo Domingo. It is impossible to approach the Templo without passing the booths of the large mercado (market) that almost...
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Chiapas Part 12: San Cristóbal's Templo del Cerrito & Museum of Culture and...
"Chiapaneca," by Francisco Jiménez Gómez of Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas. This wood carving is on display at the Museo de las Culturas Populares de Chiapas. This is one of the finest examples of wood...
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Chiapas Part 13: Zinacantan, center of Maya weaving & embroidery in the "Land...
A mother and her two young sons pause for a photograph in Zinacantan. Carole and I visited Zinacantan on the same tour that took us to the pueblo of Chamula (see Part 9 of this series). It is...
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Chiapas Part 14a: Cruising the spectacular Cañon del Sumidero
Massive cliffs frame Cañon del Sumidero, one of Chiapas' two most-visited tourist areas. The canyon's breathtaking walls rise as high as 1000 m (3281 ft) along its 13 km (8.08 mi) length. The park...
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Chiapas Part 14b: Sumidero Canyon, its Cave of Colors and its...
Immense canyon walls rise closely on both banks of the Rio Grijalva. In my last posting, I focused on the geology, flora, and fauna of the canyon. This week, we continue through Chiapas'...
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Chiapas Part 15: Toniná, the Maya warrior kingdom
Temple of the Smoking Mirror stands on the seventh or topmost level of Toniná's Acropolis. One of the goals during our visit to Chiapas was to see and photograph Toniná, one of the most militarily...
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Chiapas Part 16: The Great Acropolis of Toniná
The Acropolis of Toniná is filled with palaces, temples, and altars. Level by level, the Acropolis rises high above the Great Plaza seen in the previous posting. Each of the seven successive levels can...
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Chiapas Part 17: The palaces, temples, and pyramids of Toniná's upper Acropolis
The Temple of the Earth Monster is adorned with a distinctive roof comb. Under the palm-frond palapa just to the right of center is the Shrine of the Earth Monster, seen in my last posting. The Temple...
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Chiapas Part 18: Toniná's Temple of the Smoking Mirror and the altars and...
Temple of the Smoking Mirror, seen against a dramatic sky. The Smoking Mirror Temple rests on Level 7 of the Acropolis and was constructed with 4 stepped platforms. The peak of this temple reaches 80 m...
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The Mexican Revolution and Ajijic's 2013 Fiesta
A Revolutionary Mona Lisa gazes enigmatically into the camera. Wearing the Mexican national colors, this young woman was chatting with friends along the route of Ajijic's Revolution Day parade. My...
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