Chamula & Zinacantan

We took a day trip to the villages of Chamula and Zinacantan, in the mountains just north of San Cristobal. In Chamula taking photographs of people is not allowed as the Mayans believe that you are trying to steal their soul and there is a very real danger of a lynching if you break the rules! The church at Chamula was amazing. It was lit by thousands of candles and the floor was lined with pine needles. Our guide told us about how chickens were sacrificed by shamans to cure illness, but we didn´t expect to see them actually wringing the necks of chickens in the church!!! The guide was excellent and told us all about the history of Mesoamerica and the Mayan culture, which is very much still alive in Chiapas. In Chemula, 50% of the population only speak the local language and therefore cannot really exist outside of their town or village. Nearly all of the women and most of the men still wear traditional dress (which identifies which group they belong to), practise traditional crafts and live in mud or clay houses. All in all it was a fascinating day out and worth every penny.

Tomorrow we´re heading to Quetzeltenango (in Guatemala), which is fortunately also known as Xela (Shay-la). It is possible (and cheapest) to get a public bus to the border town, taxi across the border and then public bus in Guatemala but as it was nearly 50% cheaper than the lonely planet suggested it would be, we decided to book a private shuttle bus to take us all the way.