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First Time Reader? ......here is the background to this series of blogs:
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/lobo/9/1233502800/tpod.html
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Mexico: 23 Destinations to Spend the Winter Months

San Cristobal de Las Casas
no. 19 of 23 destinations (this is not a ranking)
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San Crsitobal de Las Casas – More Reflections
Part 2 of 5

I took a lot of photos during our travels, as the theory "a picture is worth a thousand words" is a concept I cannot resist. San Cristobal due to its overwhelming indigenous roots proved to be just the catalyst that made it even more difficult to keep the camera in my pocket.

Turning each corner presented new views in ochre, dark reds and blues, lush greens, subtle and not so subtle pinks, pale blues and whites and that was just the buildings not to mention the colorful way of dressing by the native population . Yes, San Cristobal is a kaleidoscope of color cleverly put together in such a way as to entice the visitor into a mysterious and even mystical world.

As my next blog will show, the region around San Cristobal takes on a mysterious dimension that is foreign and awe inspiring. We did not experience this in any other part of Mexico.

 All in all San Cristobal de Las Cases is a“ cool” place but let there be no mistaking, as a tourist, or even expat, it would be very difficult to gain access into this closed indigenous culture. It is even recommended that the visitor not just traipse off blindly into the Cheapen countryside. Due to its deep indigenous roots there are cultural rules and mores that should not be crossed lightly or perhaps should be crossed at one's own peril. For instance even the act of photo taking becomes problematic, as my next blog will illustrate. Being here is about as far as one can get, figuratively speaking, from San Miguel de Allende where the expats rule the roost so to speak . It seemed like the locals in San Miguel de Allende do everything to accommodate the ubiquitous expats. In San Cristobal de Las Casas the tourists and expats come to observe, to learn, to absorb and to tread lightly. So yes, it is not everybody’s cup of tea but I suspect that it would be culturally rewarding for anyone who would make the effort to spend some time in this beautiful place.

 In my previous blogs I have often used a self-coined phrase - the “Yikes Factor”. I used it with reference to the cultural shock that we experienced in parts of Mexico due to the degree of chaos, lack of basic cleanliness and orderliness, etc. In such circumstances a “yikes” would be elicited by myself and/or Barbara. There was a bit of revulsion associated with the “Yikes Factor” and generally it would rear its ugly head in some towns/ cities we visited once we got outside the “historical center”. For instance in a city like Aguascalientes it happened only blocks from the zocalo, in others it took longer, while in some it did not appear .

 Let it be said that San Cristobal de Las Casas may illicit cultural shock but it is anything but chaotic, disorderly or dirty. As for the cultural shock, the reason why visitors come to San Cristobal is to see the native culture so it cannot be considered a shock. The place is extremely calm and orderly.

I am glad that I stumbled upon this word “calm” because it is the first time that I have used the word in my entire writings about Mexico. Contrary to other parts of Mexico, San Cristobal de Las Casas lacks the hustle and bustle with its implicit undercurrents of possible danger located ever so thinly beneath the surface. I think the “calmness” is brought about by the indigenous population as they quietly go about their business without creating a lot of noise and commotion. Yes, the Tzotziles, Tzeltales and Mestizos generally are a quiet people. To some extent they may have been ground down by poverty but perhaps their calm behavior is more a cultural trait . It is almost difficult to think of them as Mexicans as they are so different. It would seem that their bond is with their Mayan brethren in Guatemala and Belize. There is much reference found here to the “Mundo Maya” or Mayan World.

 San Cristobal de Las Casas is a clean place with smooth narrow cobblestone streets and sidewalks that are kept in good condition. The bottom line is that there is no – “Yikes Factor” in this town in the sense in which I used the term in other parts of Mexico.

 The city is located at nearly 7,000 feet of altitude, which would make it higher than Zacatecas. As I wrote in my blog, Zacatecas is beautiful but the cool nighttime temperatures make a long term stay in the winter months something only for the hardy. The same can be said for San Cristobal de Las Casas. The rain and cold temperatures we encountered during our two and a half day stay in this region would attest to that.

 So in conclusion it is a beautiful, mystical place that is very similar to what I have seen in Bolivia . By implication, that would not be the type of destination that would attract the average expat for a long-term stay.

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