After our benign crossing of the Tuhuanapec we spent a week at marina Chiapis. The Marina is on the verge of opening, so the docks are in place, the water and electrical lines are in place, but there is no electricity and the water is intermittent. While things are under construction we can use of the slips, for free. Once things get going this will be a nice marina. Enrique is welcoming and enthusiastic. He hopes Tapachula (the city nearby) will become a tourist destination, and the Marina a boater's haven.
We took advantage of the free docks to head inland again. The state of Chiapis is the home to San Cristobal de las Casas, the waterfalls at Agua Azul, the cascades at Misol-ah and the ruins near Palenque. The Morelia team (Serendipity, Swift Current and Taking Flight) were joined by Hotspur (with the delightful Carolyn) for the trip. This brought the number to 11. It felt like we needed a sheepdog to herd us along. For such a big group, things went surprisingly well. The hardest part was finding places to sleep and eat. Anne on Serendipity took most of that pain away by researching possible eateries ahead of time. We had incredible Italian food in San Cristobal, because Anne had walked by the café in the morning and saw a crowd. Dinner was their slow time, so we had the great food, and a relaxed atmosphere. We didn't stay at the hotels we had scoped out on the internet, but found clean, cheap spots near the bus stations. The other challenge of this trip had nothing to do with the number of people, just the size of Chiapias and the state of the roads. It was nine hours to San Cristobal, not the six we were told, and it was another five and a half to Palenque. When we got to Palenque we completely changed our return itinerary. We decided to have a driver return us San Cristobal, and stop along the way to the various sites. Then we took the night bus back to Tapachula. This worked well, although we would have enjoyed more time at the ruins, but it saved us about five hours in bus time.
What we saw? San Cristobal is packed with museums. This part of Mexico is known for weaving. Each indigenous tribe has their own patterns. San Cristobal is in the mountains, and cold. The women wear skirts made of llama wool to keep them warm, but we had our cruiser garb, and just wore more layers. Palenque is not as high, so was much warmer. The trick was to stay cool in Palenque, yet not freeze in San Cristobal or the night bus. Jade and amber were found in abundance, so there were museums for each. The best part of San Crisobal for our family was a pastry shop, that reviled Madame Dumas in New York. They must have a better butter source than I have ever found, and the éclairs had the proper consistency, not tough but solid. We went three times, including just before the night bus.
Palenque is a famous archeological site. It was the center of the Mayan golden age. We got a guide for the ruins and learned so much, but my retention was tested. I want to learn about these built huge burial pyramids, figured out ways to bring light into huge structures with small windows and white walls, which used an accurate calendar for centuries and had an intricate religion that focused on the underworld and corn. I can't explain all the details, but I really want to learn more. Our guide, Edgar, recommended a documentary by the Discovery Channel.
The waterfalls were spectacular. Misol-Ah is a huge cascade with a path in the back. There is a cave under the falls that Kara and Caroline explored. Agua Azul is over 2 km of waterfalls. There are three swimming pools, and water a tropic blue. When the sun came out it was breathtaking. The pictures in the photo gallery almost do it justice.