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September 2, 2005
San Cristobal
Since our Lonely Planet guide is from 2002, in Oaxaca I looked in a bookstore at the just released edition for Mexico. It recommended a great new hotel in San Cristobal at rock bottom prices. I plugged the name and the number into my cell phone so we’d have a good option when we got into town.
Getting off the bus there was yet another sign that this was a popular backpackers’ destination. As we all stumbled off the bus at 9 in the morning, all the passengers were greeted by a throng of salesmen and women with pictures of their hotels and hostels. We took the a pamphlet for what looked to be a decent hostel, but told the guy we already had a place in mind.
Unfortunately, the number I had didn’t work and the taxi driver had never hear of the place. So we instead headed to the hostel whose information we had just received. After checking the place out we actually decided to stay at a nicer place right across the street with a private bathroom that worked out fine.
After getting settled we headed out to get some breakfast. A few blocks off the main square we found a place called Café Toluc. Em was happy as she got a huge plate of fresh fruit. During the breakfast we talked with the owner who gave us some information about the town, some villages around the outskirts, and he also wanted to make sure we came back for the US v. Mexico game tomorrow. We said we probably would and set out to explore.
We located the street that the colectivos left for San Juan Chamula, a nearby village, and explored the market in the center of town over the next few hours. This was the first city we’ve seen where some of the men and women walking around town are dressed in traditional embroidered clothing alongside others who are dressed just as we are. After making our way back to the hotel and relaxing a bit we had a great dinner at a restaurant called El Fogon de Jovel . I had the parrillada chiapaneco , an assortment of grilled meats, chorizo, vegetables and queso fresco that came sizzling over hot coals. It was one of our favorites of the trip.
After dinner we made it back to the hotel where we were once again horrified by the news coming out of New Orleans on CNN. Truly depressing stuff and it was strange watching it from so far away.
Posted by Peter Mork at September 2, 2005 6:31 PM
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