My dad visited during "Semana Santa" or Holy Week, which is when nearly all of Mexico is also on vacation traveling to the most popular tourists places just like us. Sunday we went to Amikuu, a park I could nearly be a guide at myself having been there three times in four months. I loved it every time. The canyon never ceases to amaze, and the park is just kooky enough to work. I think my dad was most excited about the spider monkeys, and really who could blame him? Spider monkeys are the coolest little show offs around, much better than the crocodiles who never seem to move an inch. We saw the macaws and toucans, and jaguars and pumas, and after all that running around we cooled off in the pool. As we left through the museum, I heard "Yo Soy Chiapas"for the last time, which is an awesome song, and by far one of the best anthems I've ever heard.
The birthday song at graduation wasn't the last of birthday celebrations with my students. Some of us met on Monday in Rancho Nuevo (a nature preserve/forest area just outside San Cristobal). They brought a delicious choco flan and showed my dad and I how to slide down the cement slide on soda bottles (the type of slide we would probably use potato sacks for in the US). Martin was the best (just look at his pose). My dad, on the other hand, came home with a permanent souvenir from that ride down the slide.
After the slide, we went underground for spelunking in Las Grutas following dozens of other vacationers, and even overhearing a bit of the guides attempt at pointing out different formations (you have to look very closely, even more closely than when your friend points at a cloud and says "hey, doesn't that look like a unicorn!?"). We took a taxi back to San Cristobal, said our goodbyes and the group went back to Tuxtla while my dad and I explored San Cris again. We made it back to Tierradentro for a mocha, which my dad was certain was made with a special Mexican Chocolate because it was so amazing, but when I asked it was just Herseys. It was the coffee that was special, and we brought a couple bags home to try to replicate the mocha and the rompope lattes.
The next day we were up bright and early for the six hour ride to Palenque. I slept most of the way to ward off the motion sickness (which worked much better this time). We stopped at Aguas Azul and Misol Ha again, which were just as beautiful the second time. We opted for the English tour, and unlike last time, we were the only English speakers so we got our own tour. Our guide was a veteran who has working at the ruins since the 70s. I think you could take a tour with each of the guides at Palenque and get a new story every time. Our guide seemed convinced that the Mayan culture was a mixed culture with influences from Eastern and Western inhabitants who left pieces of their culture behind, like Buddhas. He also wasn't convinced that the famous image of Pakal's mother passing the crown onto him was inaccurate. He seemed to think that women weren't ever in power during Mayan times, and that this image was of a villager giving an offering to the king. Who knows? He waited at the bottom while we climbed the towers (I'm sure after the first hundred times climbing the ruins gets a little tiring).
We're still on the lookout for a book our guide recommended about the "real" story of Palenque. I'll let you know if I ever get my hands on a copy. After sitting in the royal seats imagining what it would be like to watch sporting events here years and years ago, we were back in our bus seats back to Tuxtla.
The next day we took in the rest of Tuxtla, went back to the market for souvenirs, and had dinner with a few of my students. We went for pizza (I know, such a traditional meal for my last proper dinner in Mexico). I have to say I was excited for pizza back in the USA since pizza in Mexico can hardly compete and is extremely expensive.
The next day we was our last bus tour. On the itinerary was El Chiflon and Los Lagos de Montebello. You can see the cascades of El Chiflon from the road, describing the height is useless, except for to say it is massive. At the beginning of the hike there are calm waters to swim in, and along the path are tents and picnic areas. We only had about an hour or two (and dad isn't a huge fan of swimming) so we definitely opted to hiking to the top. Chiflon is made up of several falls, and each has the perfect posing place etched out (some dare you to climb onto rocks, which we just had to do), and besides posing the falls are just another one of natures ways to awe and amaze us. They are truly beautiful. The path is shaded and the air is fresh, making the hike enjoyable and not too difficult.
From El Chiflon we drove to Los Lagos, on the border of Guatamala. In the mountains are lagoons surrounded by lush forests. We went kayaking in some of the bluest water I've seen since the grottos in Capri, Italy. After getting the hang of our paddling, we made it to the tiny island in the center of the lagoon. If only it was warmer, there was a perfect jumping point that would have served us well. On a small corner of the island it looked like someone had planted an bizarre plants garden where oddly beautiful flowers were blooming. We stopped at a few look out points and took photos in front of the mountain range that separated us from Guatamala. After passing all the street vendors, with the requisite meat hanging in the front of the tent, we left the mountains (after seeing cork trees) and headed home. This last ride "home" to Tuxtla was bittersweet. The next morning we woke up too early and jam packed a taxi and headed toward the airport for our trip back to Chicago.
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