After a few first days in the relaxed city of San Cristóbal de las Casas, we wanted to get to know the surroundings better.
The strangest church
With a high indigenous population, Chiapas offers a distinct cultural mix like no other place. The indigenous people live in 9 communities, each with its own language, traditions and rituals. To find out more about that interesting mix, we wanted to visit one of Mexico’s few autonomous townships, San Juan Chamula. It is located about 10 km from San Cristóbal. The small indigenous town of Chamula is the home of the Tzotzil people. They are of Mayan origin and well known for their unique religious practices. We went to the main church of the town, the Iglesia de San Juan Bautista, to experience the mixture of Catholicism and Mayan rituals.
After paying a little entrance fee we entered the mystical church. There was no typical church-like furniture and it seemed a little dark inside. Pine needles covered the floor and there were kneeling people chanting in front of thousands of burning candles. The candles were placed in very specific arrangements. The worshipping locals also made offerings. In some cases, necking Coca Cola or the local alcoholic spirit, Pox. But we also saw some chickens as animal sacrifices. It was the most unusual church we have ever been to. Unfortunately we could not take any pictures of the inside, as photography is strictly prohibited. But it was an unique experience and definitely worth a visit. After a quick lunch in a neighbouring town, Zinacatan, we headed back to San Cristóbal.
Cooking class
Last but not least we also joined a little cooking class in a community center in San Cristóbal. We tried a traditional Mexican dish: Tamales. Tamales basically are a corn based dough filled as you like. Normally with various meats or beans and cheese or sweet with some fruits. We filled ours with some onions, chaya or tree spinach, and some cheese. The sweet ones with sugar cane and pineapple. Then the filled dough is wrapped and cooked in corn husks or banana leaves. We made everything from scratch and had some punch with Pox (Mexican liquor) with it. It was really delicious, especially the sweet tamales and the punch! 😋
With a new skillset (making Tamales), a new souvenir and of course new everylasting memories, we left San Cristóbal behind.
