San Cristobal Archives •

A Few Missed trips

I’ve visited some big cities with lots of stuff to photograph and write about but there have also been some short trips along the way that I haven’t mentioned yet.

Chiapas Mexico

Leaving San Cristobal de las casas

I took the opportunity to use an organized day trip as both, my transportation to the city of Palenque and a way to visit Agua Azul, Misol-Ha and the Palenque Mayan ruins. The only downside to this adventure, leaving San Cristobal at 4am.

This is a popular day trip from San Cristobal but for me, the early start and cramped bus would have made a tedious day had I made the round trip.

Since I chose to spend a few days in Palenque, stopping to visit a few popular attractions was a great alternative to a 9 hour ADO bus ride.

Misol ha

palenque

ruins

agua azul

The Yucatan

Appreciating Places Near Mérida

Before my Chichén Itzá day trip, I enjoyed a boat ride through a Mangrove Forest to swim in a cenote, a visit to Celestún to see flamingos and a stop in Progreso for lunch and free time on the beach.

Not a bad trip if you’re with friends but I might get board if I did this one on my own. As it happened, I was glad to join a few other solo travelers for a full day of exploring.

mangrove

flamingos

grasshopper

progreso

A 5 Day Stay In Valladolid

Midway between Mérida and Cancun, Valladolid was 5 days of work, mosquito bites and leisurely exploration. I found plenty to see without a day trip, including an evening video mapping show projected on the former convent of San Bernardino of Siena and a cenote near the city center.

Zaci Cenote

Zaci Cenote Entrance

Giant Grasshopper

Iguana

quintana roo

Waiting for a flight in cancun

I went to Cancun to use the international airport, not to explore. It’s a party destination for tourists, not a real hot spot for the solo traveler.

While waiting for my departure date, I noticed my hostel had a book with a dozen day trip options and I couldn’t resist picking one.

My choice, a trip to the tropical island of Cozumel for a day of snorkeling.

I never snorkeled before and thought a day spent learning how was an excellent way to have fun without sweating my life away in Cancuns unbearable heat.

It’s probably no surprise that my choice was on point. Crystal clear warm water, tropical fish, sea turtles, sting rays, star fish, a costal boat ride w/beer and snacks, lunch and free time included.

Sorry, no snorkeling or underwater picts.

Magic Moments

Maybe it was the best hostel shower ever, that special brownie, discovering falafel, could have been all the hummingbirds, or even the return of the peacock. I can’t quite put my finger on it but, I agree, San Cristobal is the most magical of pueblos mágicos.

It started with food. After a very long 14 hour bus ride from Oaxaca, I landed in San Cristobal hangry and tired. I dropped my bags at the hostel and went directly to the closest eatery on the map they provided. Chips & salsa, 4 barbacoa tacos and two beers for $77 pesos. You can’t beat that.

Next, was my decision to do something I wanted to do in Mexico City and Oaxaca but didn’t, the free walking tour. Best decision ever! Our tour guide, Carlos, was very passionate about his city, pointing out all the best food, drink, shopping and street art spots. While this wasn’t a food tour, it could have been. We stopped often to taste local delights like coffee, chapulines (grasshoppers), pox (pronounced posh), camboucha, beer and a few other things I can’t recall. During one stop, I got schooled on what peyote should look like, how to have an authentic ayahuasca experience and an opportunity to acquire a very special brownie 😜. Magic!

Discovering falafel was yet another magical experience. Puerto Escondido and Oaxaca had been hit & miss finding good food at reasonable prices. San Cristobal started off great but I followed up those yummy tacos with pricey but average enchiladas. Now it’s Monday, a lot of places are closed and i’m starving. After wandering, I settle on 1 of @3 open places at the end of my patience. A newbie to falafel, I took forever to order, sat down and pouted because I knew it would suck. I took a bite and almost cried. It was so good I bought one to go and ate it the next day. Still wonderful!

I spent my final day in San Cristobal exploring the Amber, Jade and Na Bolom Museums and meandering through the maze of side-by-side tents that make up the main shopping area. A magical day of playing photographer, looking at art and shopping for that perfect piece of amber that continues to elude me. I would go back to San Cristobal in a heartbeat. It’s the perfect home base for exploring the state of Chiapas.

Jade Museum

Day Tripping: Stops I Didn’t Mention