October 19 , 2005 - page 2



The first leg of our journey took place in the state of Chiapas.  We visited the ruins at Palenque, and spent two nights in San Cristóbal de las Casas. The temperature there was much cooler, which was like heaven to us. Sunday was spent in the nearby towns of San Juan Chamula and Zinacantán. The church in San Juan Chamula was quite strange to us, though from the outside it was very much like a Catholic church.

Inside, however, idols of Catholic saints in glass cases lined the walls, fragrant pine needles covered the floor, colorful banners hung from the ceiling, and music boxes played Christmas carols. Lit candles—hundreds of them—were everywhere. The atmosphere inside was a potpourri of pine, candle smoke, tinny music, and chants from the Chamulans, who sipped pox (pronounced “posh,” an alcohol fermented from sugarcane) between prayers to be closer to their God(s).