San Cristobal de Las Casas

Really I have no idea where to start to write this blog. There is no good way to try and describe our stop in San Cristobal, especially in an hour alloted by the Cyber net! Which also means this will lack photos, and those are dearly needed to understand how wonderful of a time we had. As Merilee said eariler, we stopped to visit my friend from Americorps (Fuck yea) Fergie, and we ended up staying a little over two weeks.

What we did, well... We made lots of good good food, our friend from Oaxaca, Arturo, came out for a few days to visit us, we ate paletas, we walked with baby Cora, we ate tacos, we danced a bit, watched others dance, played dress up and dance to Lady Gaga, rediscovered our love for youtube and wireless internet, got called a few derogatory names, tried not to get hustled in markets, saw tigers pass through the main plaza, drank coffee, made no less than 20 thats what she said jokes a day, had a BBQ, took care of three crazy kitties, supported the taming of no less than 10 wild kitties, woke up late, and.....SLEPT on an amazingly comfortable bed!!!!! So thankyou again so so much Annie and Fergie for puttting up with us for so long. And Americorps reunion next summer, it is on!!!

Anyhow, the pictures we have tell this all perhaps much better than I ever could! OK onward!

So, we finally drug ourselves away from San Cristbal in a torrential downpour. The highway was sloppy, our clothes were sloppy, and every passing car looked on incredulously at two biking Gringos. The road was beautiful though even in the rain. We made it up to high country farm land. Green pastures and ranch houses set on the top of tree covered slopes falling down hundreds of feet. Quite amazing, but I cannot even begin to fathom the work that goes into farming on those terrains. When we made it to Oxchuc, we gave all the townspeople a treat for their eyes as we sloshed in and stayed at a comfy posada. I think I enjoyed the best shower of the trip there.

SIDE NOTE VERY IMPORTANT!!! To all travelers going through San Cristobal: I lost a sock to a crappy Lavanderia, NEVER go to the blue lavanderia on Real de Guadalupe!!!!! They claim to cover lost clothes (it says so on their sign) but they would not cover mine! It seems insignificant, but I now have 3 socks for the trip! WTF. Anybody ever found smart wool in Mexico?

Ok, so then we went to Agua Azul, but thanks to emense amounts of rain it should probably be called Aqua Cafe. But, here we found our first taste of Mexican tourist traps. We paid more than the acutal entrance fee, and as well as some Zapatistas. Although, I admit I trust they are doing more good than the roving people in the park trying to make a buck. But, you pay a park entrance fee only to pay to use the bathrooms, stay under palapas, and get hounded by people saying one thing than more saying another. Ok, on the bright side, the falls were beautiful and Merilee and I (got the grammer right that time!) almost blew ourselves up. I currently have much less leg hair beacause of our brilliance.

The story is this, our stove, which runs on either white gas or unleaded fuel, was filled with unleaded gas. Our pump cup, the cool thing that helps us pressurize the fuel so that is comes out properly is broken. So we were lubricating the pump cup (ahemm.. that is what she said? anyone...) and got a little gas to come out. YAY! Problem solved. So we are starting the stove but the flame goes out, but we can still hear the gas so we are trying to relight it. But...it takes a moment because our matches suck!! Well, I kinda forget that car gas (being as this is the first time we have tried to light the stove with it) is much much more flammable than white gas (whose fumes just disapate). So when the match finally lights, gas fumes are everywhere and so is the fire which Merilee and I have just started on the wooden community platform in the center of the park. Go us!! So I am like get the water!! We are kinda dazed. I am mourning my curled and burned leg hairs. But! But!!!! Instead of throwing water on the stove we let the gas burn off (beacuse we still want to eat) and the stove is working!!!! We win! So we make rice with squash and kale, and top it with eggs and serve it in tortillas. Arent you jealous?

Anyhow, it is what it is. Yesterday we made it out of the mountains in Chiapas. Advice for anyone looking to bike through Chiapas, take a motored bike. But, we made it to Palenque and saw the ever famous Mayan ruins here. And they are pretty amazing (ahemm Pictures!). I don{t think I made it clear though, the mountains were taking a toll on us. And the weather, but we made it and I am pretty proud of that.

Well, we hope now that our ride around the Yucatan will be reasonably flat and perhaps we will even make good time.

Homework! If anyone hears of a hurricane heading to the Yucatan Penninsula, let us know. Please.