San Cristobel

An early start to fly to Tuxtla before transferring to a somewhat rickety little bus (our luggage was slightly precariously roped to the roof under a tarpaulin) to San Cristobel  de las Casas. Not an auspicious start, as the bus pulled into a dusty yard where a man was strangling chickens over a bucket and we were immediately surrounded by a gaggle of men yelling "Taxi!? Taxi...!?" Being very British (and pig-headed) we insisted on walking to our hotel instead, dragging our suitcases through the morning sun and over some of the most uneven pavements I have ever encountered. That said, things improved immeasurably when we found a shady purveyor of hot chocolate and the old town of San Cristobel turned out to be beautiful, colourful and vibrant and yet with an unmistakably laid-back attitude. Our hotel is great too - the former house of a Danish archeologist/explorer (a fully paid up member of the Explorers Club no less, we saw his certificate) now partly hotel and partly ethnographical museum; a calm oasis of shady courtyards and plant-filled spaces...