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San Cristobal and its surroundings (Monday 03/09/07)

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-01-19T16:07:07+0000

San Cristobal and its surroundings (Monday 03/09/07)

San Cristobal de Las Casas

This was the town that the more we liked.
Fully carpeted colors of the flag of Mexico (green, white and red … very familiar). Full of life and of wonderful shops and amber jewelry made with the Jada, which is mined here in Chiapas.

San Cristobal

Everything revolves around at the Plaza de 31 March, in which there are the Cathedral, built in 1528, demolished in the seventeenth century and rebuilt in 1696 and the Neoclassical Palacio Municipal.

San Cristobal - Cathedral

Palacio Municipal

Unbelievable but true, we were finally able to drink a cappuccino worthy of the name, but only because we have found the “Coffee, Coffee Museum”.

⇐ Day 9: Tuxtla - San Cristobal De Las Casas

⇒ Day 11: San Cristobal - Palenque

Travels, Mexico, San Cristobal

Puebla - Oaxaca (Thursday 30/08/07)

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-01-19T16:07:07+0000

Puebla - Oaxaca (Thursday 30/08/07)

Oaxaca

Capital of the state, Oaxaca retains an air of provincial despite having about 600,000 inhabitants. The natives of this region are descendants of pre-Hispanic groups Zapolechi and Mixtec, who were the source of one of the most important pre-Columbian civilizations. The craftsmanship of this region, which is a true cultural mosaic, is exceptional: the black porcelain, carpets in wools and jewelry to name a few, have given many villages an international reputation. The zocalo is its glittering mirrors: spectular square, with flower beds and flowering trees, busy until late at night, beneath its porches (portales), cafes and restaurants.

Oaxaca

In the sides there are the most important palaces. To the south, the Palcio del Gobierno, dating to the early twentieth century, with a mural by Arturo Garcia Bustos on the steps that illustrate the history of the city. To the north, the Cathedral, built from 1553 and ended in the seventeenth century, with elegant baroque decorations on the main facade which fronts the Alameda. Northbound run the most characteristic Oaxaca streets, all perpendicular to each other, with the most significant churches and palaces, fully restored.

Cathedral of Oaxaca

Oaxaca

By day the whole city gravitates around the large Central de Abastos, the market for supplies. Mysterious herbs, love potions, sarapes, colorful ponchos, embroidered costumes and chapulines, crickets fried and crunchy.

Central de Abastos

⇐ Day 5: Mexico City - Puebla

⇒ Day 7: Oaxaca - Monte Alban - Mitla

Travels, Mexico, Oaxaca, Central de Abastos

Oaxaca - Monte Alban - (Friday Mitla 31/08/07)

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-01-19T16:07:07+0000

Oaxaca - Monte Alban - (Friday Mitla 31/08/07)

Monte Alban (white mountain)

Monte Alban museum

Monte Alban is located 10km from Oaxaca, in the middle of the valley at 2000 meters altitude, was the capital of the Zapotec civilization for over 1000 years.
Urban and Zapotec ceremonial center, founded 800 BC, erected by a people originally from La Venta (Olmec), had the peak between 100 and 800 AD. It had close relationship with the Olmec centers during the Preclassic period, when the city was adorned with pillars, and sculptures.
After the abandonment of the Zapotec (950 AD), the site was transformed by the Mixtec in a necropolis (1350) to accommodate the remains of nobles and priests. It houses the rich tombs, with votive and funerary urns, often painted, of which there were found over 170. At Monte Alban entrance there is the museum with the finds of the site.

The trail climbs to the Grand Plaza. The ceremonial center consists of a vast open space of 300m in length on the north-south and 250m wide on an east-west, bounded north and south by two major platforms. To the east, the playground of the pelota game, with a “I” shape, and the Palace, with a grand staircase.

Gran Plaza

Playground of pelota

Palace

To the south is the Southern Platform, a huge pile of stones covered by a wide staircase.
On the west lies a series of buildings: the Building J, arrowhead-shaped, with internal gallery; Building M, with the remains of four columns on the top; Building L, with bas-reliefs of danzantes where are portrayed slain enemies dripping blood and genitals cut; Building IV, built with large stone blocks stacked and the huge Stele No 18.

Southern Platform

Building J

Building L

Building M

To the north, lies the majestic North Platform with rooms that housed the tombs.
In the middle of the esplanade rises the mysterious Building G, which archaeologists are still studying to understand the ancient usage; was probably an astronomical observatory.

Northern Platform

Building G

In the north-west, more secluded, there are the tombs. The most significant are the n.104, with murals on the sidewalls and two gods who hold up a stick and a bag (representing the god of corn), No 7, dating from 400 AD, whose burial chamber was discovered the fabled treasure, the Jade mask of the god bat, which is located in the Museum of Oaxaca, and No. 105, sul Cerro del Plumaje, has wall paintings representing figures walking.

Mitla

Mitla is the other archaeological pole of the region, Mixtec site of the VIII century in which remain five magnificent palaces. It is a true architectural masterpieces decorated with panels of mosaic with 14 unique variations of geometric designs, consisting of thousands of small cut stones, each representing a different element. There are 5 Grupi and most significant, the Grupo de las Columnas, consists of real buildings. Among these are the Sala de las Columns with 6 columns and 34m long, the Patio de Mosaicos, where the walls and inner walls of these rooms are covered with intricate mosaics; the Patio Sur with two underground tombs, one of which contains the Columna de la Vida.

Sala de las Columnas

Patio Sur

Underground tomb

Columna de la Vida

Dominates the site, the Church of St. Paul, from dark red domes, flanked by the Grupo de la Iglesia, with a series of columns. Not far away is the Grupo del Arroyo, in large part still to be excavated.

Church of St. Paul

Grupo de la Iglesia

Mitla was inhabited by the Zapotec until the conquest of the Aztecs in 1494, followed by the Spanish one occurred in 1521. Its people spoke Zapotec language, although the source is Mixreca. Its current residents, just over 8000 people, are the direct heirs. Many people continue to pursue, as in the past, the art of weaving, and their women, minute and voice as thin as those of girls, pressed the tourists to buy their embroidered blouses.

El Tule

10km east of Oaxaca, here El Tule, with the immense tree ahuehete (Montezuma cypress), a species of cypress, which stands outside the church. The tree is included in World Guinness Records Book because it seems to be the largest in the world with its 42m high, 58m in circumference and more than 2000 years.

El Tule

⇐ Day 6: Puebla - Oaxaca

⇒ Day 8: Oaxaca - Tuxtla Gutierrez

Travels, Mexico, Monte Alban, Mitla, El Tule