Subtitle – a non-photogenic, but incredibly fascinating, tour.
These are two towns/communities about half an hour from San Cristobal (and another 1,000 feet higher, so we were above 8,000 feet for the day).
It’s part of the Mexican heritage, and particularly here in the Chiapas region. The guide claimed there were 68 languages still spoken in Mexico.
I said it wasn’t photogenic.
The tour tried to concentrate on the religious, cultural and political differences, and that these towns/communities are still, to an extent, semi-autonomous places.
So this is the prison cell – most sentences are for a matter of hours, leaving it then to the community to sort out the miscreant – including, the guide claimed, lynching for the most serious. We watched (but weren’t allowed to photograph) a mediation court.
No pictures allowed of religious activities; suffice to say there is a sort of link to Catholicism, although they do not really recognise the Vatican. The Vatican recognises them, but lets them get on with their own way of doing things.
That was Chamula – Zinacantan is not far away, but allowed more pictures. (And it’s big on flower production.)
Recognisably different costumes for each town, but again photographing people was very unwelcome).
And lots of weaving (and buying), and pictures are allowed.
That’s our guide getting very passionate about these communities and the threats they’re facing.
This has been an incredibly brief summary of our trip, which raised so many questions within the group, and doesn’t even scratch the surface of all the issues.