As we found out, the week-long Festival of Santo Tomás should come with a few warnings–or at least ear plugs.

Happy crowds at the Festival of Santo Tomás in Chichicastenango, Guatemala.

Members of the cofradia, or honorary council of community leaders (you can tell by their clothes), at the Festival of Santo Tomás in Chichicastenango, Guatemala.

Most towns in Latin America have a patron saint which they honor annually with a festival as large and grand as the town can afford to put on. The full name of Chichi is actually Chichcastenango de Santo Tomás since, you guessed it, Santo Tomás is their patron saint. Every December Chichi pulls out all the stops and throws one of the biggest, loudest and most colorful saint festivals in Guatemala.

Though the festival honors a saint, the Festival of Santo Tomás is really a melding of K’iche’ (or Quiché) Mayan customs and Christian traditions which explains the party atmosphere and elaborate, vivid costumes and lack of grindingly long church services.

Plumed head dresses in front of the Iglesia de Santo Tomás during the Festival of Santo Tomás in Chichicastenango, Guatemala.

Elaborate floats carrying effigies of saints emerge from the Iglesia de Santo Tomás before being paraded around town as part of Chichicastenango's annual Festival of Santo Tomás.

Most of the festival events took place in front of the Iglesia de Santo Tomás which was built by the Spanish in 1545 on top of a pre-Columbian temple mound. It now anchors town’s main square (where most of the festival action took place) with a smaller church facing it on the other side of a large open area.

Costumed dancers representing Spanish conquistadors strut their stuff during the annual Festival of Santo Tomás in Chichicastenango, Guatemala.

Dedicated dancers

Guatemala is already a colorful country with a vibrant textile tradition and day-glow clothing that’s still part of daily dress in many areas. During the festival, hundreds of participants put on even more elaborate outfits involving intricately decorated clothes and fancy masks which transform them into representations of Spanish conquistadors. Called the Dance of the Conquest, it traditionally re-enacts the subjugation of the local people by the Spanish. All we saw during the festival in Chichi were conquistadors dancing around minus any subjugation or historical story telling.

A dancer dressed as a Spanish conquistador takes part in the annual Festival of Santo Tomás in Chichicastenango, Guatemala.

Costumed dancers representing Spanish conquistadors strut their stuff during the annual Festival of Santo Tomás in Chichicastenango, Guatemala.

Stranger still was another group of dancers wearing huge sombreros and masks and toting live snakes. The Dance of the Mexicans started off as the Dance of the Snakes, a serpent-based fertility rite that was banned by the church. In order to keep their ritual alive, indigenous groups kept the snakes, dropped the more sexually explicit elements and added the Mexican costumes. Why Mexican? Because there’s a giant snake on the Mexican flag.

The Dance of the Mexicans is a tweaked version of a snake-based fertility dance that the church banned.

The Dance of the Mexicans is a tweaked version of a snake-based fertility dance that the church banned.

The Dance of the Mexicans is a tweaked version of a snake-based fertility dance that the church banned.

Though we kept asking locals (and even the tourism representatives who occasionally wandered through the crowd) we could never get a clear answer about when the valadores were scheduled to perform.Therefore, we completely missed this impressive spectacle which involves costumed dancers climbing to the top of a 100′ pole then tying a rope to their ankles before rolling off a platform at the top and slowly spiraling down to the ground head first.

Valadores in costume before their amazing head-first spiral off the top of a 100' pole--which we totally missed.

No matter which costume they were wearing, the dancers were expected to perform all day long. In heavy, stifling costumes they shuffled and jumped under a blazing sun.

Our video, below, captured a lot of the dancing action.

Parades and processions

When folks weren’t dancing or spiraling off the top of very tall poles members of the cofradia (a kind of honorary committee of community leaders) were parading slowly through the streets carrying three enormous elaborately decorated floats with representations of Santo Jose, Santo Sebastian and, of course, Santo Tomás inside. As the heavily decorated floats were carried out of the Iglesia de Santo Tomás, the technicolor feathers, inlaid mirrors, satin and sequins reminded us of Mardi Gras costumes.

Members of the cofradia, or honorary council of community leaders (you can tell by their clothes), carry floats during a parade at the Festival of Santo Tomás in Chichicastenango, Guatemala.

Members of the cofradia, or honorary council of community leaders (you can tell by their clothes), carry floats during a parade at the Festival of Santo Tomás in Chichicastenango, Guatemala.

Members of the cofradia, or honorary council of community leaders (you can tell by their clothes), carry floats during a parade at the Festival of Santo Tomás in Chichicastenango, Guatemala.

Women taking part in a procession during the annual Festival of Santo Tomás in Chichicastenango, Guatemala.

Check out one of the processions in our video, below.

Frightening fireworks

As we’ve mentioned before, Latin Americans are obsessed with fireworks. It’s just not a party without an enormous cache of things that make loud noises and/or explosions and/or sparkly colors in the sky. The Festival of Santo Tomás was certainly no exception.

Fireworks go off in front of Iglesia de Santo Tomás in Chichicastenango, Guatemala.

From morning ’til night gangs of men worked diligently to make sure that something was exploding somewhere at all times–usually within 20 feet of where you were standing.

During the day they focused their efforts on laying down miles of mats studded with firecrackers, then lighting one end creating a startling machine gun effect of noise and smoke. Another day time favorite involved an ominous metal tube which was placed on the ground (in as densely populated an area as possible). Then a croquet-ball-sized bomba was placed inside before its long fuse was lit.

Fireworks go off in front of Iglesia de Santo Tomás in Chichicastenango, Guatemala.

Even the fireworks boys ran from this one before the ball was thrust up into the air where it (hopefully) exploded before falling back down into the crowd.

At night they turned their attention to huge castillos–elaborate wood structures with spinning wheels and  other moving parts all loaded with sparkling, hissing fireworks that ignite in successions until the entire display goes off, revealing the overall design of the castillo. The well-funded Festival of Santo Tomás also featured full-on fireworks displays in the sky that were as solid as many July 4 displays.

Ear plugs in? Check out the fireworks in our video, below.

Of course, there were drunks…

A borracho passed out amidst the shredded paper remains of a series of firecrackers that were set off right beside him.

The Spanish word for drunk is borracho and it’s not a festival without a few around. The borrachos in Chichi were world class: lurching, lunging, falling, sleeping and not even flinching when they ended up passed out in the midst of a pile of exploding firecrackers which locals seemed to intentially ignite almost on top of them. Not even the pounding bass lines and thumping speakers from the live band stage could rouse them. Impressive.

World’s best fried chicken?

All this festivaling worked up a pretty serious appetite, which was amply satisfied by equally serious fried chicken. Guatemalans love fried chicken and the golden, crispy, juicy, fresh stuff served up out of roiling caldrons of hot oil by overworked and slightly cranky hordes of women in Chichi took the dish to new heights of deliciousness (25Q, or about US$3, with tortillas and a soda). The Colonel’s got nothin’ on these ladies.

Members of the cofradia, or honorary council of community leaders (you can tell by their clothes), carry floats during a parade at the Festival of Santo Tomás in Chichicastenango, Guatemala.

A masked dancer shows us how it's done during the Festival of Santo Tomás in Chichicastenango, Guatemala.

Our hotel haven

Luckily we were being hosted at Hotel Santo Tomás, a regal two story whitewashed adobe and wood building with a landscaped inner courtyard featuring gurlging fountains and a mildly disturbing collection of caged birds.

All of the 30 rooms are slightly different, but they all have fireplaces (it’s 10Q, or about US$1.25, for a bundle of wood) and the WiFi signal even reaches the rooms closest to the front desk.

Run by Doña Inés, the place is full of antique furniture, religious sculptures and pottery. Even though the hotel was just a few blocks away from the festival madness, it managed to maintain a relatively serene environment..

Women watch as one of three elaborately-decorated floats (each bearing the effigy of a saint) is brought out of the Iglesia de Santo Tomás.

As if there wasn’t enough going on, a total lunar eclipse took place in the middle of the final days of the Festival of Santo Tomás. Eric shot it and made this cool montage of eclipse images.

A child dressed as a Spanish conquistador during the annual Festival of Santo Tomás in Chichicastenango, Guatemala.

Related posts:

1. Troubled but Trying – Guatemala City, Guatemala
2. Tikal Basecamp #2 – Flores, Guatemala
3. Lake Life – Panajachel, Lago de Atitlán, Guatemala

San Pedro la Laguna

For 25Q per person (about US$3) we got a 45 minute ride across the lake to San Pedro la Laguna, where we had a lovely breakfast at a restaurant right on the lakeshore, complete with French Press coffee. A wander around San Pedro revealed a nice backpacker buzz with fewer travelers than Pana but a tempting array of coffee bars and Spanish schools and budget hotels. San Pedro also has La Piscina, a swimming pool and restaurant.

Real barbecue in Central America?

This is where, every Sunday at noon, you can enjoy Smokin’ Joe’s BBQ. Owned by a man from Georgia, Smokin’ Joe’s is said to be the only authentic southern BBQ in Central America and he serves up all the usual suspects and the usual sides plus homemade sauces and something called Flintstone Ribs. It makes our mouths water just to think about it.

Sadly, we didn’t know about this weekends-only BBQ binge and we missed our chance for a fix at La Piscina. Don’t make the same mistake!

A man sporting the traditional striped short pants in the town of Santiago Atitlán on the shores of Lake Atitlán in Guatemala.

The mystery of Maximón in Santiago Atitlán

From San Pedro we got into an even smaller lancha for the short trip to the town of Santiago Atitlán where we were on a quest to get a glimpse of the cult of Maximón. Believed to be an incarnation of a Mayan deity, Maximón looks like a human wearing a huge hat and adorned with brightly-colored scarves and ties. He always has a cigar or cigarette in his mouth and is often surrounded by acloholic offerings which devotes bring to try and get their requests for good crops/marraige/health/etc moved to the top of the list.

Maximón is honored in many Mayan communities where he resides in a different home each year. After asking around in Santiago we soon found Maximón’s current address in Santiago–in a dimly lit room off the side of a house. We gave Maximón a cigarette and his attendants charged us 2Q each to look at him and 10Q (about US$1.25) to take a picture.

Mam Mayan cult object, Maximón, and his minder in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala.

In addition to Maximón, Santiago is also known for its market though we were underwhelmed. What was impressive was how much atitecos (residents of Santiago) love stripes. Almost every man was wearing short pants with vertical red, blue or black stripes. The women’s huipils (the traditional boxy tunics) were made from a striped hand-loomed fabric embroidered with intricate and vibrant designs often involving birds and flowers. Some women also wear a head covering that involves wrapping a band of red fabric around their heads many times to create a kind of crown-less hat.

A woman sporting full traditional garb, including an elaborate red head wrap, in Santiago Atitlán on the shores of Lake Atitlán in Guatemala.

Traditionally dressed Mayan women outside the Iglesia Parroquial Santiago Apostol in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala.

Iglesia Parroquial Santiago Apostol in Santiago Atitlán on the shore of Lake Atitlán, Guatemala.

Mayan tradition gave way (a bit) to bridal tradition, however, when we visited the Iglesia Parroquial Santiago Apostol which was built in 1581. This is where Oklahoma priest and defender of the local Mayans, Father Stanley Francis Rother, was murdered by death squads in 1981 during Guatemala’s bloody civil war. A plaque in Rother’s memory is inside the church.

Worshiping inside the Iglesia Parroquial Santiago Apostol in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala.

The day we visited, however, only happy things were being commemorated–lots, and lots of them. As we sat in the courtyard in front of the church at least 10 freshly married couples (and their beaming entourages) emerged from the church. There were more couples still inside milling around in their traditional clothes accessorized with long white veils, big white bouquets and even bigger smiles.

One of at least 10 freshly married couples following a mass wedding ceremony inside the Iglesia Parroquial Santiago Apostol in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala.

A few freshly married couples emerge from the Iglesia Parroquial Santiago Apostol in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala following a mass wedding ceremony.

A few freshly married couples emerge from the Iglesia Parroquial Santiago Apostol in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala following a mass wedding ceremony.

A freshly married couple following a mass wedding ceremony at the Iglesia Parroquial Santiago Apostol in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala.

Musicians serenade freshly married couples as they emerge from the Iglesia Parroquial Santiago Apostol in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala following a mass wedding ceremony.

Related posts:

1. Lake Life – Panajachel, Lago de Atitlán, Guatemala
2. Move Here Now – Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico
3. Our Latest Work: Hotel Hooch, Modern in Mexico and Luxe on the Lake

Ocosingo does not make a winning first impression. It’s dusty and run down and at odds with the Zapatista strongholds in the neighboring areas (some of the worst battles in the 1994 Zapatista uprising took place in Ocosingo). But there is charm in this town.

The scenic mountains that surround the so-so town of Ocosingo.

For starters, there’s the daily Tiangius Campesino which is like a magnet for indigenous women (and only women) who bring their corn, flowers, chickens, herbs, tamales (and their babies) from miles around. The women’s hands never seem to stop. If they’re not setting up their displays on the ground or selling or re-arranging their displays or tending to their kids then they’re working on elaborate embroidery.

Indigenous women sell anything they can grow in the ground or make with their hands at the colorful Tiangius Campesino in Ocosingo, Mexico.

Indigenous women sell anything they can grow in the ground or make with their hands at the colorful Tiangius Campesino in Ocosingo, Mexico.

Then there’s the town’s church which looks pretty ho-hum on the outside but just you wait. The inside is covered in smooth river stones in varying shades to create an enormous portrait of Jesus as well as agricultural scenes and  general fabulousness. Not a drop of gold leaf in sight. This was, by far, one of our all-time favorite organic foo-foo-free churches. It just felt faithful.

The interior walls of the church in Ocosingo are in-laid with stones that make intricate, organic mosaics..

We can also highly recommend the Hotel La Casona in Ocosingo which really could be charging more than 250 pesos (about US$21) for their spotless rooms right on the square with TV, fan and WiFi. They even had parking big enough (barely) for our truck.

Toniná

But the main reason to go to Ocosingo is to visit the Toniná archaeological site. After a short and gorgeous drive out of town, past grazing cattle and small farms and one very big army base, we see the remains of Toniná up on a slope. It still presents itself with dignity and it’s imposing.

The still-formidable Toniná archaeological site in Chiapas, Mexico.

Toniná archaeological site in Chiapas, Mexico.

Toniná archaeological site in Chiapas, Mexico.

View from the top of the main temple at Toniná archaeological site in Chiapas, Mexico.

The experts tell us that Toniná, which was constructed on a hill the Mayan built up, was even more imposing when it was inhabited by what appear to have been fairly war-happy rulers. One main rival was Palenque.  Toniná is also famous for its stucco and carvings including more than 100 Long Count calendar carvings. This is of particular interest to anyone who’s paying attention to the fact that the Mayan calendar ends in 2012. In fact, Toniná may have the last known Long Count date on any Maya monument.

Some of the detailed decoration still visible in the nooks and crannies of Toniná archaeological site in Chiapas, Mexico.

Some of the detailed decoration still visible in the nooks and crannies of Toniná archaeological site in Chiapas, Mexico.

A stelae still stands guard at Toniná archaeological site in Chiapas, Mexico.

To reach the site itself you have to walk along a pleasant lane from the ticket booth, past more grazing cattle. We hear the museum near the ticket office is good but it was closed when we visited.

The word Toniná means house of stone in Tzeltal Mayan language–which doesn’t really narrow things down in the Mayan world where everything was made of stone (except at Comalcalco archaeological site in Tabasco, which the Mayans there built using bricks and mortar made with oyster shells).

What they did with stone at Toniná is a bit different, however. Many of the structures have round corners and there are lots of nooks and crannies and tunnels that you can poke around in. This is one site where it pays to be nosy.

Toniná means "house of stone" and intricate designs in stone walls like this one still remain at the archaeological site to give us an idea how this Mayan city got its name.

Karen doing the Mayan Stairmaster again...

Toniná archaeological site in Chiapas, Mexico.

Yes, that nearly vertical wall is the staircase up...

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Related posts:

1. Church Me Up – Cholula, Puebla State, Mexico
2. Mujeres y Mayans – Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
3. Zapatista Signs of the Times – Chiapas, Mexico

There were painted salmon in Anchorage, guitars in Austin, crabs in Baltimore, lobsters in Halifax, Nova Scotia and so on. During our Trans-Americas Journey we’ve encountered painted cows, elk, horses, pelicans, pigs, buffalo, moose and even bears.  And now: jaguars.

Twenty five life-size jaguars painted by 25 different artists were installed in the lovely main plaza in the lovely town of San Cristóbal de las Casas as part of a project called Jaguarte. We couldn’t pick a favorite so we decided to just show them all to you. 

Click any of the images, below, to see a larger version of the picture.

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Related posts:

1. Photo of the Day: Jaguarte in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico
2. Just One More Day – San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico
3. Ancient Mayans and Black Jaguars – Ek’ Balam Ruins, Yucatan State, Mexico

The Cathedral in San Cristóbal was finished in 1815 and has been rebuilt several times since following damage from earthquakes. It's located just off the main plaza where Zapatistas made a stand against the Mexican Army in 1994.

As the road climbed into the highlands of Chiapas the weather cooled. San Cristóbal is at nearly 7,000 feet (around 2,100 meters) and the temperature change came as a welcome relief after weeks in the steamy lowlands. The higher we went something less-tangible changed as the villages took on an assertiveness of personality rarely seen in the rest of Mexico.

Local women, wearing the bright blue and purple clothing made in nearby Zinacantan, shop a market in San Cristóbal de las Casas.

By the time we neared San Cristóbal (no one calls it by its full name) we were in the midst of people proudly wearing traditional clothing and tending to the remains of the area’s famous Zapatista uprising as evidenced by numerous hand painted signs and murals calling for land rights and better education for poor communities. About an hour short of San Cristóbal we passed the Oventic caracol, an autonomous village run by the EZLN (Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional, the Zapatista government) which was guarded by men wearing the Zapatista’s signature red bandanas over their faces.

This mural, on a building in the Oventic caracol, an autonomous village run by or Zapatistas, depicts corn (a symbol of the land), an indigenous woman defending her rights and Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata--the inspiration for the term Zapatista.

Stores in San Cristóbal sell crafts that range from the revolutionaly to the religious.

Eric was actually in San Cristóbal just a few weeks before the January 1, 1994 Zapatista uprising, launched on the day the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) went into effect. Using NAFTA as the example that summed up economic wrongs suffered by Mexico’s indigenous poor, Subcomandante Marcos and Comandante Ramona lead thousands of armed villagers in a surprise attack on the Mexican army which culminated in a bloody shootout in San Cristóbal’s main plaza.

A lot has changed since then. San Cristóbal, which was given Pueblo Magico status by the Mexican government in 2003, now has pedestrian malls full of chic cafes. Indigenous women stroll around selling shawls, not revolution (at least not openly). Mexican tourists flock here both for the weather and for the chance to glimpse another side of their culture. Live musicians and graffiti artists liven up the streets. There’s a Burger King.

The cosmopolitan cafe culture along Hidalgo street which is closed to traffic.

The work of street artists is more common in San Cristóbal than in most other Mexican cities.

Though technically still at war with the Mexican government, the days of palpable Zapatista revolution seem gone at least on the surface. The Zapatista’s demands for autonomy, rights to land and natural resources for the local people and a more equal economic and educational system were mostly never met and the Mexican army continues to maintian an obvious presence in the area. However, we were glad to hear a number of locals assure us that the area’s indigenous communities did gain a new and enduring sense of pride and self-confidence from their short and spectacular uprising.

The Zapatista actions in 1994 left another legacy as well: lots and lots of foreigners. Subcomandante Marcos and the revolution he lead struck a chord with people around the world–especially those with socialist or Marxist-leaning politics. Then the New York Times called the Zapatista movement “the first post-modern revolution,” inspiring even more Europeans and even some US citizens to travel to San Cristóbal to help in any way they could.

Many stayed and were joined by fellow countrymen and today you can’t walk down the street without hearing someone speaking English, French or German or Hebrew.

San Cristóbals' Arco del Carmen, a 17th century arch and clocktower located at the end of the Hidalgo Street pedestrian mall.

A cotton candy vendor in front of the Cathedral in San Cristóbal de las Casas.

This poulation of foreigners is part of the reason San Cristóbal has gotten the hosptiality thing down so addictively well. The French have opened REAL bakeries. The Israelis have opened at least one fabulous falafel shop–don’t miss a meal at this place just a few doors down from the totally-not-worth-it Cafe Museo. Light falafel balls, homemade pita bread and all the toppings for 40 pesos (about US$ 3.50). Be warned–they’re often out of falafel balls by 4:00.

There are locally-run standouts too. For example, every Wednesday and Saturday night around 8:00 a red lightbulb appears in the darkness down Leon street a short walk out of central San Cristóbal. This is the signal that some of the tastiest tamales in Mexico are ready. Filled with a mind-boggling variety of meats, chilies, cheeses and vegetables each variety is shaped and tied differently so the cook can tell them apart as she fills your order from a huge steaming pot under a tarp for 3 pesos (about US$0.25) each.

Despite the influx of foreign residents and international tourists, San Cristóbal remains a Mexican city with more than its share of classic Colonial architecture. That's part of the reason the Mexican government has deemed San Cristóbal to be a Pueblo Magico.

The elaborate facade of San Cristóbal's Templo de Santo Domingo.

Karen’s favorite local haunt was La Viña de Bacco a true wine and tapas bar. Order up an 18 peso (US $1.50) glass of wine and a small snack (cheese, cold cuts, bean spread, olives, etc.) comes with it. Enjoy. Repeat. The place even delivered good music including Ben Haper on the sound system and local busking bands like Sin Fin, a funky guitar and trumpet duo from Colorado who were playing andbusking their way through Latin America.  

Owner Mario Uvence in the exquisitely-curated gift shop at his art-and-antique-filled hotel Parador San Juan de Dios.

Adding to our sense of contentment was the fact that when we arrived in San Cristóbal we checked into the Parador San Juan de Dios where fascinating owner and renowned antiques and art dealer Mario Uvence had generously agreed to host us for a few nights so we could check out his 15 room hotel in a 16th century farm house which he’s lovingly resorted and filled with museum-quality art and antiques.

Not to mention fluffy down comforters and working fireplaces (did we mention that San Cristóbal is at 7,000 feet?). Even if you’re not staying at Parador San Juan de Dios it’s worth a visit to the gift shop and small (but amazing) museum Mario has established on hotel grounds. The gift shop has some of the chicest examples of local handicrafts anywhere in Chiapas (great if you’re looking for a special souvenier or gift). The museum, called Eklektic, is full of 17th-21st century religious pieces from Mexico, the Phiaround the world including stunners like a miniature baby Jesus carved out of ivory.

Part of the lush and welcoming grounds of Parador San Juan de Dios hotel in San Cristóbal de las Casas.

After about 48 hours we had to admit that we needed much more time in San Cristóbal so we did the only sensible thing: we rented a room in an apartment at a rate that was even cheaper than the hostels in town.

We used our extra time well with trips through the indigenous communities around San Cristóbal including Chamula where even the decidedly lukewarm welcome couldn’t take the shine off one of the most fascinating churches we’ve ever seen. We’ll tell you all about the love/hate (and drunkenness) in Chamula, an eery pagan/Christian cemetery and more in our next post!

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Related posts:

1. Photo of the Day: Jaguarte in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico
2. Jaguars on the Loose – San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico
3. Zapatista Signs of the Times – Chiapas, Mexico

We’re not picky, but we spent more than two hours walking into (and right back out of) about a dozen different hotels ranging from skanky to scary to appallingly overpriced. We ultimately ended up at a so-called “Love Motel” on the outskirts of town called the Costa del Sol. Like most of these discreet by-the-hour places which can be found across Latin America, the Costa del Sol was good, clean value for money at 220 pesos (about US$18) for 12 hours. The free bedside condom was a nice touch.

A stay at the clean and affordable Costa Del Sol "love motel" near Villahermosa, Mexico includes a free condom.

Right downtown is the Hotel Olmec Plaza where we were invited to stay for a few nights by the owner, Omar, who is also president of the hotel association in town. Picture a well-run Holiday Inn in any mid-size city in the US and you’ve pretty much got the picture. Not a lot of soul, but all of the services you’d expect and close to Villahermosa’s waterfront area and the downtown pedestrian mall. The Hotel Olmec Plaza is also close to Tacolandia where we appreciated the playful name and the piled-high tacos al pastor.

Parque-Museo La Venta

Once you’ve found someplace to sleep head straight for the Parque-Musueo de La Venta. This is where you’ll find some great examples of the awesome stone work of the ancient Olmec people  displayed along a pleasant trail that winds through the park.

The most famous Olmec pieces are huge carved stone heads that weigh up to 50 tons. Some of them are 10 feet tall.  They are rightly known as Colossal Heads and just 17 of them have ever been discovered. We saw Olmec heads for the first time in the Museo Nacional de Antropología, just one of the impressive museums in Mexico City, where they have two Olmec Colossal Heads on display.

One of the three amazing Olmec colossal heads at Parque-Museo La Venta in Villahermosa, Mexico. This one is about eight feet tall.

But the Olmecs did lots of other interesting (and seemingly impossible) stuff with stone including intricate puzzle-like mosaics of stone and jade. They even carved stone into pillars which they used to build tombs. Did we mention that the Olmecs did this stone work  between 1500 and 400 BC?

This intricate stone and jade mosaic was found buried in the ground at what remains of the Olmec city of La Venta. The piece was moved and reconstructed and is now at Parque-Museo La Venta in Villahermosa, Mexico.

Somehow the ancient Olmecs carved stone into pillars used to build things like this tomb.

One of the three amazing Olmec colossal heads at Parque-Museo La Venta in Villahermosa.

The epic Olmec relics at the Parque-Museo La Venta were moved to the park from their original home at the La Venta archaeological site in 1958 after oil was discovered there and drilling for it threatened the well-being of the pieces.

This is a coati--essentially a cross between a racoon and an anteater. They roam around the lush lakeside grounds of the Parque-Museo La Venta like squirrels in Central Park.

The Parque-Museo La Venta also includes a zoo which turned out to be a  not-so-heinous home for a bevvy of birds including a parrot that barks “hola” at anyone who happens by. The zoo also has a gorgeous jaguar and a black jaguar and an ocelot plus the requisite troop of monkeys.

A scarlet macaw in the fairly well-done zoo in La Venta park in Villahermosa, Mexico.

After getting our fill of huge stone carvings we headed out of town to see some what remains of nearby Mayan civilizations and to check out one of Mexico’s newest Pueblo Magicos.

Comalcalco Archaeological Site

The interesting thing about the Comalcalco archaeological site is that the buildings here are made from bricks stuck together with a mortar made from oyster shells rather than the usual Mayan stone construction methods.

Unlike other Mayan cities, the buildings at the Comalcalco archaeological site outside Villahermosa, Mexico are made from bricks stuck together with mortar made using oyster shells.

Comalcalco also has a lot of plaster work still intact and a fair amount of sculpture–the perfect antidote to “pile-of-rocks-itis” which can afflict you if you visit too many Mayan sites offering little more than piles of rocks.

Unlike other Mayan cities, the buildings at the Comalcalco archaeological site outside Villahermosa, Mexico are made from bricks stuck together with mortar made using oyster shells.

Unlike other Mayan cities, the buildings at the Comalcalco archaeological site outside Villahermosa, Mexico are made from bricks stuck together with mortar made using oyster shells.

After touring Comalcalco we stopped at nearby Hacienda La Luz, a cocoa plantation and factory that gives tours that explore the very important role this area and its early inhabitants played in the development of cocoa (and vice versa). Plus you get to taste the chocolate the hacienda now produces. Sadly, we arrived on a Monday and they don’t do tours on Mondays. On all other days tours are offered at 9, 11, 1 and 3.

Tapijulapa Pueblo Magico

We love Mexico’s Pueblos Magicos–an elite collection of towns which the Mexican government has deemed noteworthy because of their intact architecture and their roles in Mexico’s religious and cultural history. Tapijulapa about an hour and a half from Villahermosa is one of the newest additions, just added to the list in 2010.

The drive from Villahermosa out to Tapijulapa took us through gently hilly terrain with sheer rock walls in the distance and meadows, banana plantations and palm plantations along the narrow winding road itself. Just lovely. As was Tapijulapa with its classic red and white color scheme (a traditional combo that’s a hallmark of Pueblos Magicos), a big church on a hill (the town square is too small to accommodate it) and a slow pace.

The streets of Tapijulapa, one of Mexico's newest Pueblos Magicos, are historic and charming.

The town is well-known in Mexico as home to some of the best wicker furniture makers and there are plenty of small workshops/stores in town selling everything from picture frames to bedroom sets all made from wicker. If you don’t feel like shopping you can also hire a guide to take you across the river and into the Villa Luz Park to explore the caves and waterfalls there.

Perhaps because of the recent Pueblo Magico nod there was also a bit of hotel development and expansion going on with local owners of local hotel like the Meson de la Sierra up by the church (around 400 pesos) and the Hotel Comunitario (from 200 pesos) really working to spruce things up and expand.

We didn’t stay in Tapijulapa but we did have lunch at a place called Mariquito on the square and that turned out to be a mistake. The restaurant had a lovely spot over the river, the food was fine, then the bill came: 155 pesos for one plate of food and 55 pesos for a plate of eggs–about five times what it should be and clearly a shocking case of  ”tourist price.”

We left Tapijulapa with a bad taste in our mouths.

A street scene in Tapijulapa, which was designated as a Pueblo Magico by the Mexican government in 2010.

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About five miles outside the city of Oaxaca is the tiny town of Tule–home to one humongous tree. The Tule Tree is nearly 120 feet in circumference (including its many buttresses), somewhere between 119 and 141 feet tall (depending on whose measurements you believe) and is said to be the “stoutest” tree in the world.

The Tule Tree is so massive that it was originally believed to be multiple trees but DNA testing (they do that on trees?) proved it to be a single tree that’s been slowly growing for between 1,200 and 3,000 years (its exact age has proved elusive).

In 2001 the Tule Tree was submitted for consideration as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. So far, nothing. But never mind. The Tule Tree gets plenty of love from the locals who festoon it with Christmas tree decorations, stuffed animals, clothes, you name it.

From a distance the massive Tule Tree looks like a mini forest.

You pass the town of Tule on your way from Oaxaca city to the Mitla and Yagul archaeological sites and it makes a pleasant break. We can recommend Restaurante Tule for lunch. The name is not very imaginative, but the beer is cold and the food is good.

Yes, that's ONE tree. Note the tiny people on the right for scale

Tlacolula Festivities

Our time in Oaxaca coincided with the annual Feast of the Christ of Tlacolula in the town of Tlacolula for which the valley is named (or vice versa, we’re not sure). The festival (like most in Mexico) is a multi-day affair and we caught the Candelaria parade through town featuring what seemed like the entire town dressed up as one religious icon or another. The paraders ambled from church to church, stopping at each to perform a brief devotion. It was like a beer and tequila fueled connect-the-dots of the towns most sacred places.

A big-head paper mache figure in the Candelaria parade celebrating the Feast of Christ of Tlacolula.

Women parading with floral arrangements on their heads which spell out the town name as part of the Feast of Christ of Tlacolula.

Check out our video, below, and see the paper mache and floral costumes and processions of the Candelaria in Tlacoula in action.

Rancho Pitaya Horseback Riding

Maybe the greatest way to appreciate the beauty of the Tlacolula Valley is on horseback and we know just the people to make it happen. Mary Jane Gagnier used to run Casa Sagrada, a well-known guesthouse and horse ranch in Teotitlán del Valle. For reasons that are neither here nor there, she is no longer associated with Casa Sagrada. But that’s good news because she, along with her partner Bobby Ortiz, has taken the opportunity to create a new and improved riding operation and guest house just a few miles away.

Meandering through the column cactus and the picturesque hillsides of the Tlacoluca Valley during a day of horseback riding with Mary Jane Gagnier and Bobby Ortiz of Rancho Pitaya near Oaxaca city.

It’s called Rancho Pitaya and it’s got three rooms in a traditionally constructed adobe lodge, each with a huge private patio with views of the valley plus hand painted tiles and convenient kitchenettes. Rancho Pitaya also has an open air gourmet kitchen with a chef on hand. This is good because you’ll be working up an appetite out there on the trail.

Both Mary Jane and Bobby are accomplished horsemen and both excel at competitive endurance racing (basically an overland marathon for horse and human). Do not miss a chance to get Bobby talking about his days as a jockey (if he doesn’t bring it up, prod him for the “monkey” story). And don’t say no to one of Mary Jane’s margaritas. Mary Jane is also a published author on Oaxacan culture including the food and the rug weaving which the valley is famous for.

Meandering through the column cactus and the picturesque hillsides of the Tlacoluca Valley during a day of horseback riding with Mary Jane Geiger and Bobby Ortiz of Rancho Pitaya near Oaxaca city.

Mary Jane and Bobby (along with chief handler Gregorio Morales) have carefully built a stable of more than 10 horses that are fit and extremely well-trained but not lobotomized. During our all-too-brief outing Karen rode WMA Zebulon (aka Zeb) and Eric rode Chocolate (a sweet, sweet stallion) and they proved strong, agile and responsive on trails that wound through stands of column cactus,around and over green hillsides and through still, dry canyons. Just a joy to ride–especially in the super-light, super-flexible synthetic endurance saddles Mary Jane and Bobby use and especially in this gorgeous valley.

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The Spanish built the Santuario Nuestra Señora de los Remedios church on top of a massive pyramid called Tlachihualtepetl (which means “artificial hill” in the native Nahuatl language). The temple was so overgrown when the Spanish got there that they claimed they thought it was just a hill, not one of the most important indigenous spiritual centers.

Never mind that the Tlachihualtepetl temple (which our Lonely Planet guidebook calls Tepanapa for some reason) is so big that the folks at the Guiness Book of World Records calls it “the largest pyramid as well as the largest monument ever constructed anywhere in the world, with a total volume estimated at over 4.45 million cubic meters.”

The so-called Great Pyramid of Cholula (Tlachihualtepetl) topped by the Santuario Nuestra Señora de los Remedios church which the Spanish built on top of the temple.

These days Tlachihualtepetl is a combo church and archaeological site. The Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios is a major pilgrimage site and bustles with activity. It also affords some of the best views of neighboring Popocatépetl volcano (the second highest peak in Mexico at 17,802 ft) and Iztaccíhuatl volcano (the third highest peak in Mexico at 17,159 ft) from its perch atop the temple.

Santuario Nuestra Señora de los Remedios church atop the Great Pyramid of Cholula with Popocatépetl volcano looming in the background.

The band taking a lunch break during a celebration at Santuario Nuestra Señora de los Remedios church in Cholula, Mexico.

The church is surrounded by the partially excavated ruins of the city that once surrounded the massive pyramid and this archaeological site is accessed by walking through a tunnel that goes right through Tlachihualtepetl itself–a great way to see the different layers and levels of construction.

Or at least that used to be how you got into the archaeological complex. When we were there the tunnel was closed for repairs and had been for a year. The woman selling tickets to the site did not exude hopefulness when asked about the likelihood of the dramatic tunnel entrance re-opening anytime soon. The only good news is that while the tunnel is closed the site is free.

Chapulines: crunchy, salty, spicy fried grasshoppers.

After touring the ruins we sat down at one of the bars nearby and had a cold beer and a bag of chapulines–fried, salted and spiced tiny grasshoppers. They are crunchy and salty and quite tasty. It’s also a fitting snack since images of grasshoppers are a feature of the archaeological site and a ubiquitous snack in Cholula.

San Gabriel monastery in Cholula, Mexico.

Cholula also offers a couple of unexpected attractions too. The first is a place called Container City which is literally a collection of old shipping containers that have been re-purposed as hip cafes, cool clothing stores and bars. It’s a big hit with the many college students in the area.

Container City in Cholula, Mexico has turned a collection of old shipping containers into a hip hangout full of shops, cafes and bars.

Cholula is divided into two areas: San Andres and San Pedro. San Andres has most of the attractions and tourist facilities including La Quinta Luna boutique hotel. Built in the 1900s, the current owners spent two years restoring it retaining as many of the original details and materials as possible. Now it’s a 10 room find filled with art around a relaxing central courtyard garden.

The restaurant is worth a splurge and they recently opened a spa treatment room.

One night we popped into the Reforma bar (the oldest in town), where someone obviously has a Marilyn Monroe fetish. Just be warned: If you order a sangria at Reforma (it’s one of their specialties) don’t expect the Spanish kind. This sangria is shockingly sweet and made by combining a brown liquid, a clear liquid and just a splash of very cheap, very sweet red wine.

The relatively subdued exterior of Tonantzintla church gives no hint of the ornate decorations inside.

We did not visit ALL of the churches in Cholula, but we did tour a couple more including the Tonantzintla church where the ceilings and most surfaces inside the church are encrusted with elaborate decorations featuring brown-skinned  angels.

The church was created by local indigenous groups and some think they may have been trying to create their own version of the Rosary Chapel in the Church of Santo Domingo which the Spanish built (featuring only light-skinned imagery, of course) in Puebla. You can see a photo of the Rosary Chapel near the bottom of a post we did about Puebla.

Created by local indigenous groups, the interior of the Tonantzintla church features depictions of brown-skinned angels--perhaps as a local version of the all-white iconography in Spanish-built churches.

Created by local indigenous groups, the interior of the Tonantzintla church features depictions of brown-skinned angels--perhaps as a local version of the all-white iconography in Spanish-built churches.

We arrived at San Francisco Acatepec church as the congregation was preparing for baptisms. Streamers were up, the cleaning ladies were out in force and an artist was putting the finishing touches on sand and glitter “paintings” covering  the floor from the door to the altar.

San Francisco Acatepec church preparing for a celebration.

An artist working on sand and glitter "paintings" on the floor of the San Francisco Acatepec church in preparation for a baptism ceremony.

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With the silver mostly gone, Taxco has done a remarkable job of morphing it’s mine-town roots into a reputation as a great place to buy creative jewelery designs in (you guessed it) sterling silver.

An overview of the winding streets and Colonial architecture in the hillside town of Taxco, one of Mexico's Pueblo Magicos.

Tourists looking for a few pieces for themselves or as gifts rub shoulders with major importers looking to buy pounds of jewelry at a time to sell in the US or Europe. There are dozens of stores and sellers happy to oblige any customer.

But we think there’s an even more compelling reason to visit Taxco: cake. And cookies and pies and buns and breads…

Every afternoon around 5:00 a red VW Beetle (circa 1970-something) rolls into the Plaza Borda in central Taxco, Mexico with a 4’ wide basket heaped with a dozen varieties of freshly made pastries, breads, cookies and confections. The crew of female vendors can barely set the basket on its stand before they’re swarmed by locals eagerly pointing to their favorite goodies (all less than US$1).

Luckily, the red VW returns with more lovingly-packed baskets strapped to its specially-designed roof rack until every morsel is sold. This is why the pastry ladies of Taxco made our Best Food & Beverages of 2010 list.

The Santa Prisca church anchors Taxco's Plaza Borda which is named after Jose de la Borda who built the church with his own money back in 1758.

Work up an appetite for all those treats by taking in the architectural madness of the Santa Prisca church which anchors the Plaza  Borda which is named after the church’s creator Frenchman Jose de la Borda. After making fortunes in Mexico, Borda decided (as rich men in the 1700s did) to build a church.  The whole project was completed in just seven years but Borda spend nearly his entire fortune to do it, financing the project himself and retaining complete artistic control.

The result is an elaborately carved Churrigueresque-style exterior and a lavishly gold leafed interior. It was mind-blowingly fancy in 1758 and remains fantastical today.

The ornate pink stone Churrigueresque-style towers of the Santa Pisca church.

When the Santa Prisca church was built in 1758 it was one of the most ornate (inside and out) in the world. It's still a standout of Churrigueresque architecture.

Cobble stone streets and Colonial architecture are just two of the (charming) reasons why Taxco was granted Pueblo Magico status by the Mexican government.

No matter what lures you to Taxco, don’t arrive in a big pickup truck like ours. The streets are steep, slippery and eye-poppingly narrow and curvy. Creeping through town looking for our hotel was a white-nuckle trip in our truck and we nearly got jammed into a tight spot more than once. Needless to say, we didn’t fit into most of the parking lots either.

Even one of the world’s smallest cars, the ubiquitous VW Beetle, has to break out the fancy moves in order to negotiate the streets of Taxco as our Beetle Ballet video, below, shows.

The VW Beetle (with or without sombrero) is perfectly suited to the narrow and winding streets of Taxco.

The best way to explore Taxco is on foot up, over and around the steep streets. We ultimately arrived at the base of the enormous status of Jesus that looks down over town from up on top of a hill.

From this vantage point we really could see “my house.” That’s because in Taxco we stayed at Mi Casita. This 12 room hotel feels like what it is: someone’s house (the hotel was the family home of the charming women who now run it–say hi to Marta for us!). Every room is unique and full of antiques and airy patios and plants. Room #4, which is referred to as the “secret to love” room has the most romantic views over Taxco which sparkles like silver at night.

Every morning fresh baked goods, juice and bottomless coffee are served as well, just in case you didn’t already feel at home.

VW Beetles are perfectly suited to the narrow and winding streets of Taxco.

A plaza in Taxco, Mexico.

While in Taxco we also sampled some noteworthy pozole (white, green or red versions of a hominy-filled soup made with pork or chicken). First we went to Restaurant Santa Fe on Hidalgo Street where the red pozole was smoky and rich and wonderful (45 pesos or US$3.50 for a huge bowl) and the green pozole tasted more “green” than anything we’ve ever had. Just terrific.

Pozoleria Tia Calle right on the main square (Plaza Borda) presented itself as a contender too and the red and green pozoles were good here but we walked away preferring Santa Fe’s pozole (plus it was cheaper). Weirdly, Wednesday is the only day of the week that Pozoleria Tia Calle serves both red and green pozole–the rest of the week (closed Tuesday) only one version of pozole is served.

The Santa Prisca church presides over the heart of Taxco, Mexico.

We also treated ourselves to the local cocktail which is called a Berta and is served at the Berta Bar, a festively-painted locals haunt right on Plaza Borda. A mix of tequila, soda water and a bit of honey this fairly delicious concoction is like a less sweet and all-natural version of a paloma (which is made with tequila and grapefruit soda).

Another lovely little plaza in Taxco, Mexico.

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You can see why Izamal has earned Pueblo Magico status.

The church and Izamal itself have been important pilgrimage sites since the 1500s thanks, in part, to a spate of “miraculous” healings which were simultaneously attributed to the basilica’s Virgin Mary statue and to the Mayan god of healing, Itzam Na, to which the Mayans built their own pilgrimage shrine in Izamal. The town and it’s church remain important and even Pope John Paul II paid a visit in 1993.

The exterior of the huge Monastery Basilica of San Antonio de Padua which Pope John Paul II visited in 1993.

Inside the huge Monastery Basilica of San Antonio de Padua which Pope John Pual II visited in 1993.

In 2002 Izamal was named a Pueblo Magico, joining a select group of Mexican towns which the government has deemed architecturally and culturally important.

In addition to the overall charm and yellowness of the palce, Izamal is also home to Mayan ruins just steps from the main plaza. The main pyramid to Sun God Kinch Kak Mo is enormous with a base that sprawls over two acres with 10 levels of construction on top of it which some archaeologists consider to be the highest Mayan structure in the Yucatan. The view from the top was certainly impressive.

The exterior of the huge Monastery Basilica of San Antonio de Padua which Pope John Paul II visited in 1993.

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