The Chiapas
Close to the Guatemala border, " Chiapas " is a superb moutainous region with a luxuriant vegetation.
The population of indiens here counts more than 1 million of inhabitants out of 4.8 millions in the whole Chiapas.
Each tribe speaks its own language and most of them don't speak spanish.
" Chiapas " is the poorest state in Mexico, more than 80 % of the natives have neither running water nor electricity although this state has huge natural ressources (oil and gaz).
But everyhing is held by big owners leaving nothing to the natives.
Since January 1st 1994, the indians from Chiapas have organized themselves through their spokesman " Marcos " to claim the right to own their land, decent housing, and access to a health system.
We leave San Cristobal de Las Casas, direction El Chiflon.
Here, tourists have to pay a tax to enter the site. This little money contributes to help the native community.
But there are alos illegal roadblocks where you're beeing asked some money to be able to drive on...Impossible not to pay.
On our way, a road block stops us for one hour, but suddenly disappears when it's our turn to pay...Great!
* Cascadas El Chiflon : 3 cascades, 25 , 60 and 120 m high are reached by a 45 min walk on a steep lane.
A beautifull site which allows you to swim in turquoise waters.
We don't give a try, as the weather is not fine.
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Tonina
It's been raining all the night through and it's still raining in the morning.
So we leave to " Tonina ".
The road that we take is a nightmare : very dangerous curves, humps, and huge holes.
It takes un 5 hours to drive 180 km...we are getting used to it now !!!
The landscapes we drive through are very beautifull : plains with cows and sheeps, and pine tree forests.
We cross little villages where the women wear the traditional costume and no roadblocks !!!
We find a camping at 50 m away from the site entrance.
* Tonina " the house of stones " or " the place where sculptures raise in honor of the passing time " in tzeltal language, is a unique maya site due to it's configuration and architecture.
This site has been inhabited from the 1st to the 16th century, when the spanish arrived.
" Tonina " is famous for its unique and huge pyramide.
We spend more thann 2 hours visiting and climbing hundreds of steps...this site diserves it.
We stay 3 days in our camping.
Lagunas de Montebello
" Lagunas de Montebello National Park " counts more than 50 little lakes of different shape and surrounded by oak and pine trees.
The water, very rich in minerals combined with the sun rays give to the lake various colours from turquoise, to emerald, violet, blue and deep green.
On the way to the national park we stop in la " Zona Arqueologica De Chinkultic "
This site has 4 architectural groups whose higest one is the " Acropole " on top of a hill.
This site has been inhabited from 200 BC up to 1 200 AD, which means it survived the colapse of the great maya cities of the region.
It's a nice little site, very well kept in a nice surrounding.
We then enter the national park under a very grey sky.
It's impossible to appreciate the lakes as the weather turn to heavy rain and fog
That's a pitty.
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