Chiapas

16th - 21st November San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico

Arrived San Cristobal de las Casas, capital of the Zapatista Uprising of 1994. Stayed at Hostel Posada Mexico, blagged a private room to share for the price of a dorm, dog friendly.

Monday
Kicked out of hostel and put in cheaper sister hostel for less money around the corner. Dog happier, less people. Sleeping outside.

Tuesday
Gorge ride on a daytrip from San Cristobal down Cañon del Sumidero in a speedboat. Alacrán loved it as much as I, riding on the bow.

Wednesday
Alacrán got lost. Eve went looking, worried. Dog went back to other hostel.

Thursday
Dia de la Revolución - against the Spanish.

Friday
Left San Cristobal with Enzo and Mariposa, a cute Colorado couple also going to Palenque.

21st - 23rd November Palenque

Arrived Palenque, well El Patchán actually, but who's checking anyway. Dog still in tow. Stopped at Agua Azul, swam in the lush green pool at the top end of the waterfalls despite the tourist tat stalls and the 50 pesos the EZLN charged us and gave us a ticket for just before the 'actual' entrance fee of 50 pesos, Alacran didn't swim.

Saturday
Staying in hammocks under a palapa at Rakshita's, El Patchán, literally metres inside the National Park boundary, arrived at through a path from metres outside the boundary.


Checked out Palenque. Big ruins. Lots of tourists.
Met a couple of guys on our way out who were from Tabasco, a couple of hours away, and shared their crate of beer. Interesting and amusing cultural exchange. He was a headteacher from a town, and had a small ranch. We invited him to the (crappy) restaurant that was the only one in the jungletown. He (and his family and driver) then left.

Sunday
Left Palanque behind bound for Tulum with Damian, Enzo and Mariposa and Alacrán, leaving Eve (feeling increasingly frustrated with her less-than-conversational Spanish) to go to Quetzaltenango to start before me at an intensive school, living with a local family for at least a week. Need to try and find a home for Alacrán soon. Arrived Xpujil [pronounced spoojill].

Monday
Left Xpujil AND ALACRÁN! He just wanted to stay! Like he knew he was meant to!