November 1, 2017 - Sumidero Canyon

The tour group left San Cristobal to go for a boat ride on the river in Sumidero Canyon. The actual ride took two hours and we boarded the boat where the river goes through the major town of Tuxtla Gutiérrez. Although it was quite hot and we we were in the direct sun, the air was cool enough when the boat was moving.
We saw crocodiles, egrets (both grey and white) and two spider monkeys. The monkeys had just been released into the wild and wore tracking collars. Also there were lots of pelicans.

The trip finished at the hydro dam associated with Chicoasen power station. We came back at high-speed making a path through the flotsam, of which there was a lot, mostly bottles and other plastic rubbish. There was also a shrine to the lady of Guatemala in a rock grotto facing the river.

We left for Chiapa de Corzo where we walked around the square and markets. The square had an interesting Moorish fountain or rotunda but it had been fenced off due to the pervasive earthquake damage.

19:10 in the Maya Restaurant for tea. We had just returned from the Pantheon Municipal (the city cemetery) where we spent an hour or so as the sun went down. Lots of activity by people cleaning and painting graves. There were some candles left burning, although not as many as usually seen in countryside Styria. The cemetery was patrolled by police in a group of five. I saw them collect one old drunk guy but there was no significant disturbance otherwise. There was at least one group of musicians, young guys playing at a grave which I assume was one of their friends.

Posted on May 25, 2022 03:43 AM by kittsw