Observations from our first week

San Cristobal de las Casas was constructed by the Spanish giving the city its unique colonial look. The city is growing daily as surrounding indigenous people move here to escape politico-religious conflicts. Each day as we walk through the streets, we see a variety of people….Tzotzil women with their traditional wool skirts & bright blouses carrying babies or handmade crafts on their backs, tourists from Europe, volunteers & students sympathetic with the rights of the poor, and Mexican men & women going about the daily routines of work or school. The cobblestone streets are narrow and busy with cars, colectivas, motorcycles, vendors, and pedestrians making their way along the narrow or non-existent sidewalks. The sounds are similar to Tijuana except with more honking, marimba music in the squares instead of mariachi bands in backyards or in restaurants, and along with Spanish the almost-Russian sounding language of the Tzotzil people is common. This week we hiked outside of town up a hill to get a better view of the city. People live more simply outside of the city; in fact that is where most of the indigenous build their homes. They often grow crops, especially corn, to sell in town. It is also common for them to share their homes with their chickens and other animals. In contrast, you can see the well-groomed streets of the city.