SailingKnitter

Chiapas, Mexico

As "tourists" in Guatemala, we are allowed to stay here through the grace of a 90-day visa. Near the end of those days we must leave the country for at least 72 hours, then come back in and get a new 90-day visa. It' always the visa dance in our lives. There's always the question of where to go this time? It was Belize last year, Honduras earlier this year so how about Mexico! Ahhh...the land of Mexican Food and great beer.

Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico

My head was spinning with visions of sheep and wool. Yes! In the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico are villages which tend sheep, spin the wool, and weave fabrics including some very bizarre fuzzy black skirts. I had just read about this in my SpinKnit Fall 2011 eMag so I was itching to go-see-do.We had spent 2 years in Mexico on the Pacific side of the country (in the hot no-sheep lowlands) when we first took off cruising and loved it.

So off we went on another bus adventure. From Guatemala City, we rode on a first-class "TICA" bus to the state of Chiapas, Mexico which is a one full-day trip.

As we descended down the western slope of the Guatemalan mountains towards the Pacific Ocean, we saw many raging rivers weaving around giant boulders. There were small waterfalls along the cliffs as we drove through coffee plantations and fields of rubber (latex) trees. The small houses we passed had flower and vegetable gardens and we saw whole fields of flowers growing. My nose was stuck on the window the whole way down and I didn't knit a single stitch.

Tapachula, Chiapas Mexico

In the afternoon we realized that we were not on the route that we had expected (Jonesy always travels with road maps). Where the heck were we? No explanation was ever given, but we were headed in the correct general direction. You have to be flexible in Latin America after all. The highway was so smooth compared to the roads in Guatemala! What luxury! So what if we crossed the border at a different place? It was all new to us anyway.

Then we stopped...in a line of traffic...for 3 hours as night fell. Nobody knew, or would say why. So, I went for a hike down the road to find out what it was all about. Great. They were doing construction of a pedestrian overpass so they had stopped traffic in both directions. Like I said, you gotta be flexible in Latin America. No biggie. Well, except I was thirsty and there was a mini-mart at the end of my hike but I only had Guatemalan currency and we were in Mexico - Jonesy, still on the bus, had all our new Mexican pesos.

Bus station anti-theft device - twine.

Eventually we got into the big city of Tapachula, found a hotel room and went out for our first real Mexican food and beer. Oh my! Just get across that border and suddenly you get the flavorful foods of Mexico! We spent the next day walking to the bus station to buy tickets for the next leg of our trip and eating Mexican food all along the way. We met some American tourists in Tapahula from a Holland America cruise ship! The Pacific Ocean is just about 15 miles away and they had taken a day-tour into this city. We were really surprised at that because it is really not a touristy area, but it is lovely.

KNITTING CONTENT
These little Lace Cuff Baby Socks were part of my knitting work while on our travels. Just another pair of foot coverings for my niece's first baby (it's a girl).

So where's the sheep? Next blog...I promise; beautiful San Christobal de las Casas and the village of San Juan Chamula where the sheep live and give us wool.