85. Traveling in the south of Mexico 🇲🇽

Traveling in the south of Mexico 🇲🇽 - from February 14th to March 6th 2018
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- I finished my meso-American getaway with twenty days of discovery of Mexico. Here are some pictures of my trip!
San Cristóbal de las Casas
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- The cultural capital of Chiapas region has almost five hundred years of history. The historic heart of San Cristóbal is incredibly preserved. Many churches, markets and museums are to visit. All these gives to the city a certain charm. Get around in the city is an attraction.
- At the colonial era, the Chiapas belonged to Guatemala. Chiapas won its independence in 1821 and decided to join Mexico in 1824. This countryside region, has never recovered its economic delay compared to the rest of the country.
- Therefore, it is here in San Cristóbal that you have to get lost in the markets, to bring of souvenirs.
Zapatistas
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- Oventic, a village of Zapatistas, is located near San Cristóbal. Zapatistas constitute a politico-military revolutionary faction lives in an independent community, which refuses to follow the directives of the government.
- Their name came from Emiliano Zapata, a Mexican revolutionary. The latter has tried, without success, to organize guerrillas to put in place a program of agrarian reforms.
- Although each member of the EZLN (Zapatista Army of National Liberation) has black uniform, a black mountain pass and a weapon, their goal is to draw attention to the condition of the natives in Chiapas, without using the weapons.
- It was on the 1st of January 1994, the same day of the entry into force of NAFTA (free North American exchange agreements), that the Zapatistas fighters declared war to the federal government and his army, and managed to occupy San Cristóbal.
- The government used a low intensity war strategy to respond to the armed insurgency, creating a special unit of counter-insurgency since 1995. These paramilitary groups developed, acted and killed, with tolerance or even the active support of elements of the military forces.
- Since the 2000s, EZLN organized significant actions to advance the causes of the authorities, without great efficiency.
- Many times, Marcos said the goal of EZLN was not to take power for power, and imposed by his high vision of the company, but to be social rebels that struggle for a more just, more democratic society. The taking of power, whether by force or electoralism, perpetuates the coercive hierarchy system, which the Zapatistas want to delete. It must therefore be left from: Land individual consciences, to arrive at a spontaneous change.
- Zapatistas do not seek independence (of their movement or chiapas) but autonomy (the free determination of indigenous peoples). They decided in 2003 to open caracols to organize themselves (parallel system of justice, health, education, police, governance).
- According to Zapatistas, those who govern must do it in obeying the people. They must not seek to take power, or let it be deceived by the latter. In concrete terms, men and women who form these tips, are elected by autonomous municipalities.
- In the village, everything urges the refusal of the system. See in the photo gallery of this article, the images of the village walls.
Pallenque waterfalls
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- Not far from the historic city of Pallenque, there are several groups of waterfalls to visit. Following the recommendations from other travelers, I went to the Roberto Barrios. This is a succession of pretty waterfalls, where it is possible to make jumps few meters high, to explore underwater caves and to see a nest of golondrinas (a kind of swallow). A true paradise!
Yucatán
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- This Mexican state was my little corner of paradise. An exceptional weather, a radiant sun, the Caribbean Sea and a wild place full of natural parks. I really appreciate my visit in Celestún, the peninsula at the sixty thousand of pink flamingos (in photo), Merida the colonial city, and also Valladolid, the city of the cenotes, or the Natural Reserve of Rio Lagartos, subject of the previous article:
- https://www.recontact.me/articles/84
Cancún
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- I tried to avoid as much as possible Quintana Roo, which is the touristic region, where thousands of Americans come to grip. Regular and economic flights, in addition to a superb weather, willingly beaches, explain this tourist influx. Nevertheless my return flight was waiting for me in Cancún, so I took advantage of it to discover the crowded beach of the city… But once I reached the airport the unexpected notification was waiting for me: the flight is delayed and it won’t take off tonight! The Wamos Air offered to transfer its passengers to a five-star resort in Akumal, to wait for the next day. Well, it's not too bad to finish a stay in a five star before returning home.
Muna or immersion in a Mexican family
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- It was a home stay I did not expect! Kandy contacted me through the Couchsurfing site and proposed me to spend some time in her family in Muna.
- I discovered the life inside a Mexican family. Armin, the husband, is working in the moving snack stand. This stand belongs to Kandy’s parents and is located every evening in central place in Muna. The oldest child, Selene, 13, helps at home after school. Bradley, 7 years old, walks naked in the house. And the family takes care of the baby Akun, one year and a half, when it is necessary.
Interior of houses is very functional
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- With limited means, the inhabitants favor Do It Yourself on first necessity rather than aesthetics. The bathroom is just a toilet and a tap located at 70 centimeters in height (which serves as a shower). Concrete is used to create walls, tables, cabinets, cupboards. Plastic boxes are used as furniture and curtains separate the parts of the habitation. The family is sharing two hammocks in the living room and a single double mattress in the room for sleeping. The appliance is simple, very standard: the gas, the refrigerator and the washing machine. They do have more electronics: two smartphones, a tablet, a large screen lit up during my stay and an old TV.
- In every burgundous I noticed, that all the homes were unfinished and very basic. You could see the pictures in the gallery to discover each room of the barraque.
- Armin has a motorcycle to move its snack stand, while the rest of the family calls mototaxis, to join the city center of Muna (ten minutes walk). Several times a week, the family is going to the different stands of the market or the fast foods of the city.
Food
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- Mexico food varies from regions in regions. Nevertheless, the tacos, nachos, burritos, fajitas, tortas (sandwiches), tortillas (salty crepes with corn flour) are present everywhere, usually with some chili that can be very spicy, the "frijoles" (black beans), other more common vegetables (tomatoes, maize, peppers, ...) and very thick creams.
- Also they add a large amount of chips, sweets, ice cream too.
- And as for drink, they will choose soda. Or then a tamarin juice, jamaica juice (a central American plant) or a horchata (milky drink made of rice flour, water, sugar and cinnamon).
- Because they do few sports or exercise and due to unhealthy food, Mexicans are not on the way to lose their first world place in terms of obesity.
The mustache
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- Mustache is actually well worn by the Mexicans. Not for all, but there are pretty mustaches!
The dangers on the road
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- On the meters of Mexico, there are plenty of speed bumps. They are also called "Muerte", literally translated into "death bodies". This kind of message is not very reassuring... Mexicans are very brusk drivers and thanks to the very regular speed bumps in the country (one per minute on average without exaggerating), they drive very brutally on the road. Moreover, they are used to call while driving!
Next information about Mexico during a next trip
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- And here is the end of my adventures from the central America. There are many regions to visit, whether north of Mexico, east of this central America, or Panama, Cuba or other Caribbean islands, many people to meet, new cultures to explore and a lot of local specialties to try... Feel free to add your recommendations or proposals in the comments of this article!

Here the comments of the article!

From Adrien - 23/04/2020 18:40
Pas mal la vidéo :D

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