Leaving Mexico – Slow Dancers Voyage

We spent 9 days in Chiapas. We traveled to several of the outlying towns and toured some Mayan ruins.

In Puerto Madiero we checked out the small village via a “Tuk Tuk”, a motorcycle with a cart attached to sit in. We ate lunch on a beach in Playa Linda where every restaurant had a pool. We traveled via a Colectivo into Tapachula to provision. This “bus” had room for maybe 8, but carried at least 12 people. Every stop consisted of someone getting off to allow others on and the new passengers climbing over seats and people to reach their seats.

We took a tour with a guide named Miguel. He was super knowledgeable about the area and the people that make up the state of Chiapas. We learned about many edible plants and fruits growing along the roads, stopping to sample several. We visited and hiked around an ancient Mayan city, Izapa.

Next we visited the small town of Tuxla Chico, known for it’s chocolate. We walked through a beautiful old church and shopped a bit at the local street market, where we were the only “Gringos”. Next up was lunch. We were privileged to go to La Parra, owned by a remarkable woman named Josefina. This hard working lady has won competitions in several countries for her delicious chocolate. We watched the process from cocoa nut on the tree, to drying, roasting and grinding by hand on a stone. We also enjoyed wonderful tamales and quesadillas made from tortillas cooked over a wood burning stove. Desert was a cup of hot chocolate. Next we visited Dona Petra’s open air kitchen and watched several women creating the delicious tamales that we enjoyed.

Miguel drove us to the Guatemala border where we watched lines and lines of people and cars cross the river separating the two countries.

Our last day in Chiapas was spent checking out of the various agencies needed to leave the country. Next up our reverse inspection and off to El Salvadore, 48 hours away.