Traditional Medicine in San Cristóbal

Traditional medicine is experiencing a resurgence in San Cristóbal. The Museum of Mayan Medicine is dedicated to collecting and recording techniques of indigenous healers in the highlands around the area.  We watched a fascinating video on traditional childbirth as practiced in the region. 

This museum display shows the father's involvement; he supports the mother while the midwife guides the delivery from behind.

The museum highlighted a campaign to discourage the drinking of Coca Cola but it is an uphill battle considering how intertwined it is in local culture.

The most interesting part for me was the small building behind the museum where medicines are concocted and people can meet with a curer and buy those medicines.  They have an international  volunteer program if you are interested.

We also visited the office and home of Dr. Sergio Castro, an incredible humanitarian who was trained as a veterinarian and sent from his home in northern Mexico to complete volunteer work in Chiapas 45 years ago.  He has since dedicated his life to helping the indigenous populations of Chiapas.  Such a beautiful man.

In gratitude, and in lieu of money, many patients have given him their exquisite traditional dress which he has displayed in his home.  We were fortunate to find him there.

He says that right now their most pressing medical problems are  burn injuries and
foot injuries related to diabetes since they walk so much.

Next: Shopping!

Places to eat in San Cristóbal, Chiapas

High on my list of things to do is sitting at one of the many sidewalk restaurants; there are several major walking streets which encourage sidewalk cafes and people watching. This cafe is Argentinian and rather a splurge but later we found they have a small torta (sandwich) shop around the corner. Yum.

Breakfast is a special pleasure for us and Chiapas definitely has tasty coffee; we brought home a kilo of beans. This particular restaurant, Madre Tierra, had the absolute best mandarin orange marmalade anywhere.  I loved the fresh fruit, fresh orange juice, coffee and eggs, but all I really wanted was the marmalade.  There was a small shop attached but they didn't have any jars left. 

A not-to-be missed restaurant in the center of town is TierrAdentro, part of a Zapatista cooperative with craft and souvenir shops, coffee sales and music. The menu, which included carefully prepared Mexican dishes and amazing pizza, was excellent each time we ate there. The restaurant draws plenty of tourists who want to have the Zapatista experience.  The  movement still exists and Zapatistas control many cooperative villages.

This painting in the entrance to TerrAdentro summarizes the melding of the Zapatista way of life with crossed bandaleros and a scarf covering the face of the beatific Guadalupe.

Next: Traditional medicine

San Juan Chamula, Chiapas

First up was a visit to San Juan Chamula. We had visited last year but this time we decided we needed a guide.  We found a knowledgeable, articulate young man from the area who did his best to convey the complex history and customs of the town about 6 miles outside of San Cristóbal.

We learned, for example, that most of the residents of the area are of direct Mayan descent and that there are at least 6 distinct Mayan languages spoken in the area.  The pine boughs and colorful symbols on this cross and the addition of a soda bottle and Christ figure in this cemetery represent the the blend of Catholic and Mayan traditions.

I had never seen a cemetery where there were multiple burials, as shown by the number of crosses within the same plot.  

 

The church itself incorporates the same symbolism as on the cross above with the colorful flower and butterfly images surrounding the entrance.

 

No photographs are allowed within the church, and in fact you could be arrested if you attempt to take photos of people so best to keep your camera tucked away, except for church and cemetery long-shots.

Inside the church there are no pews or altar and the floors are covered in pine boughs.  Ancient cloth and ribbon draped statues of the saints surround the interior while tiny candles the length of my finger burn in rows on the floor. Clouds of incense billow around bottles of soda (mostly Coca Cola) which is drunk symbolically to exorcise the bad spirits through burping.  At times, chickens are slaughtered, although we didn't see this.  Yes, it is hard to explain because it is so different from anything I have experienced but the overall feeling within the church is spiritual and extremely moving.

The social network of the town is collective. There is no external military presence because Chamula has it's own police force.  While we were there we watched the community arrive at a decision.

The men gathered in and in front of the central gazebo while the women observed from the rear. There were multiple speeches until a man with a CocaCola laden dolly appeared.  Cokes were passed around, people seemed to agree on the decision and they rapidly dispersed to waiting trucks to return to their homes.  Chamula justice in action.

A close look at the 3 women observing the meeting in the left center of the above photo shows that their skirts are actually sheep skins, the traditional skirt of choice.  

This woman in the market in San Cristóbal wears hers belted and wrapped in the traditional style.   Men mostly wear jeans and shirts but for official occasions they may wear long sheepskin vests.

This little girl, from a nearby village, wears a typical hand embroidered blouse of the region.  Girls this young often wear the sheepskin skirts as well.

San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas

Aaah, SanCristóbal. You are so inviting that we ended spending a week and then some. (We forgot it was leap year and had an extra day!)

Our hotel, Hacienda Los Morales, was perched above the city

 with a 180 degree view and no need to close the drapes.

The other nice feature was a fireplace, as it was definitely cold at night. For 50 pesos (about $4), the cost of wood, staff would build a fire.

And the bed was colorful and comfortable.

Good way to spend a week for 400 pesos a night (about $35)

Next up...what else we did in San Cristóbal and nearby.