Two Perspectives: San Cristobal De Las Casas
Written by Kyle and Bessie on Wednesday, March 05, 2008 in Mexico
Feelin' happy
I´m sure there is something bad about San Cristobal and if we stayed even longer maybe we would find it. As it is, I can´t really think of anything that I did not like.Feelin' happy
San Cristobal, oh how I love you. Let me count the ways:
1. You have a brewery
Granted it´s not the best brewery in the world, but I´m sure it is the best in San Cristobal. Well, it´s the only in San Cristobal, but whatever. The fact is, most Latin American countries have one type of beer and if you don´t like it, what are you going to do? While Mexico does have several different national beers, I honestly think that most of them taste like piss water. I also never expected to see a brewery in our travels AT ALL, so it was a pleasant surprise. Not only did it brew kick-ass beer, it also had kick-ass music. Can´t go wrong with that.
2. You have style
This is really hard to describe, but there is a certain style to this town. There are a lot of young people and they seem to be knowledgeable about the past and issues while being hip about what's going on today. Everyone was also super amicable and happy...of course, I would be too if I owned a VW Beetle and lived in such a cool town. People we so nice, in fact, that they would stop to let us cross the street, which is virtually unheard of in this part of the world!
I also like the way people speak here. It might just be a Mexican thing, but they use the imperative a lot more (Leave, Go, Tell me.,etc) but it's not in a rude way. They just want to get to the point and I find it refreshing after the nicities of Guatemalan Spanish. There is also quite a bit of slang (some of which I don't understand) that I find cool as a part-time student of Spanish.
The town itself is hard to beat, with brightly colored colonial buildings, old cars, and cobble-stone streets. We took a lot of pictures, mostly because everytime we turned a corner there was something picture worthy. Of course, the pictures give you an idea of the town, but it just feels so much more special than these pictures can convey.
3. You cured my foot!
Well, I don't know if it's the town or not, but this will be the place that I will remember as ridding my foot of bacteria. I'm not ready to go on a battleship and say "I've won" in front of a Mission Accomplished banner (who would do that?), but I'm definately tons better than when I arrived. In fact, I can walk without pain, which is a major accomplishment. I guess I can also credit the Berkley trained doctor that correctly diagnosed it, but I would rather beleive that it is the magic of the city.
4. You have scooters
Not much to say here. Scooters are awesome and they are always the most fun way to see a city. If you don't like scooters, you must be a Communist (or a biker, which means you probably have more nerve than I do).
5. You make me laugh
If the rest of Mexico turns out to be anything like San Cristobal, we are surely going to be happy for the next month. Stay classy, San Cristobal!
Comments on "Two Perspectives: San Cristobal De Las Casas"
okay ron burgundy and what is san cristobal spanish for? i'm sure not the same things san diego is spanish for...
Scholors maintain that the name San Cristobal is so old, no one knows exactly what it means.
Uh huh, so we brought two movies with us. One of them being Anchorman... I´m sure you could have guessed that though. We definitely saty on our balcony quoting the movie for about 20 minutes yesterday. Awesome.
Piss water! Kyle, I can't believe you expressed succinctly my long held descriptive view of beer! Ah, the validation!
Maybe you just haven't had enough. After a couple, you don't really care what you are tasting...
You sound relaxed -- and happy to be putting your best foot forward! Well, BOTH of your feet. Viva San Cristobal! (Did I leave anything out there? It works for Las Vegas!) The next time you meet up with a good-tasting brewskie, chug one for me!
You really are a child of the South Side, using words like "brewskie".
Bessie! (Kyle, yours was the other one...) You make me laugh, lady! Your post got me giggling - What FUN you're having! And your Video cracked me up even more! Good Job on that one! (You didnt get THAT one from a Pro or the Internet, didja? ha! ha!) Keep enjoying yourselves and nourishing your spirits! (And drinking some, too!)
That one was pretty fun to make! Oh, and Kyle´s southside means to say. I love and respect your southside brewskie remarks and we´ll definitly drink a couple for you. ;)
So many Volkswagens! Hey, there's Kyle! And look! There's Besseeeeeeeeee!!! The fruits and vegetables: Beautiful - and a dime a dozen! And the streets and buildings - Everything's so CLEAN! Wow!!
HI POPPA! The fruits and veggies really are a dime a dozen! We bought carrots, green beans, an onion, small potatoes (still with dirt on them), and tomatoes smaller than cherry tomatoes all for less than $2 and made a yummy veggies soup. Oh yeah, we also got mangoes for that $2. Very tastey!
Where are the Mexican neighbors from? We were in the state of Chiapas, and now at the beach in the state of Oaxaca. We could say hi to their family. :) Love you!
Bessie, I'm a little concerned about you taking pictures of you an Kyle while driving a scooter . Looks like you guys are having an amazing time!
Haa haaaa - I like that you were worried, and my mom didn´t say anything... Kyle was a bit scared too. I´m a thrill seeker, I can´t help it.
Ya, I'm a little concerned, too. Maybe the mountain air has gotten to her.
I enjoyed your pics and video. Ya know, that's a colorful city, literally and figuratively!
I also have enjoyed your pictures and videos. As a matter of fact, I have found a little program that works with Firefox that will down load the videos; hopefully I can compile all into a full file when your journey ever ends.
Sorry to not respond earlier, but Jean and I are following every exciting step and know that what you are absorbing is invaluable experience.
I hope invaluable means it's more than valuable...kind of like infamous means more than famous :) At the very least, I will be able to get by in Spanish pretty well. Thanks for downloading the videos for us!
Glad you and Jean are following our steps. It's no Italy here, but you two might like coming down here. :) Hope you had a great birthday!
Bessie: Wow, be careful, Kyle waxing eloquently about a town? Maybe the infection has spread. LOL
It sounds like a great place to enjoy an ice cold brew!
by Uncle Bob at March 05, 2008 01:52 PM