Cost of Living and Top Recommendations for 28 days in Aguascalientes
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- Опубликовано: 23 июл 2024
- Stay tuned until the end for a tour of our AirBnb, our top recommendations, and our full cost breakdown for 28 days in Aguascalientes.
In this video we visit the capital city of Aguascalientes. First we visit the main square (Plaza de la Patria) and the beautiful cathedral (Catedral de Aguascalientes). Next we head over to a very cool gourmet food hall for dinner and a beer tasting (Quinto Barrio). A couple of days later we visit a local birria restaurant (Los Pintaditos) for, you guessed it, some delicious birria. Then we head on to visit a couple of churches since it was Sunday (Templo de la Merced, and Parroquia de San José). In between the churches we stop by the Museo Regional de Historia de Aguascalientes and the Casa de Cultura - unfortunately we were not allowed to record at the history museum. We end the day visiting the National Museum of Death (Museo Nacional de la Muerte), and the church right next door to it (Templo de La Inmaculada Concepción de San Diego de Alcalá). On our last day we attempted to visit one more church (Templo de San Antonio de Padua), a museum (Museo de Aguascalientes), and a castle (Castillo Ortega-Douglas) - things don't always work out as planned. We did however have an amazing taco lunch (Taqueando).
Hola Georgia and David. Well, here comes part number three. Continuing south and temporarily bypassing the road to Aguacatenango and San Bartolome de los Llanos, one comes to the last sizable town before reaching the Guatemalan border. I think there is a new road from here to Ocosingo, creating the possibility for a loop trip --- Las Casas to Ocosingo to Comitan to Las Casas--- but you wouldn't have time to see much along the way. The church facade of Santo Domingo in Comitan isn't like any other in the area, and about 35 years ago the tower was discovered to be covered in several tiers of blind arcades done in a Mudejar style, a very unusual feature. About 16 kms beyond Comitan is the town of La Trinitaria, with a traditional appearing church and a former convento that now serves as a school. Just before Trinitaria a side road branches off to the Lagunas de Montebello and the Lagunas de Colores., a series of about 60 lakes of various sizes and colors. It is also the location of the Ruinas Chinkultic, a Mayan ruin at the edge of that ancient civilization. It is a decent size ruin set in the jungle. Bring insect repellant just in case. It rained when I was there. It is a lush area, with bryophytes and bromeliads making a good living in the tree canopy, It can be warm and humid in the area, but chilly in the morning if raining.
There is apparently a gravel road from this area to the Ruinas Pedro Vega, which I know nothing about, and then paralleling the border with Guatemala it continues on to Bonampak. If you try that gas up at Trinitaria and calculate if you might need to carry extra gas. From Bonampak you might be able to reach Yaxchilan, one of the really great Mayan ruins perched above the Rio Usumacinta. I was never able to visit either ruin but you should look into it. You can arrange tours from Las Casas or Palenque. If the Bonampak road trip seems too over the top you might consider a side trip to San Jose Coneta. Past La Trinitaria, approaching the border with Guatemala, there is a side road to Buena Vista and Las Delicias. Just past Buena Vista a short (2 km) road goes to San Jose Coneta, a magnificent ruined church/convento that was abandoned 220 years ago. The roof is gone but as far as I know the facade and nave walls still stand. The church is on a cattle ranch, but may still be accessible. Inquire in La Trinitaria or Buena Vista.
Heading back towards Las Casas, a road between Amatenango and Teopisca branches south towards the Rio Grijalva. The first town on the road of any importance is Aguacatenango. The traditional looking church has a wooden roof painted red and green on the interior, the same colors that dominate the rustic baroque retablo. The women wear an elaborately decorated blouse rather than a huipil, and in a recent photo I noticed the younger women wearing shoes with about a 2 inch heel. 50 years ago practically all indian women went barefoot, even in the cold highlands.
There are two additional ruined churches along this road. The first is Asuncion in Soyatitan, its imposing west entrance facade still standing in spite of the missing roof. The walls are up to nine feet thick, allowing the principal doorway and windows to be framed by multiple receding archways. The other ruined church is farther along the road toward San Bartolome and Chiapa de Corzo. Copanaguastla was a magnificent convento that was abandoned nearly 400 years ago after repeated outbreaks of various plagues. The church had a rare Latin cross floor plan and a sophisticated plateresque facade. Originally the main road was the Camino Real, which ran along the Rio Grijalva. The Pan American Highway came much later. From Soyatitan, when the old Camino Real is reached, one has to go "east" for two km, then "south" for six km to reach Copanaguastla.
Returning to the Camino Real the next town driving west is san Bartolome de los Llanos/Venustiano Carranza. One can tell that this is a hot, humid area. The traditional huipil as well as the man's shirt are woven with a gauze weave, and a rather loose brocade applied for decoration. The designs were geometric figures or stylized animals. White was popular when I was there in 1974, but blues and reds are beginning to dominate. Women's skirts have gone from wraparound to fitted The men's woven pants and ceremonial shawls have a tighter weave. The women no longer seem to leave the midriff bare. There was a barrio chapel on a hill above the town, and I got a photo of the interior with its decorations. The people were very friendly. In 1974 only part of the Chiapa de Corzo-Acala road was paved.
The Camino Real continues on to Chiapa de Corzo, with its great Mudejar fountain dating from 1562. It is unique in Mexico. The church of Santo Domingo is imposing but the convento was raised in the 1800's, and the original retablos have long since disappeared. The exterior is still worth some time to examine it. The last two churches lie in Zoque country. The best road to reach them is probably the one that leaves the Pan American Highway between Chiapa de Corzo and Las Casas and starts for Simojovel and Villa Hermosa before branching westward at Soyalo. The first church/ex convento is at Copainala. The cloisters have disappeared, along with the apse and roof, but it remains a grand ruin with a large square tower and a 17th century Italianate portico on the west facade.The second convento is at Tecpatan. Once a seven hour trip by mule from Copainala, it now takes about 20 minutes on a good paved road. The roof is gone but the large corner tower belongs to a medieval castle. The entrance facade hints at an impressive past. Although part of the original monastery has collapsed, what remains is the only surviving original cloister in Chiapas. End of part three.
We are currently trying to decide if tomorrow morning we are going to head to Lagunas de Montebello and zona arqueologica Chinkultic or down to Lagos de Colon and zona arqueologica El Largartero. Next week we are planning to head to Chiapa de Corzo and Sumadero Canon.
Ok now, that Museo Nacional de la Muerte looks like a winner to me! ~Gina
Aguascalientes is definitely a very underrated city.
Hola Georgia and David. This is the second part of what to see in Chiapas. Before discussing towns further afield I should mention Na Bolom, the former home of the archaeologist Frans Blom and his wife, the anthropologist and photographer Trudy Duby-Blom. Na Bolom is now some sort of museum, since Trudy died some years ago and Frans many years before that. There was a museum even when I spent time at the house, and the room on the Lacandon was especially good. There was a library with 14,000 books, strong on Chiapas, and I spent many rainy afternoons happily reading about the Tzotzil and Tzeltal Indians. Trudy used to rent rooms to serious students and an occasional traveler, and meals were also available to the traveler for a price. I forgot to mention that the surviving tower of El Carmen is a rarity in Mexico, but not uncommon in southern Spain.
I got some picturesque photos at the cemetery. In 1974 the only long distance line in town was located in the town's one farmacia. It was closed on Sunday and closed early in the evening. Banks cashed traveler's cheques in the morning and not on the weekend. That resulted in an interesting predicament which I'll share later. Las Casas was a tortilla sort of town, and the tortillas were often larger and thicker than standard issue available in the rest of Mexico. I never did find a decent panaderia (there was a mediocre but expensive panaderia, but I don't think any trained bakers were employed there) in spite of searching for four weeks. What Las Casas did have was an abundance of sweet shops selling pastries and candied fruits, but no bolillos. There was a good radio station (about 750 on the AM dial) which played regional and Classical music. I frequently ate at a place I called los banos, located several blocks west of the zocalo There was a huge shed loaded with firewood for the steam baths, and the owner rented rooms to university students. Meals were also available to non residents. A comida might consist of lemonade, tortillas, rice, a little meat, soup, potatoes, peas, cabbage and squash, and a banana for dessert. $7 pesos. We "hippies" loved it.
I stayed at a hotel called the Carpinteria, called that because the patio was filled with lumber. It was located a couple of blocks north of the zocalo, going toward the Indian market. The owner had turned his colonial house with 14-16 foot high ceilings into a two story hotel, his rooms being on the first floor, and twenty or so small rooms on the second floor. Small rooms, shared bath (clean), shower on the first floor in the morning, by appointment for an extra fee (the 10 gallon water heater burned corn cobs to warm the water --if you weren't fast you rinsed off with cold water). .No TV, of course, but the walls were one inch thick boards, and one evening I was entertained by the sounds of a Frenchman seducing a young American woman. I was sort of responsible, since I had eaten at the same restaurant as the couple, and he had ordered a bottle of wine, but the restaurant had no corkscrew. I had one on my Swiss Army knife, which led to her undoing. The beds were not fancy but comfortable., and there were enough warm blankets to survive the nighttime chill. Are you keeping warm enough at night? All that for $70 pesos a week.
You will probably visit Chamula, but I'll discuss that later. I suppose you will drive to Palenque and the Yucatan via Ocosingo. There are a couple of interesting towns along the way. San Miguel Huistan is the first town. The church is typical of the village churches in the area, and has a few altars in the nave. There is a tall wooden cross in the former atrium. An irrigation canal runs past one side of the plaza. The traditional men's costume consists of baggy pants that are pulled up in front and look like the garb worn by angels. Their hat is a wide, flat, low crowned affair with a red woven ribbon trailing behind. Decades ago the men looked like ragamuffins, because the women took great pride in being able to patch their husband's clothing no matter how worn it was. You don't see that today, and there is a lot more embroidery on the men's and women's clothing.
Further along the road to Ocosingo is the town of Santo Tomas Oxchuc, whose large old church (it has the largest nave in Chiapas) boasts the only unaltered posas in Chiapas. In 1974 a flock of birds was flying about the church interior. There was another barrio chapel on the hill above the town. Pigs wandered about with a "Y" shaped piece of branch around their neck, and another horizontal stick fastened to the two arms of the "Y" to form a collar on the pig. This prevented the pigs from wandering into houses. When the Indians shake hands the do so very gently. It isn't a test of strength, at least it didn't use to be. The men wear a long sleeve shirt that reaches to the knees or a bit lower, traditionally worn without pants, but I think pants are often worn today. Costumes contain more color today, including brocade and embroidery, and styles from other areas are creeping in. I spent some time in the house of Domingo Tomas Gomez when in Oxchuc. We sat on chairs that were about 8-10 inches tall.
Ocosingo is the largest town on the route to Palenque. The large church front is laid out like the facade of Coixtlahuaca in Oaxaca. The church contains several folk retablos. In i1974 the road from Las Casas to Ocosingo was dirt and some gravel, and the 60 mile trip took three hours. Probably about an hour today. No need to rush, since the scenery is great. Nearby are the fairly large ruins of Tonina, visited by Stephens and Catherwood in 1840. They weren't much developed 50 years ago, but today they are worth the trip.
Back on the highway to Guatemala, the first town of any size is Teopisca. The gilded retablo mayor was originally in the Jesuit church of San Agustin in Las Casas. The nave is the second largest in the state. About 5 kms past Teopisca lies Amatenango del Valle, the pottery making center for the Chiapas highlands. The children will do everything in their power to get you to follow them to their mother's house where you will be offered all manner of local pottery. The style is distinctive. I didn't need any jars or pots but i did buy some charming little clay animals for a few pennies. They are still intact 49 years later. The animals are made by the little girls until they learn to make bigger pots like their mothers. The traditional huipil consisted of broad bands of red and yellow embroidery, but other colors are creeping in. The fields are irrigated by numerous canals, crossed by logs that serve as crude bridges. The church has a Mudejar vault over the sanctuary, and the retablo mayor has some gilding along with red and green-blue coloring. It has a Guatemalan style, with plateresque and Solomonic columns. This is a good place to stop this section.
We visited Na Bolom and today we visited El Chiflon cascadas and today we visited Tenam Puente which was discovered by Mr. Blom. We are spending the night in Comitan. They are having a cultural festival and had a marimba concert in the zocalo tonight. We are going to spend a week in Palenque after San Cris and I have starred the three towns on the way. We will check out Amatenango and Teopisca on the way back tomorrow. thanks again!
Hola Georgia and David. This is part four for Chiapas. I won't cover the ruins of Palenque or the Cascadas Agua Azul, since I'm sure you know about them. I'm glad I visited Palenque in 1974, when there was better access to the ruins. There weren't nearly as many tourists back then, At that time it was still possible to climb to the top of the Temple of the Inscriptions and descend back down inside to see the tomb of Pakal, but I've read that is no longer possible due to safety concerns. The top of the platform for the Temple of the Inscriptions also provided a great viewpoint for photographing the other ruins at Palenque, especially the Palace. In 1974 it was also possible to explore the interiors of the Temple of the Cross, Temple of the Foliated Cross, Temple of the Sun, and the Palace. My only regret is that I didn't have a better camera than the rangefinder camera I had with me.
This will be mostly about the villages around San Cristobal de las Casas. I appreciate the update about the completed restoration of the cathedral. It seems like no sooner does Mexico patch up the damage from one earthquake then it is time for the next. I imagine you are relieved to be in Las Casas this week and not Acapulco. The few photos that I've seen of the devastation are almost unbelievable. Your account of the continued presence of traje indigena in the center of Las Casas is very welcome. I know there is still a strong movement in many villages to wear a traditional costume, at least during certain festivities, and by officials during official duties and ceremonies, but the pressure by the outside culture is hard for the younger people to resist.
OK, villages around Las Casas not covered on parts 2 or 3. San Juan Chamula. The recent photos that I have seen of the town represent a town that I do not recognize. In 1974 it was a small village. There was the ruined church of San Sebastian adjacent to the cemetery, with the neatly maintained graves topped with scrollwork wood crosses,. San Juan was in the center of the village. It was separated from a few low masonry houses with tile roofs and a two story government building by its atrium and a plaza, The rest of the village consisted of a few dozen wattle and daub wall houses (or possibly some had wide wood plank walls) topped by steeply pitched thatch roofs. These houses were scattered about the valley, each with its own yard.
Recent photos show a market in the plaza with dozens of booths set up to sell to tourists. 50 years ago the market was set up before the two story government building. Everything was spread out on the ground. Some of the Indians attending the market to buy or sell walked several hours to reach Chamula and they were lucky to bring a petate on which to spread out their goods. Everything on the ground was intended for sale to other Indians. Indians that had something for sale to tourists walked around with their goods and offered them to the tourists. I bought a man's belt from a woman from Magdalenas, and several little crudely made dolls from some little Chamula girls. Most of the people in the market belonged to Chamula or its parajes, but there were also Indians from Magdalenas, and Zinacantan.
The church (San Juan) is justifiably famous. The facade is attractively painted and well maintained but other village churches are similar to it in design if not maintenance. The difference between San Juan and the other village churches is the interior. Most of the region's churches have pews, although small barrio chapels may not. In my diary I wrote "...no pews, the expanse of stone floor covered with a carpet of pine needles, lots of ...santos along the sides of the nave, the main altar sort of recessed and tall with people climbing up to and on it, copal incense burning in braziers [the church was smokey], candles burning everywhere on the floor, lots of women chanting in their unique, beautiful way, and little boys running around, oblivious to the solemnity of the occasion".
The first time I attempted to enter the church a young man carrying a black staff denied me entrance. A little later, after I took a photo of the church and atrium from outside the atrium the same young man (one of several "mayores", a policeman/errand runner, the lowest level of cargoholder who assists senior cargoholders) attempted to fine me $50 pesos or he would take me to jail. I refused, so he took me to be tried before the Presidente, Sindico, Regidores and a juez who were sitting in the atrium, waiting to hear disputes or cases. The young man made his case, the Presidente asked where I was when I took the photo, and then he dismissed the case with a wave of his hand. Interesting experience. A little later I was able to enter the church.
My second trip to the Sunday market in Chamula was less eventful. However, before I left Chamula a man from Zinacantan asked if I could give him, his son and an older man a ride to Zinacantan. Both men were noticeably drunk, probably from drinking posh/aguardiente. If you see any small, dark, oval casks that could hold up to 20 liters, those are used to transport their homemade sugarcane rum. I agreed as long as they could wait awhile. When we left for Zinacantan they were even drunker (drinking posh has some religious connotations, and bottles of posh are frequently given to officials before any business or legal matters are conducted). The old man's head rested on my shoulder the entire trip, and the little boy insisted on standing part of the trip although his father wanted him to sit on his lap. Later I discovered the little boy needed to pee and did so on the floor of my car. I decided it was funny. The dirt road was rutted and bumpy, and with the ribbons on Domingo de la Torre's hat streaming back and Ravel's "Afternoon of a Fawn" playing on my radio we created an interesting image.
Upon delivering my passengers Domingo invited me inside his house. We sat on the same tiny chairs I described being used in Oxchuc. His one-room house had a tile roof, adobe walls, and a dirt floor. There was a cooking fire on the floor, an altar in one corner, a low bed of boards a low table, and various boxes, pots, bowls, etc. placed against the walls. Domingo's wife deep fried some eggs, placed them in small bowls and we ate them using tortillas. He was a gracious if somewhat incoherent host. I didn't understand much of what he said but I did learn he had been to the U.S. as part of a Mexican cultural delegation. The children stayed outside and played, and after Domingo's wife finished cooking she went outside and continued weaving a cape on her backstrap loom. After I left and started back to Las Casas another man from Zinacantan and his son asked for a ride to Las Casas and I did so. My taxi had the best prices. Later that night (May 12) it rained hard with thunder and lightning. Well, it looks like there is going to be a part 5, since I haven't talked about the two best markets that I visited.
We decided not to go to Chamula. There is a fee to enter the town and you must have a guide. You are told not to take pictures of anyone or in the church and there are steep fines if you do. It sounds to me like the people in that town have become unwilling tourist attractions and I didn't want to be a part of that.
I definitely wouldn't have been as good of a sport about the "accident".
Per your recommendation we stopped in Teopisca to check out the church on the way back from Comitan. The retablo was beautiful and the town square was decorated for day if the dead.
We loved our time in San Cris and are excited to head to Palenque Wednesday. The following Wednesday we head to Xpujil for five days.
Aguas.... The best!
Aguas definitely ranks as one of the top cities we would want to live in Mexico.
We're big fans of your channel and plan to visit Mexico for a week. Despite not knowing Spanish, we want to experience Mexican culture and landscapes. Given your extensive travels in Mexico, could you suggest your top destinations there?
I would recommend Oaxaca, Morelia, or San Cristobal. They each have unique food and culture. They all also offer opportunities for cool day trips. These cities also all see a fair amount of tourism so you are more likely to be able to find English when needed.
Hola, I plan to visit Ags very soon. I have been living in Mérida for nearly 3 years. Do you get the feeling that Ags is a safe place for a 70 year old single lady?
During our 28 days I (Georgia) never felt unsafe. We walked back to our Airbnb fairly late at night a couple of times and I would have felt comfortable walking alone.
Hello fellow Americans. Welcome to my city. It is a good place to live for the following reasons:
The city is very safe, I have never been robbed.
It is a relatively small city, so it is easy to move anywhere.
The economy is good, the middle class is strong here.
In this city you find everything, the city is well located in the international trade network, here we import many American, Japanese, Chinese, European, etc. products. In fact here I can get all kinds of European beers and the best wines from Chile, Argentina, Italy and many other places. Books, and many other products.
Here many of us speak English, you will have no problem to adapt here.
We have the best national celebration: the San Marcos fair, which lasts three weeks a year.
There is almost no environmental pollution, the air is relatively clean.
The climate here is moderate.
There is a lot of economic growth, there is a lot of automotive industry and software development.
There is no terrorism from armed groups related to cartels.
There is a lot of productive foreign presence, especially Japanese, Chinese, Italians, Argentines and Americans.
It would definitely be in our personal top five of cities to live in Mexico.
Hola Georgia and David. I liked your latest video but I'll comment on it later. You've been in Chiapas for about two weeks now, and have probably seen quite a bit, but certainly not all. I think San Cristobal (and the surrounding villages) was my favorite town in Mexico. The last time I visited was in 1974, and the population wasn't much above 23,000. Undoubtedly much bigger now, based on recent photos and videos that I have seen. I used to see and recognize Indians from at least a dozen village areas (each distinctive from the next) but recent videos seem to depict only tourists and "ladinos" (the Indian name for non-Indian Mexicans). I wonder if most RUclips creators don't see them, or has the city become so large that they no longer dominate the scene, or maybe people making videos don't spend much time in the market area around Santo Domingo.
The camera that I had in 1974 was a rangefinder, with a 40 mm lens. I couldn't take useful pictures from a respectful distance, and It would have been rude to stick a camera in someone's face. What to do? I shot from the hip. I set the focus on infinity, set either shutter speed or aperture to suit the situation, and then as I passed by and holding the camera at my side, snapped a picture. Rangefinders don't have a mirror that flips out of the way, so they are quiet. Considering I couldn't see the subject I managed to get a lot of very good photos of Indians wearing traje indigena. In a few villages, such as San Andres Larrainzar, the people didn't mind being photographed, at least not if the distance was 10-15 feet.
This my get a bit long, since there is so much to see, so I may break it into parts. The Zocalo is the heart of Las Casas, as you have discovered. I don't know if restoration on the cathedral has been completed. It was badly damaged by an earthquake a few years ago, and most videos show an ugly construction wall around the cathedral. Hopefully the restoration is complete and you can appreciate the facade as well as the interior. The two Corinthian colonnades that divide the interior are early 20th century additions, but the retablo mayor must be 18th century with its estipite elements. Two other retablos located on either side of the cathedral were originally located in the Jesuit church of San Agustin, and may have been modeled on some retablos in the cathedral in Antigua, Guatemala. Chiapas used to be part of Guatemala until some time after Mexico became an independent country.
Sort of behind the cathedral, opposite the northeast corner of the zocalo, lies San Nicolas (de los Morenos). Formerly it served the black and mulatto populations. I believe it now serves as a museum for items related to the cathedral and other churches. Across the zocallo lies la Casa de la Sirena (converted into a hotel--Santa Clara?), one of two 16th century residences to survive in San Cristobal. The other, the Casa de Mazariegos, is at the southwest corner of the zocalo, but it has been extensively remodeled. Years ago most of the shops selling local crafts were located on Real de Guadalupe, and no more than a block from the zocalo. Prices dropped the further one walked from the zocalo, and the last shop, Casa Penagos, was sort of a pawn shop that had the best prices.
The main market was several blocks north of the zocalo. There were a few stores around the perimeter but most of the market was out in the open, with hundreds of Indians in traje indigena covering the area, their goods spread out for sale. Officials were kept busy pushing the Indians back into something that resembled organized spaces lest the aisles disappear. It was a great place to take photos. Most of the items for sale were utilitarian in nature, of interest to the local populace, but sometimes a good craft or arte popular item would be available for sale. The best market day was Saturday, followed by Friday or Monday. Sunday was market day in the surrounding villages.
Santo Domingo, 4-5 blocks north of the zocalo on Utrilla, is the gem of Chiapas, The exterior has the most elaborate baroque facade in the state, and the interior has several gilded retablos, The adjacent Rosary Chapel had, on occasion when I was there, a few Chamula Indian women praying on their knees, chanting (it reminded me of Gregorian chant) while surrounded by lit candles set up on the chapel floor. The ex convento is now a regional museum, and Sna Jolobil (The Weaver's House) is also located in the convento. If you buy any textiles try to buy them there. It is a co-op of several hundred women weavers from about two dozen villages who are trying to preserve the arts of brocading and embroidery. Before its founding in the late 1970's, weaving in some villages was almost extinct. Recovery was aided by the tradition of every year placing a new huipil on the Virgin in each village church. Old huipils were not removed, so the best weavers from San Andres and Tenejapa undressed the virgins, analyzed the old huipils and then taught the local women how to weave them. Sna Jolobil provides a source of income, but the women can't be paid in advance since the co-op doesn't have enough money to do that. If the weaver is desperate for money they have to sell to the Mestizo owned shops for a fraction of what they can earn from the co-op.
Near Santo Domingo and a bit closer to the zocalo is La Caridad, with its gilded retablo and less imposing facade. Unlike Aguascalientes, many of the colonial era churches in Chiapas retained their gilded retablos. About two blocks west of Santo Domingo lies the church of Mexicanos, a barrio chapel for the Mexica and Tlaxcalan allies of the conquistadors. It has since been done as a neo-Gothic fantasy by a well-known architect, but it retains its gilded retablos. Well to the east of Santo Domingo lies the barrio chapel of Cuxtitali, the church for the Quiche Maya from Guatemala. The church is simpler than the churches discussed so far, but it still has some interesting features. Of real interest is the nearby colonial era Cuxtitali bridge (Peje de Oro) which spans the Rio Amarillo, close to the periferico. This is the only colonial era covered bridge in Mexico. It is unique.
About four blocks south of the zocalo along Hidalgo lies the church of El Carmen. This was formerly a nun's church. It had numerous Mudejar elements and was relatively recently restored. Unfortunately there was a major fire 30 years ago so I'm not sure what is left. The tower is still intact, and displays numerous Mudejar features, including the ceiling inside the arch. In 1974 I walked through the arch but I think it may now be screened of to traffic. You should be able to look through the screen to see it. I think there may be more to see, but I'm not sure what that might be.
San Agustin lies about a block north of El Carmen. It is now part of the university school, but the facade still contains some elaborate stucco work. Formerly it was the Jesuit church. Two of its magnificent gilded retablos are now in the cathedral, and the retablo mayor now resides in the main church in Teopisca. Approximately three blocks south of the zocalo, down Insurgentes, lies San Francisco. The facade is relatively simple, befitting the Franciscan penchant for simplicity. The interior is a different matter. The gilded retablo is the largest in Chiapas, done in a Guatemalan style, and there are several other retablos along the nave and in a side chapel. There are several other churches in town, including the hilltop churches. The last Las Casas church I'll mention is San Felipe Ecatepec, just off the highway going to Tuxtla Gutierrez, This used to be in a separate town but San Cristobal may have swallowed it up by now. It contains a large gilded retablo mayor and two other smaller baroque retablos along the nave. I used to see children from Zinacantan selling flowers along this section of road, as well as a bit farther north. I think this is a good place to end this section, and start another in a bit.
Wow thank you for the suggestions. Looks like we might be doing a church crawl tomorrow lol. Friday we are driving to visit el chiflon waterfall and spending the night in Comitan.
They finished the work on the Cathedral and it is open. We visited it and the market out front on our first day. There are many people still wearing the traditional clothing here which I love to see. There are men in long white tunics, women with the black furry skirts, others have long black skirts with thick embroidered belts, some wear matching colorfully embroidered vests and skirts, and others have dresses that are fully embroidered with colorful flowers. The hand made goods that are for sale in front of Santo domingo are clearly a much higher quality than we have seen in other parts of Mexico. This is definitely another place we will have to return to once we have a home.
How much was your Air BnB?
Sorry saw it in the end
We try to break it all down. It also helps us compare places, some cities in Mexico can be double the cost.