Day Seventeen - Chiapa de Corzo (July 13, 2010)

Wow…what an action-packed day today! We left San Cristobal on our way to the capital city of Tuxtla-Gutierrez, but first made a stop in the town of Chiapa de Corzo. Here Jacques hired a small boat to take us on a ride through the waters of the Sumidero Canyon. It was a really fun experience because our boat captain went out of his way to show us many exciting things, like natural rock formations and wildlife. The first encounter we had was with a sunbathing CROCODILE! Here’s a picture:

Then we traveled along to find a whole family of crocodiles!

                                 

Within minutes of seeing them, we heard a rustle in the trees and found a family of spider monkeys swinging between the branches! If you look closely in this picture (click on it), you’ll see one of them:

On our travels, we also found some waterfalls and a rock formation called the Christmas Tree.

Perhaps the funniest/coolest part was that once we reached the canyon’s dam, there was a “snack boat” waiting for us! Our boat pulled up next to it and I bought a package of Ritz crackers (haha…think I miss my kitten, Ritz, much?).

After we returned to the dock, we walked a few short blocks to the house of the Nandayapa family. The Nandayapas are known world-wide for their marimbas (a type of instrument, similar to a piano or a xylophone) and the music they make. Again, we met people who were extremely inviting and welcomed us into their home to explain their trade. The Nandayapas have a large house on the water and have a small workshop in their basement. They explained how they make the marimbas and demonstrated how to make the legs, the resonators, and the intricate designs on the sides of the instrument. Then we went back upstairs for a mini-concert and a little practice time. Although I am far from musically-inclined, the brothers invited me to play a few notes with them…haha…they were in good spirits working with a tone-deaf Fulbrighter!

We spent our evening traveling to a small area called Sima de las Cotorras. We thought we would see hundreds of parrots flying home to their nests, but unfortunately many of them were already home! I did manage to catch a flock of about twenty green parrots heading out of the small abyss. It was a cool place, but I wish we had seen more birds! Here's what I did see...

Tomorrow is our airport day. We are flying from Tuxtla to Mexico City and then from Mexico City to Oaxaca. Jacques thought this would be a better option than experiencing the winding roads of Mexico for fifteen hours….I agree! We’re spending four nights in Oaxaca, which is supposed to be an awesome city, so I’m very excited! Fried grasshoppers, here I come!!!