04.08.19, 03:05 AM, Mexico city.
My flight to Tuxtla, the capital of Chiapas is due to leave in a few hours. I have decided to rent an Airbnb near the airport to grab a little sleep. Sleep, however, was nowhere to be found. I was twisting and turning exited in the bed, finding it impossible to calm myself down to sleep. The last time I have been so excited before a flight was 14 years ago before flying to London. Ironically, I have been waiting to get to London for years, and to Chiapas, on the other hand, only a few days.
The past two days in Mexicali were like an "intro" to all the adventures that await me in Chiapas. My experience in Mecixali was so precise and accurate, perfectly timed with what I needed after the breakup. Something about Chiapas felt so right and needed, even though, I had no idea what it was. The only thing I knew is that I need to put the right pair of glasses.
Writing on the wall outside of my Airbnb in Mexico City "Life is fascinating: You just have to look at it through the right pair of glasses" - Alexandre Dumas
The plane began to descend towards the ground. The vast tropical green lands of Chiapas began to get closer and closer. The mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes and the tropical jungles are so welcoming as if they are waiting just for my arrival. My thoughts start to shift to why I like Mexico so much. There is something about the simplicity of the Mexicans in rural areas that I find very appealing. Especially the magical connection of the native people to earth. Some of them still keep this deep respect for nature and its forces just like their ancestors did for centuries. Their simple, self-sustainable life, with their rituals and traditions, makes me wonder about the “Western World”. All the technological innovations, breakthroughs and advancement certainly gave us unthinkable abilities. However, are we happier than the Mayan people that lived here 1000 years ago? Maybe we are, at least we don’t need to build these giant pyramids with our bare hands. Never the less, we also paid a price of disconnecting from the earth and loosing this deep energetic connection that we used to have. And the fact that we are taking out so much of the planet's resources and destroying it, to meet the growing demands of the innovation, doesn’t help to our connection either.
The plane has landed and as I got outside, the humid hot air embraced me, as if hugging me and saying “welcome, we have waited for you for so long”. My first destination was Chiapa De Corzo, a small, pictures, colonial town, close to the Tuxtla. The town is known for the big festival that takes place every January, then the streets are filled with people dressed in traditional costumes – Parachicos. Even though it wasn’t the festive time, for me it felt like the party is full-on. As the taxi driver was making his way through the small colorful streets, a feeling of unexplained joy filled me and it grew even stronger when I have arrived at my Airbnb.
I love using Airbnb when I travel. Most of the time you can get better prices than booking a hotel or you can get much more for the same price. Besides the price, Airbnb offers you the opportunity to spend time with the host (if you rent just a room in the house) and to learn so much about the place you visit from people that actually live there (sorry for sounding like a commercial for Airbnb).
The room that I have rented was on the rooftop of a four-level house in which the family lives. As I was climbing the stairs upwards, I saw amazing views of the river from different parts and decks of the house. The rooftop has three rooms that currently are being rented on Airbnb. Knowing the Mexican history, I assumed that these rooms, a few years ago, were used as the rooms of the “Ayuda” - the servants of the family that lives in the house. If these rooms were used for the slaves, I hope at least that the family treated them well.
The view from the rooftop where the room was located
The feeling of joy was so strong, I just wanted to go and dance in the streets of town just like the Parachicos
El Parachico – was on the wall of my room and perfectly represented my emotions.
As I was walking on the streets I felt so free, so liberated. Traveling by yourself is something that I like and for a long time, I didn’t have a chance to do it. I enjoy so much just wandering around a place, observing the way people live and getting lost in the streets. In my travels in recent years, I was constantly obligated to explain where are we going, where are we eating, what site-seeing we will see and how much more we need to walk under the sun. Therefore, not needing constantly waist energies on explaining and worrying, allows you to dedicate the energies on exploring and simply having fun.
Another aspect of my traveling is food – vegan food. In the big cities, it is relatively easy with the help of “Happy Cow” application. In small towns, on the other hand, finding decent vegan food can be quiet a challenge. Allegedly in Mexico, it doesn't suppose to be an issue, the basic food is corn, beans, rice, and vegetables. Never the less, sometimes it takes a while to find the right place, even in Mexico. After a long wandering around town, I came to a restaurant located inside the market. Whenever I come to a none vegan place the ritual begins: “Hi, I am looking for food that doesn’t have any product that comes from animals – No milk, no butter, no eggs, no grease, no meat, fish or seafood. After the limitation process begins the affirmation – I eat rice, beans, tortillas, potatoes, and all vegetables. When the ritual is done, you are left to wait for the outcome hopping that you were understood correctly. In this restaurant, the outcome was very colorful and vegan :)
The vivid plate
I have stayed in Chiapa de Corzo for 3 days. Being alone after a breakup in a small town can be pretty lonely. During the day I took tours and kept myself busy. As night came to town, it brought its darkness and empty streets and unfortunately, the decent places with alcohol that you can escape to, were nowhere to be found. On the other hand, the lack of temptations forces you deal with the loneliness, with the memories, with the lost. You deal, yet stand strong and confident and keep remembering that you are on the right way - the way to the big city.
A photo from the rooftop at nightfall
Photos from Cañón Del Sumidero, near Chiapa de Corzo:
Thank you for reading, and I'll appreciate if you'll share your thought about what I have written.
Thanks in advance,
KAWOQ