Calle Guadalupe is the street of the shops not the curio shops of tourist centers but tiendas (stores) that sell to the Indians. For several blocks north of the plaza, you look through unmarked doorways at endless stacks of sombreros, huge quantities of leather shoulder bags, and dozens of sarapes and rebozos in vivid colors and interesting weaves and designs.
San Cristobal is organized roughly into districts, each occupied by the urbanized descendants of a particular Indian tribe all working at the same trade. Thus in one area you can watch the weavers, in another area the dollmakers, in another the makers of fireworks, and in another the candlestick makers, hanging their products in colorful clusters.
The market a new one on the east edge of town is of interest because, like all Mexican markets, it mirrors the area's economic life.
San Cristobal is now the departure point for several exciting trips, particularly since a half dozen delightful new inns have been opened in the town. There are caves nearby for speleologists; the beautiful Montebello lakes are a day long excursion; and pack expeditions can be arranged into the tropical highland forests for a look at half buried Maya sites and a visit to Lacandon Indian groups.
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Five driving hours 160 miles separate Juchitan from Tuxtla Gutierrez, capital of the state of Chiapas. Tuxtla Gutierrez is a prosperous, modern commercial center that serves the coffee plantations scattered throughout the surrounding hills. It also has a booming frontier town atmosphere, because construction workers from nearby dam projects flood the town on weekends and holidays.
San Cristobal Las Casas, clean and quiet, is set in a fertile 7,000 foot high basin ringed with green mountains. You'll find a pristine charm here that many other tourist spots have lost. The charm of San Cristobal lies in its setting and solid colonial architecture, and in the comings and goings of the many Indian groups who live in the region. This is truly a photographer's paradise.
The diocese was not moved from San Cristobal, once the capital of the state, to Tuxtla Gutierrez when the latter became the capital. So, visit the cathedral on the plaza; it hides a magnificent interior behind an ordinary facade. The plaza itself is charming, with a lacy ironwork bandstand surrounded by shrubs and brilliantly flowering plants. The Church of Santo Domingo, a few blocks away, is not only impressive on the inside but has an extremely ornate facade.
