It´s the unexpected suprises that I really love on this trip. We wern´t expectingt go to the site of Tonina, but when we changed our plans to stay the night at Ocosingo then only travel the 100kms or so to San Cristobal the next day, we couldn´t waste the opportunity to see this famous site. I think it was the best decision that we have made thus far, because Tonina has now become my favourite site. It also happens to be the 30th Maya site that we have visited on this trip, which is amazing in itself. It wasnt the biggest site that we have been too, but it was built into the side of a mountain so it was high. The best part about it was that it was real Indiana Jones stuff...the first building we saw had tunnels all the way through it and it was only lit by lamps at each corner so you´d walk in the pitch black towards the light then see the entrance to the next passageway...it was absolutly amazing!! Then when we walked up to the next platform we saw archaeologists working on a different building and they told us to go in and this too had secret passageways. There was also stucco facades that were so well preserved and they still had coloured paint on them. There was a lot of restoration work being done on the site which was nice to see, and we were actually pleased with the quality of restoration; they didn´t always use cement. When we stumbled across this really big frieze it topped it off that this was the best site that we´ve seen so far. It was a 4 part depiction of the 4 eras in the Maya world and it was really well preserved. It was kind of like the frieze at El Mirador, but on a bigger scale, I couldn´t believe the quality.
If I were a Maya person I could definitely live here! The view is amazing and from the top of the mountain you get a 360º panoramic view of the surrounding mountains and towns. It´s absolutely breathtaking, I loved every minute of it. After the site we went to the museum and it was actually really good. Usually we don´t really go to the museums because they´re kinda boring, but this one was cool and they had so many sculptures and carved artefacts. We returned to the hotel to pick up Rob and Amy and wern´t suprised to find that they already had beers (mind you it was only 12:30!). Then we left for San Cristobal, up and down the windy roads of the Mexican mountains. The drive was really nice except when you get stuck behind a really slow car and theres no room to overtake.
San Cristobal is just like Antigua in Guatemala; little cobbled streets surround the main plaza and ladies in traditional cothing trying to sell you stuff. There are more tourists than we have seen in the last few weeks and more night life than we're acostomed to. We were there for 2 night in this dodgy hostal, then left on a 10hr drive to Oaxaca. It was crazy hot and the AC wasn´t working so that was just wonderful!not There were also really windy roads that we had to drive and that took ages! When we arrived in Oaxaca there was a protest happening on the road that we needed to get into the city so we had to find a way around. But it was night time and we´d never been here before and there were cars everywhere...it was a nightmare! We finally made it into the center and stopped at the first hotel that we saw. Its a little more expensive than we have been paying but its nice and roomy and close to everything so its all good. Oaxaca seems really different than any other town we´ve been in so far; its more city like and the less traditional people, but I like it...except for the noise. People seem intent on beeping their horns for no apparent reason here...really early in the morning. We´ll be here for 4 nights then its off to the big smoke!! Mexico City.
