I am in a mountain town called San Cristobal de las Casas, in the Chiapas of Mexico. It is a small city of 250 000 people, elevated 1940m into the clouds surrounded by lush mountains. It is chilly up here! Every street is cobble stoned, with the tiniest of side walks, filled with tiny little Mayan people. This unique town is at the heart of the most populated indigenous areas in Mexico. The variety of people that it attracts is quite spectacular, ranging from traditional Mayans to Hippie travellers, and everything in between.
My experience of this town has been pleasant so far. The people are friendly, the town is interesting with lots to explore, the food is cheap and good, and it is beautiful.
Call me Dora. The past few days I have been in serious explore mode; trekking around this city, back pack on, camera ready. My favourite part about this town so far has definitely been its local Market. It is huge, clustered, cheap and interesting things happen there. For example, I watched a child pet a dead chicken.... "Ew. Aw. NO! Run!" These were all the thoughts that went through my mind at this moment. What is cool about it, is it really gives you a feel for the culture. You get to interact with the locals who own the shops, all of their 100 children, you get to see how hard they work, and everything you could possibly need is there; from live chickens, avocados, shoes, to cell phones. I purchased: 5 avocados for under $1, 2 oranges for $0.10, and a box of crackers for under $1. This makes me very happy.
The weirdest part about this experience so far as been the fireworks, twice a day; 6pm and 7am. It begins with church bells, then fireworks, which are so loud it makes your inside jump. I have yet to find out why they do this. I am not sure if they are doing this because of the holiday 'Dia de las Muertos', or if they really just like fireworks.
The plan is to stay here for a couple of months, if I like it. The reason I have found this cute little town, is because of my friend, Tom. He got a gig working for a hostel which he committed to working at for 3 months. Tom and I, met in the Dominican Republic 2.5 years ago. We shared a flat for about 2-3 months with 2 other people, since then we have kept in touch. And now...here we are, in Mexico. This also makes me happy.
The thing is, I have no idea what I am doing here. I mean, other than exploring, which is great. But, I have no idea what my purpose here is. One part of this journey is exciting, the unknown can be oh so exciting! I know that in a few months, the rewards of this experience will be life enhancing and priceless. On the flip side, at times it feels overwhelming. I understand that as time goes on, as I explore more and meet more people, my purpose will reveal itself. I believe this. But, I am not the most patient person in the world. I want to know NOW! Right now, I am exploring, which is fun, but it also exhausting. I am tense, on guard, and tired with my brain working double time with constantly trying to learn a new language, and reorient myself while I explore my boundaries of this new place. I am also hostel hopping at the moment. I am committed to finding the most perfect gem of a place to post up for the next couple of months. So while this experience is exciting and rewarding, it is also at times uncomfortable and tiring.
How I will find my purpose starts with enjoying the vegetarian restaurant and yoga studio I found. This also makes me very happy! As well as, purchasing a spanish book from the english book store I just discovered, and a lot of conversations with people at my hostel. Baby steps...
