Part 7: Mexico south and Mexican food summary

State of Chiapas - San Cristobal de las casas

A precious colonial city which is considered by many as one of the 

jewels of Mexico and especially because the great population Mix of 

Maya indians, Mexicans and tourists. It's a relatively tourist place, but

still at a nice scale with a lot of cousy restaurats, bars and nice night life.

Though many times i found it disturbing to see poor and old indian 

ladies freezing in the streets in the late hours of the night hoping for a 

tourist to buy their merchandze (Chiapas is the poorest state of Mexico).

In the area of chiapas there are 32 Rebel Autonomous Zapatista (emiliano Zapata - one of the famous Mexican revolutionaries - a kind of a Robinhood 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emiliano_Zapata) Municipalities which are remains of long history and conflicts (last clashed 1994) and do not consider themselfes as a part of Mexico. 

Met some interesting people as always: This dutch guy (one of the best persons i have met) was a soldier in Iraq and Afganistan and could make me see a different side.   Endless colors of types of beans and corn     Chamula The most special experience can only be told by heart, no pics in  the curch order to respect the people. Sunday Mess at the village  San Juan Chamula, all the people are dressed with black sheep wool  couts. The church floor is green covered with pine needles. Thousnads of  candles are lit all over. Every Indian finds a spot on the floor and  begins a ceremony which is a kind of a christian-Maya mix. Songs  composed of vouls (maybe something like meditation) in Zuzil with occasionaly hearing a Spanish word like Jesus christo. Offerings of: coca-cola, vodka and chickens (they kill them inside the  church - looks like a Jewish Kaparot ceremony) are set for the spirits for the cure of the sick. At the end of the day, everybody are drunk with cheap vodka. I sat there for 1.5 hour stunned, soaking the  holiness of this old mayan ritual. Speed boat on the Sumidero canyon     Palenque one of the most important Maya cities remains (more about the Mayas in the future with Tikal-Guatemala). Amazing,  how could they make it ???   Hyrogliphs   State of Tabasco After Chiapas i decided that it is time to go again of the tourist road  and went to the state of Tabasco. No real reason, just a place where  no one visits and wanted to see in my eyes how does the Gulf of Mexico looks (rich with oil) but of course the name of the most  famous spicy souce is the best reason. So actually Tabasco is produced in the US and the Tabascanians don't like it at all. It is not a real spicy souce cause it contains viniger and feel acidic. The real stuff is called Chimay and is pure !!! Comes in 4 coulrs, also the colors your face takes while you try. I might say as well that unlike any other part of Mexico the atmosphere is not nice, people are just not nice to each other in the streets (my tabascanian friends also complained about that a lot). An example for that is the Taxi drivers - they work collectively and have fixed routs. You try to get a taxi, but you just need the right one. No one will say i don't go there, they will just slow down next to you, here where you wanan go and a second after speed up. The city itself was floded a few times and all over next to the river, huge walls of sand sacks.   Coco plantation This is the first time i have seen coco trees and beans and i was absolutely shocked.This is the weirdest fruit i have seen - growing like this on the stem. Coco is a delicate crop and has to grow in special conditions under large trees which produce the right shade and humidity.The fruit is collected and the coco beans are actually found inside. They are fermented, then roasted, grounded and used for making chocolate.       My couchsurfing friends: Magda and her mother and a day out in the wild. An amazing view of the largest 3 bodies of water in Mexico connect.   Pejelagarto: the local delight A fish/snake/crockodile, or all together, it is one of the strangest things i have tried. State of Quintana roo - Mexican Carribean  Majahual, the most pleasant place on the Mexican Carribean, not  much developed, but after a while being alone was just the wrong thing to me. I didn't meet anyone traveling like me and after the distruction of the last huricanes this place felt like death! a lot of distruction and not even a single old tree standing, all replaced by little new ones. Just felt choked and had to go away - first time i felt like that. This was crisis time for me didn't even give it a chance and caught the bus on the minute i could. Tulum The place that made me smile again ! Without a chance to blink i met many fascnating and fun people and formed a little gang. I will point only the most unusual ones. Larry - American (yellow shorts): A preacher, was married with kids(old), recently got devorced and decided to go for the adventure of traveling, into extreme sports and looks like a body builder. This guy blowed me away, A preacher traveling ??? He had the most suprising views about everything, and listening to these guys conversations about religion and philosphy challanged me. Especially when it comes from a guy that talks like "the dude" from big libowsky. The second, Mathew - Candian (red head and longest beard), a construction worker and a Yoga teacher (thought us as well), practicing for years and the most pleasant man i have met. Looking at him i thought, wow people can really go there - Nirvana. There where a few others and this group and what Tulum has to offer made the difference. Real Cerribean white sand beaches with palms. Amazing shades of blue waters and great snorkeling with many fish and giant turtles.  Cenotes - long caves of fresh water and sentinels with snorkeling and diving (some are mapped for 10's of km).   Cancun The 51 first state of america, all the best or the worst of American  culture and modernism (depends how you look at it). A huge strip of grand hotels in the most amazing Mexican carribean corner: thin white sand and coconuts with all of the shoping necessities arround, imported from america. Party in Cancun - coco loco club, a few hours of the best show time, Hollywood style with dancing groups,  people flying from all over, fire works, free alcohol, you name it.     Waiting on the cloudy Mexican carribean for a partner to Cuba...   Don't forget Friday where there is a chance and partners Mexican food After 5 months in Mexico, i feel i got to know it quite well and like it a lot. It's a fascinating country, nature, cukture, history, people and it has everything in it. Tough i have so many thoughts and things to say about the life culture and indentity, this time no more digging... I chose to conclude with the one of my great passions: food and cooking. Mexican food in general is very basic and not sophisticated, though with a few surprises, but just extremely tasty !!! Tacos are eaten from north to south (a huge geographical unit) with only small variations. Usually it is pretty fat and contain little vegtables, my Mexican friend call it vitamin T: Totias, Tostadas, Tamales... Main ingredients of Mexican food Corn (mais)- Mexico is the origin of corn and from ancient times till  today this is the most important crop. Corn tortias (the bread of Mexico) Beans (frijoles) - Usually served mashed (a typical breakfast is eggs and beans). Extensive use of beef and BBQ beef. The holly 3: Lemon, salt and Salsa !!! On everything from Tacos to bear and fruit salads. Common dishes Tacos Folded tortia with filling: pork shawarma, choped beef steak, chicken, fish and slasas. Eaten from north to south all over with little difference.    Quesadilla (pronounced qesadiya) Folded baked tortias with cheese and other mostly vegetal addings with a lot of nice surprises such as pumpkin flowers and nopal (cactus leaves).   Tamales corn dough with filling inside: beef, chicken, pepers and cheese, many times with a nice souce - mole (many kinds). All is wrapped with a corn or banana leaf and cooked in water.    Enchiladas Wrapped tortias with filling (most common is chicken) covered with a thick souce. Many times served with cream and guacamole. Tampiqenia Some of everything, Carne asada - steak, enchilada, beans, Guacamole. Chiles rellenos peppers stuffed with cheese Atole Hot drink of corn flower, water, sugar, and something for taste: cinnamon, cacao, vanilla  Water with taste A cold drink, usually grinded fruits with water and sugar. Suprising tastes of Tamarindo, Hebiscus flowers (called agua de jamaica) and Horchata: rice water with cinamon. Chicharon The skin of the pig is cooked in boiling oil and forms crisp surfaces. They put it as a snack and top it with salsa (seen all over, but really not for me). Other unique things Mole negro A thick black-brown gravy cooked with chicken. It is made of many ingredients such as cacao and chillies that are cooked and mashed together. Typical for the south of Mexico and especially Oaxaca. Amazing new flavor - kind of chicken in chocolate. Nopal The Mexican cactus used to make everything from pickles to pies. Micheladas Bear with tomato juice, salsa, lemon and salt. Pescado a la diabla (devil style) Best fish i had in my life, covered with red chile souce, typical for the pacific cos of south Mexico. Oaxaca choclate The real chocolate (no milk), made from cinamon almonds cacao and sugar to form a uniform chocolate. Chiapas coffee Local coffee cooked with sugar cane and cinamon.