Two Sides of San Cristóbal

“I came here for three days and have been here for six years.” I heard some version of this statement from many travelers, both international and Mexican, who got sucked into the vortex of San Cristóbal de las Casas in Chiapas, the southernmost state of Mexico.

I haven’t been sucked in to that degree, but I’m supposed to leave here tomorrow after six days and am starting to feel the pull. A moment of clarity came during this morning’s walking tour. Had I taken the tour earlier in my stay maybe I wouldn’t be leaving after all.

There’s so much to love about SanCris as it is called here. The amazing coffee and cafes with beautiful courtyards and working spaces, the dozens of unique colonial churches and plazas, the colorful indigenous dress and handicrafts, and of course the perfect mountain climate. It’s easy to see why so many who come end up staying.

On the other hand, there’s plenty that is disturbing about this “pueblo mágico.” There are many, many indigenous children either working as vendors in the street or begging for “un peso” from the influx of thousands of tourists every day. Many indigenous families are working in the local markets or selling items in the street, all day every day. There are hundreds of posh cafes and restaurants filled with tourists like me just steps away from families surviving on a few pesos a day. One begins to wonder who is benefiting from all of the tourism here in SanCris.

I spoke to one boy who works 12 hours a day selling gum and candy in the same spot near the main plaza every day. Juan, another kid who I ran into several times, spends his days asking tourists for money and does not attend school.

The inequality that exists in San Cristóbal exists in most places, but it is just a bit more obvious here. The tour I took today at least helped me understand that this is a very complex city with a mix of cultures in a state with a rich history. There is so much to learn about San Cristóbal and Chiapas, but here are a few things that stand out from today’s tour.

• This used to be a sleepy little town in the mountains. It grew from 20,000 people to 300,000 in the last fifty years as tourists discovered it and more indigenous people came from villages to try to make a living in the city.
• Our walking tour guide, Luisa, explained that institutional racism has led to the fact that this region of Mexico, which has the highest percentage of indigenous people, also has the lowest literacy rates and highest poverty rates.
• The murals of SanCris tell lots of stories of resistance and uprising. I am not very familiar with this history, but I would like to learn more.
• Many of the children working with their families or begging for pesos are not attending school either. Most speak their indigenous languages at home, yet schools teach in Spanish. Another barrier is the lack of schools in rural areas, which means attending school is just not feasible.
• “If you’ve been to San Cristóbal, you haven’t been to Chiapas,” said Luisa. The state of Chiapas is extremely diverse in terms of indigenous groups and geography. There are over 50 languages and hundreds of dialects spoken in Chiapas. In fact, many of the products that I adored in SanCris (coffee, textiles, tropical fruits, specialty drinks, etc.) come from other parts of Chiapas or Mexico.
• There is an over abundance of rooms available for tourists in town, yet there are not enough hospital beds to serve those in need.
• I sampled three types of “pox” (pronounced “pōsh”) which is a local fermented corn beverage. Amazing!

In my next post, I’ll share a little about some of the fascinating places I visited outside of San Cristóbal de las Casas.