Canon Sumidero

New camera and all, I headed off to magnificent Canon Sumidero this morning. Too bad the battery died. You would have been astounded by this place. Maybe it was for the best. I took in the whole thing without filtering it all through the viewer screen. OK. There are a few shots but they're all before the canyon rises to 100 metres and the river narrows.

Here's a link to somebody else's shots.
http://www.chiapastravelandtours.com/touren2.php
I sat beside a young guy on the van who just wouldn't be impressed by anything. "They talk it up like it's one of the wonders of the world but..." I couldn't relate. This is my second time and it had an even bigger impact on me than the first. This samp even had the choice seat on the boat, elevated above the rest of us right beside the captain.


For some reason we were all given green wristbands to wear and we all had to raise our hands to this guy who made sure we all had them.


We saw three crocodiles! The captain pushed the boat right up against these reeds and I still couldn't see anything. He pushed even closer and that discarded car seat I'd noticed turned into a crocodile. That beast was huge. We pushed on. Those motionless logs seem to blend in so well. I could see myself stepping on one.
They may have been the reason for the wristbands, to identify which boat we fell out of when they analyze the crocodile poop.


Next stop was a charming colonial city, Chiapa de Corzo, I hadn't realized was part of the tour. Total bonus. The sulky boy wasn't impressed. "I was ready to leave in five minutes." He hadn't strayed far from the van.

I walked along and found myself down by another section of the river with a string of restaurants, all featuring marimba bands, wooden xylophones and snare drums. The place I stopped at had small indoor wading pool to keep the children happy while adults enjoyed a bit of down time. There was a miniature xylophone for a three foot four year old raring to go. They had a hard time getting him to hold back and wait for the rest to show up and start the gig. His sticks were poised and ready. He sang.

It was one of those clean, mellow Mexican cities that make you want to chill for a bit. I saw the local Cathedral and realized how much I love these rustic ancient structures. I would have taken a picture. They're not a case of "seen one you've seen 'em all" to me. I thought, "If only we could find a more relevant use for them, like switching ashtrays to candy or soap dishes." Well, here they're halfway there. The rear half, with a serene garden, is the the town museum. Now that's more like it. I think they would all make great museums or hotels or scary houses for Halloween. I realize I can be offensive at times. It's good to remember that I never mean to be and I realize my mistake now (too late) when I shared that thought back at the van with some other travellers who came from countries that call themselves democracies but are still essentially theocracies. Ah well. The best social progress always comes gradually and naturally.

I loved Chiapa de Corzo. It had music, architecture, ice cream and was full of happy people. Meanwhile Mr. Sampy Drawers worked on dimishing the day for everyone else on board. He had others agreeing the city had been a waste of time. He had stayed behind to convince the driver to cut our city stop short. Too bad for him the rest of us wandered off so fast. It must suck to be so cranky and hard to please. Anybody surprised that he wanted McCain to win?

I've been so impressed with Chiapas this year. Even the drives through the countryside to the main tour destinations have been incredible. I'll have to come back. It's time I relocated to a warmer climate where the cold doesn't drive me out of bed at 6:30 AM. I have a ticket to Tulum tomorrow afternoon. Time to hit the beach.

Mor photos of the Canon excursion courtesy of a very helpful and considerate lady I met on the Chiflon trip. Thank you, Erendira Griego Fernandez! Great pics!