Chiapas
is a beautiful and very safe place to visit. From the magnificent waterfalls
at Agua Azul to the majestic ruins at Palenque, Chiapas is really a
sightseer's paradise. City located in Chiapas at 1600 meters of altitude,
San Critóbal de las Casas is a city characterized by the omnipresence
of Indians. Its charm lies in the simplicity and its tranquility which
surround it.
The variety of food rivals any European country, and its colonial
majesty, well, lets just say the architecture was probably the
one good byproduct of the conquest.
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Besides the political intrigue of San Cristobal de las Casas,
the colonial city and center of Chiapas, it is a friendly and
cheap place to stay.
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The majestic lake of Agua Azul. Great for swimming in during the
dry season.
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Chol Indian woman perform the dance of the raindeer during the
summer.
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The
history of Chiapas is the history of great empires and brutal conquests.
It is the history of the Mayan civilization, which from its regional
thrones in Palenque and Tonina ruled half of Mexico and south through
Honduras. It is the site of the Lacandon jungle, where the last Mayan
city fell to the Spaniards. And from that time on, it is a history of
unbelievable brutality and of the rape of one of the most fertile and
ecologically rich areas of the world in the name of profit, God and
king.
One
of the many temples scattered through the ruined city of Palenque,
Chiapas.
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The main plaza at Palenque lies on flat ground cradled up against
dense, jungle-covered hills. Away from this plaza, a group of
small temples called the Group of The Cross adorns tiny hills.
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The plaza itself consists of the massive Temple of the Inscriptions
and the Palace, a large complex of buildings and the four-storied
Palace Tower surrounding several courtyards.
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