July 30 - San Cristobal

The morning was cold and rather hazy, or maybe that was just the complete lack of sleep. After withdrawing a few thousand pesos in the bus station and being quickly moved aside by a small man wielding a big shotgun (they were about to refill the ATM), we walked to the new hostel, Las Palomas, left our bags at the desk, and ate hot cakes and tacos. We walked around town for a few hours, stopping at a market north of the Zocalo, and returned to the hostel to check in. At this point we collapsed for many hours.

Dinner was at a great Indian/Thai/Middle Eastern restaurant. The samosas were exquisite, while the main dishes were OK at best. We then showered and hurried to a theater to see a dance performance called Palenque Rojo, about the capture of a king of the ancient Mayan city that we would see this weekend. The actors spoke Mayan as incense wafted over the audience, augmenting the sensory experience. Not bad for 100 pesos. The night concluded with pastries.