San Cristobal de las Casas

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Back to the road.....

If you remember from my earlier post this is Zapatista country. It´s up to you to do your own research on this popular uprising. Well up to this point we hadn´t seen much of a rebel presence. The government has for the most part put an end to the uprising. That was until this year when similar peoples in Oaxaca had had enough and revolted but that´s another story. Not long into our ride we slowed for the topes (evil speed bumps infecting every town with suspension breaking efficiency) and came across a large sign which said to the effect ¨This is Zapatista country. The people govern here¨. As I told you before my Spanish skills are very low but that was the gist of it. I turned around to get a picture and as I did the locals came out of there homes (shacks) to gawk at the gringos on the big bikes (most motorcycles here are very small). We smiled and wave and they smiled and waved back. I pointed to their sign and gave a thumbs up, they in turn did the same and clapped. We waved once more our goodbye and off we went. A note about these people. Most are incomprehensibly poor. The eat corn products everyday and whatever they can grow. You see them by the side of the road selling melons, squash, corn, firewood or whatever can be sold. Rarely if ever do you see someone with their hands out looking for money for nothing. In fact the only time we´ve seen this is with the severally handicapped or the extreme elderly. I´m sure that these people have no family left because families here look after their own.
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