Chiapas is the southernmost state in Mexico bordering Guatemala.  San Cristóbal de las Casas, appropriately named after St. Christopher, the patron saint of travelers is truly an international city. As tourists, we  (US citizens) were outnumbered by the Europeans and the Australians. Located in the Central Highlands region of Chiapas, the city has a colonial layout with narrow cobblestone streets, red tile roofs, and wrought iron balconies. It lies in a hilly valley surrounded by low mountains. Each street has a postcard worthy vista complete with billowing clouds often with silver linings. The sidewalks are also extremely narrow requiring us to walk in single file in formation. Because there are so many one way streets with no rhyme or reason to their direction, it is often more efficient to walk then take a taxi.

Walking is crucial to  San Cristobal’s character with several designated car free streets like Avenida Real de Guadalupe, only a couple of blocks from our hotel. Colorful native textiles and artisan wares, restaurants galore, not to mention the mezcal bars, dominate the scene. One of our favorite surprises was the eclectic music scene. When I say eclectic, I mean folk, pop. rock, accordion, mariachi, Amy Winehouse camp, etc., almost all in Spanish. A wonderful Renaissance of live music!