Text: Peter Johansson
Editing: Christer Lundstedt
Photos: Christer Lundstedt, Peter Johansson
Videos: Christer Lundstedt
Wednesday 26th of July
00.22 The city we have just reached with our bus is called Tuxtla Gutiérrez and is the largest city in the state of Chiapas. The hotel we just checked in to is called Sleep Inn Tuxtla (https://www.sleepinntuxtla.com). We have been allowed to move into room 1206 but have not received any remote controls for the AC and TV. That is precisely why Christer is off to the reception to hopefully collect these. Sleep Inn Tuxtla is adjacent to a shopping center, Plaza Las Américas. Next to that is the bus terminal where we just got off the bus.
00.32 Christer returned from reception with an AC remote control. We will apparently get the TV remote at another time. Now we're going to sleep, not watch TV.
08.33 One thing I can honestly promise. It has been good to sleep here. from the news feed from home we know that Sweden refrains from participating in the Junior World Championships in wrestling in Jordan. There are risks that something could happen due to the Quran burnings, it is believed.
09.43 The breakfast was welcome. We got a good varied and tasty meal in the form of a buffet breakfast. Now the full day in Tuxtla Gutiérrez must be planned. As usual, we will be accompanied by an intense sun. Tuxtla Gutiérrez with 604,147 inhabitants is the capital of the state of Chiapas. The city of Tuxtla was officially renamed Tuxtla Gutiérrez in 1848 in honor of Joaquín Miguel Gutiérrez, a former governor of Chiapas who worked for the annexation of Chiapas to Mexico.
10.52 We have taken the first steps out of the hotel and will now make our way towards the center on foot. Hopefully, the walk can include stops for coffee, lunch and other things. It is somewhere between 3 km and 4 km from here to the heart of the city.
11.12 Below us is a green stone bench. Behind us flows the river Río Sabunal. We hear various birdsongs. A stop has been made. It's good because then I get a chance to write. The park we are sitting in is called Parque de las Arboledas.
11.31 We left the quiet, beautiful park and have now arrived at a monument containing an airplane. The location is Parque Centenario de la Fuerza Aérea. Here, the air force is celebrated with its fighter pilots.
13.43 We reached the Parque Morelos Bicentenario with the city's letters in beautiful colors and managed to walk halfway up the stairs towards a monument and a viewpoint. We don't go all the way up. We're sweaty enough anyway.
17.26 The project has been successful. Now we are feeling human again. We have cooled down, showered and rested. Right now we are listening to today's news via SVT Play. They address the consequences of the Quran burnings and the US central bank's increase in the key interest rate.
Thursday 27th of July
We have woken up in room 1206.
A hotel breakfast is a good start to the day.
Sleep Inn Tuxtla.
We live near a shopping center, Plaza Las Américas.
Parque de las Arboledas, here we take a break.
An airplane at Parque Centenario de la Fuerza Aérea.
A monument celebrating the Mexican Air Force.
A cathedral can be seen in the city center.
Parque Central de Tuxtla Gutiérrez.
Christer is having lunch at Garden Quality Coffee.
Peter is seen behind Christer's enchiladas.
Metropolitan Cathedral of San Marcos.
Christer has placed himself behind the letter U.
View from Parque Morelos Bicentenario.
Peter visits the Starbucks at Plaza Santa Elena.
Avenida Anillo, Tuxtla Gutiérrez.
Peter on a footbridge over the intense traffic.
Reloj Floral shows the time.
Evening darkness has come to Sleep Inn Tuxtla.
Train traffic inside Plaza Las Américas.
Beautiful restaurant premises at Toks.
Christer awaits food and drink.
Peter is enjoying a perfect dinner.
09.03 The day here at Sleep Inn in Tuxtla Gutiérrez has started as it often does and passed as usual. In addition, it will continue as usual. We have a quiet morning ahead of us because the bus we booked doesn't leave until after 12.00.
09.44 In the world outside, everything is moving along. Soon we will be part of that roller coaster. Satisfied with breakfast, we will put the finishing touches on the morning's details. Among other things, Christer will check us in at the next hotel online. 10.04 There was a problem with check-in. It was not so easy to attach the photo of the passport. 11.00 Shouldn't the craziness in Sweden end at some point? Now a woman has applied to be allowed to burn a Torah in front of the Israeli embassy in Stockholm tomorrow. It is said to be, "A manifestation for children's rights in Sweden that are systematically violated". The police have granted the protest. I see no connection between Torah, Israel and Swedish children's rights. 11.27 Now we are getting ready to leave Tuxtla Gutiérrez. Another Mexican city is to be added to the acts. 11.59 We are far from alone in wanting to leave the bus station today. I hope not everyone here will travel on our bus. 12.25 There is room for us and we are cool on the OCC bus. ADO and OCC are two bus companies that are actually the same. OCC stands for Ómnibus Cristóbal Colón and is part of the entire ADO Group. Today will be a short trip for us. Of course, everything is fine when we're going on a short trip.
On the bus, ready to leave Tuxtla Gutiérrez.
Cañón del Sumidero.
We roll into San Cristóbal de las Casas.
Peter in our small hotel room.
Hotel Dulce Luna on the inside.
Calle Benito Juárez, San Cristóbal de las Casas.
13.18 We move slowly out of Tuxtla Gutiérrez. Low clouds or is it high fog hugs the surrounding mountain peaks. Right now the bus is completely stationary.
13.24 When we have now picked up speed again, we pass over a gorge, small valley or is it a ravine. In any case, it is the river Río Grijalva that has buried itself in this gorge, which is a well-known tourist destination in Mexico. The place is called Cañón del Sumidero. 13.46 Rocky is a simple way to describe the slope to our left. Countless stones are seemingly stretched out over everything. A few single blades of grass can be seen. 14.38 We disembarked the bus in the next destination of our Mexican trip, San Cristóbal de las Casas. Once out of the bus station, we received a low-affective reception. It was calm both in terms of the temperature and the pace. We cruised through the calm and are now at Hotel Dulce Luna (https://www.hdulceluna.com) and in room 207. Everything is fine here except for the fact that we lack towels. However, the room is very small, but we have to accept that because it is really cheap to stay here. 15.48 Since we have now received our towels, we can move out to get coffee somewhere. 16.07 Everything is so small here in the city. The cafes don't have room for big-ass people like me. Now we are seated in front of the Iglesia Santa Lucia. In this now we see a clown in a rainbowcoloured wig. San Cristóbal de las Casas with 209,591 inhabitants is a popular destination for backpackers and other tourists. On the one hand, the city itself is worth seeing, but there are also good opportunities to experience the culture of the indigenous people here. We are at 2200 meters above sea level here so the climate is perfect. 16.18 I misjudged Yik Café Express (https://yikcafe.com.mx). I judged the dog by the hair. They actually have plenty of room. 24 August 1894 is written on a yellow, old well here in the courtyard where we sat. I have no idea what happened then. Maybe the well was drilled that day?
Iglesia Santa Lucia, San Cristóbal de las Casas.
Christer visits Yik Café Express.
Peter eats waffles.
Hotel Dulce Luna, our home for two nights.
Peter during the afternoon's literature session.
The view from the roof.
16.57 It was good with coffee. We again drank Café de Olla, the traditional coffee drink we already tried in Valle de Bravo. After the coffee break, we looked around the area and saw the clown twice more.
17.22 Entering our small room made me think of Howard Carter, the man who entered the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Talk about low oxygen. Now the door and window are wide open. Hope that can improve the situation somewhat. 17.36 We have found seating and a table out in the corridor. There we are now sitting for a literary moment. It's nicer to sit here with good air and room to move. 19.01 After the reading, we went up to the roof terrace as quickly as possible for some photography before returning to the room. For a while we have been watching TV. It is a report from the Women's World Cup in soccer with a focus on Sweden right now. The Women's World Cup will be played in Australia and New Zealand. 19.21 To satisfy the hunger that is starting to show, we will go out into the streets of the city to find something to eat. 19.51 At the small restaurant PP's Pizza (https://www.restauranteppspizza.com) they don't have beer but they do have food and that's good. 20.12 The evening's dinners are served and it's time to find out what we were given last night.
Fridolina Rolfö appeared on TV.
Christer is waiting for his food at PP's Pizza.
We had dinner at PP's Pizza.
21.05 Of course pizza is good, but not culinary if it is thick-bottomed. Sure, Filet Mignon is good, but not drenched in mushroom sauce in abundance. None of us are particularly satisfied with the evening's food, but we were full anyway. Now we are at home with one corridor window open. We need to get some air.
22.22 The air is slightly better so we should probably manage a night here without suffocating. It's lucky that the climate is on our side here so it doesn't get too hot in here. 23.07 Now we listen for a while to Swedish radio with Claes Eriksson from Galenskaparna. He spoke on channel 1 (P1) at home in Sweden today. 23.41 As usual with Claes, it was amusing and subtle. He had many points and considered, for example, that everything more becomes infantile. We need expertise for everything and leading are all these influencers. The episode can be found here (https://sverigesradio.se/avsnitt/claes-eriksson-sommarpratare-2023).
Friday 28th of July
08.28 There was no Torah burning in Stockholm, but a piece of paper burning instead. It feels good. Unfortunately, there have been new applications to burn Qurans and even a hymn book to the police. Can't people just have vacations?
08.57 Everything is soon ready to go out for today's breakfast. There will be a return. 09.23 Before we left our temporary home, Hotel Dulce Luna, we were greeted from reception with buenas tardes (good afternoon) and I replied the same back. Why was it said Good afternoon already now? It's certainly afternoon in Sweden, but that's not the point, is it? Have we overslept? No, not that either. Before we got back to Yik Café, a guy on the street said Good morning and I returned the more appropriate greeting. 09.59 Our day has got off to a good start. One of the other guests wished us a tasty meal. Would it happen in Sweden? We believe that here the people see the light in the darkness. At home, there are those who see the darkness in the light. 10.40 After a quiet, good and stable breakfast at Yik Café, we are now ready for the next step today. 10.51 The city tour here in San Cristóbal de las Casas begins with a bench break in the blowing wind in a park, Parque Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas. We hear the beep of a reversing truck. Here in the park there is a small sculpture representing the man who gave this city its name, Bartolomé de Las Casas. He was a 16th century Spanish priest who became the first bishop of Chiapas. He is also known to have been active about indigenous rights.
Parque Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas.
Morning in San Cristóbal de las Casas.
Templo de San Francisco de Asís.
Christer walks in San Cristóbal de las Casas.
Parque Central, San Cristóbal de las Casas.
Cathedral of San Cristóbal de las Casas.
10.56 There was a bench change for us. On the way to this bench in front of the Church of San Francisco (Templo de San Francisco de Asís), we saw people employed/leased by restaurants using menus to try to wave customers into the small restaurants adjacent to the craft market. The church is beautiful with its dark yellow color.
11.16 Everything is the same and goes again. It is mostly people, smells and colors that vary. We take another bench break at a square/park. This time it's at the city's most central location, Parque central. Adjacent to the square/park is the Catedral de San Cristóbal de las Casas. The cathedral, which was damaged by an earthquake in 2017, began to be built as early as 1528. 11.27 In the larger open square Plaza de la Paz in front of the cathedral's entrance, there is something you see in squares around the world. Here, there are locals in motion, tourists taking photos and being photographed, pigeons, vendors and a market opera. The sun is shining, the temperature is at the right level and we have a really nice day. 11.48 The streets Avenida 20 de Noviembre and General M. Utrilla are packed with market stalls. We can neither see nor photograph the interesting church Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán. It is completely hidden by market stalls. It's a shame. Now we plan our next time along a quieter cross street. 12.03 Ice cream from OXXO tastes good. Two other old men are sitting some distance away and conversing. We are all in Parque Cerrillo for a quiet moment. Behind us, a group of tourists are being guided by the Templo de la Transfiguración del Señor church. 12.41 On our walk in the nearby neighbourhoods, we have seen more or less beautiful murals, a woman who stopped a minibus to exchange money and a street sign with text support for both the deaf and the blind.
Plaza de la Paz.
Lots of people on Avenida 20 de Noviembre.
Tourists have gathered in front of the Templo de la Transfiguración del Señor..
Wall art in San Cristóbal de las Casas.
Trilingual information.
The stairs at Plaza de Guadalupe.
13.08 The stairs up to the Templo de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe are long and not so easy to force. Now, in any case, we are at the top above the stairs and at the church with the long name. It was worth the hike up. The bench is beautiful and the church is stately. We came here after a long walk along Real de Guadalupe street. The day's city walk goes between the squares and churches that were recommended to be most interesting here in the city according to the travel literature. So far we agree.
13.13 Inside, the church is even more beautiful and peaceful. There are beautiful stained glass windows and a magnificent altar. We have also seen a very special sculpture of Jesus. 13.41 We have made it back to more central parts and to the restaurant Sarajevo Café Jardin (https://menu.grupo500noches.com.mx/sarajevo/). Here we will have our lunches. Christer had already found the restaurant and its menu on the internet before, so we are prepared and full of anticipation. 14.27 Those were really good lunches, Canelones for Christer and hamburgers for me. Sarajevo is well worth a visit if you come to San Cristóbal de las Casas. An extra plus was the nice interior in the form of an old stove, an old TV and an old music system. We drank unique craft beers with the food. Christer tried Tzotzil with cocoa flavor and I drank an Impetu. Both beers are brewed here in Chiapas. 15.15 Satisfied and happy, we have wandered through a city that feels like a mix, a palette of what we have seen through years of travel in Latin America, yes the entire Spanish-speaking world. Most of what we saw today we recognize from other places. Now we are at home in our little room again. 17.18 Just like yesterday afternoon, we are placed in the seating outside the room for literary studies.
Templo de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe.
The view from the stairs.
We looked into the Church of Guadalupe.
We greeted Jesus before leaving the church.
Sarajevo Café Jardin.
Who is this?
18.34 There is a lot of activity here at the hotel. People are shouting or at least talking loudly in another room.
19.10 We will go out into town to eat without any predetermined goals. We don't know where or what, just that we're going to eat, something. 20.03 There is life and movement even in the central parts of the city. People mingle, music is played and there are various performances. Christer has already shopped but I am waiting for my purchases. We have also discovered some new streets filled with restaurants and cafes that we had completely missed before. At least now we have decided where to eat and have ordered food from Sabor a mí, a restaurant with two floors right next to Parque central. 21.15 We are again back from a good meal. It was disturbed a bit by people coming in from the square and wanting to sell things. It was disturbed even more by cigarette smoke. An American sat at a table and seemed to be betting on a world record for the number of cigarettes smoked in one hour. Two children, a sister and brother were noticed as well. She begged and he went around spraying people with Coca Cola through a straw. It was not appreciated by the heavy smoker. 22.41 The plans and the foundation for tomorrow are laid. Breakfast will of course be eaten, but also a bus ride. 22.58 I just read in the newspaper DN online that German and Russian researchers have managed to wake up some roundworms that have lain dormant in Siberia's permafrost for 46,000 years. The worms have also multiplied. They have been in so-called cryptobiosis. Cryptobiosis means that an organism pauses its metabolism in whole or in part in order to survive in extreme conditions, such as cold or lack of oxygen. Despite the bad air here in our room, we hope not to reach that state.
Interesting decor at Sarajevo Café.
Peter has lunch in the form of a good hamburger.
You can take pictures here.
Dancing and marimba music in the park.
Christer is waiting for tonight's dinner.
Peter has dinner at the Sabor a mí restaurant.
Saturday 29th of July
07.22 It's weekend again and it's good to be up early. We have things to do today. The main activity will be changing the city from San Cristóbal de las Casas to Villahermosa and the state from Chiapas to Tabasco.
A bus will help us with this transport.
Waiting at Terminal OCC.
Today we leave a very nice city.
We travel on a bridge over the Malpaso Reservoir.
Monumento a la Piña in Huimanguillo.
Due to heavy rain, we are waiting for a while at ADO's bus terminal.
We have found our hotel.
12.25 Look, look! We are finally on our way again. It's not a minute too late.
13.33 We are surrounded for a moment by a mass of water, a mass of water. It is an artificial lake, the Malpaso Reservoir, the second largest of its kind in Mexico. Here is also the border between the states of Chiapas and Tabasco. The journey continues towards the north, calm and quiet. 14.02 A female police officer at the state border has just boarded, inspecting and photographing the passports of us passengers. 14.28 A lush greenery surrounds us and the sky is cloudy, overcast. 15.59 An already delayed bus is currently standing still. We should have already arrived if the timetable is to be believed. 16.35 Finally we seem to be on our way again. 16.45 It is not full speed ahead at all. It's stop again. Is it engine trouble, road work or what's going on? 17.02 Slowly, slowly, we inched our way forward. Will we reach Villahermosa before everything in town closes? Will we arrive before we travel on tomorrow?
A rainy evening in Villahermosa.
The dinners at Vips Villahermosa Centro.
Is it a river or is it a street?
17.24 Now we know why we were so late. A truck that went into the ditch and a police car were overturned. Now it's full speed ahead again.
18.11 What I started to doubt actually happened. We have finally arrived in Villahermosa. Here there is a weather pattern that makes a downpour resemble a drizzle. There is not a chance to walk to the hotel in this. We will probably have to wait at the bus terminal for a while until the situation improves. 18.44 It calmed down with the downpour and we made an attack to the hotel. We escaped water from above but there were a lot of puddles model bigger to get past. Now we are in room 115 at the hotel One Villahermosa Centro (https://www.onehoteles.com/hoteles/one-villahermosa-centro). We feel safe here. There seem to be policemen living in the hotel. 18.59 The traffic accident and the rain meant that we got here to Villahermosa far too late to see anything of the city tonight. We can aim for a walk after breakfast tomorrow instead. Villahermosa is the capital of the state of Tabasco. It has 362,401 inhabitants and has been an important location for Mexico's oil industry. 19.46 Now we are ready to go out, even though it is still raining from time to time. The small backpacks and also the travel journal can stay in the room tonight. This is extremely rare. 22.01 It was dinner at yet another Vips restaurant, Vips Villahermosa Centro. We also visited this chain in Puebla. We got good food and drinks in a restaurant that was almost completely empty of people. At checkout they forgot to charge for my beer, thank you. Before going home, we bought a little of each at the grocery store Soriana. It actually didn't happen at OXXO for once. Just before we were to go in there, another downpour had moved in over the city and it was not an easy thing to get from the restaurant to the shop.
You can see 65 photos from July 26 in this photoalbum.
You can see 30 photos from July 27 in this photoalbum.
You can see 70 photos from July 28 in this photoalbum.
You can see 17 photos from July 29 in this photoalbum.