Chamula and Zinacantan

Chamula and Zinacantan are home to indigenous people who have lived in the area for thousands of years. The towns are rather autonomous, you have to be born here or marry in to live in these towns. Zinacantan charges outsiders an entrance fee to visit their town.

The old church was damaged in an earthquake. The people could not understand why their god would destroy the church. So they turned it into a graveyard.

They build a new church a short distance away.

The men in the sheep skin ponchos are Donas. They volunteer for one year to take care of one of the "saints' that line the inside of the church. These "saints" look like Christian saints, but represent Mayan gods. 

The tiles around the entrance

No photos are allowed. This one is from the web. There are hundreds of candles and pine needs cover the floor. Glass fronted cases containing the "saints" line the walls

"San Juan Chamula is one of the last places that still practice Mayan culture. The inhabitants of this town continue to refer to the sun as (jtotik) who in Spanish is a father, and to the Moon as i (jmetik). i According to their culture, their ancestors at night measured the stars to determine the time. Another important point for the culture of the place is the importance of the elder as wise."

From Chamula we went to Zinacantan to visit a weaving studio.

Mona and Roger in traditional wedding attire.