State Seal of Chiapis

State Seal of Chiapis

Inside the Sumidero Canyon National Park in the highlands of the Mexican State of Chiapis sits the towering Sumidero Canyon.  Obviously.  Boat tours on the 25 km long reservoir above one of the hydroelectric dams on the Grijalva River provide stunning views of the canyon and the regional wildlife

Speedy lanchas depart from the town of Chiapa de Corzo, full of tourists with wind in their hair and an insufficient amount of sun screen.  At these speeds, hats are a hazard.  We scored the 2 front seats in our lancha for the best views, and along with the driver and guide we were joined by 15 mild mannered Mexican tourists and 3 Israelis that had a heated conversation in Hebrew for 2 hours straight.

The reservoir provides an aquatic home for herons, cormorants, vultures, kingfishers, and crocodiles.  We also witnessed a few monkeys wrestling in the branches above.  All of these lovely creatures were out in abundance, rivaled in number only by the invasive species known as the empty plastic soda bottle.  Our boat swerved to avoid giant flotillas of floating plastic and other garbage several times on our journey

A Heron in the Mist

A Heron in the Mist

2013 April Chiapas MX-003-94

American Crocodile and Vultures Enjoying a Siesta

2013 April Chiapas MX-003-37

Cormorants

Simply Stunning

Simply Stunning

Classic Punctuation

“No’t Smoking.”  Classic Punctuation and Good Advice

Back ashore, we wandered about the small town of Chiapa de Corzo in the noon sun, which means we hid in the shade.  We stumbled upon an old building, wounded by fire, where a grandfather lovingly watched his grandchildren run and play in the courtyard.

Kissed By Fire

Kissed By Fire

Struck by the tenderness of the moment, Winnie paused for a moment to reflect. Or maybe she just dropped her sunglasses

Deep Contemplation

Deep Contemplation

Further back in a secluded courtyard, we briefly considered sharing a tender moment amongst the vines and bugambilia, but this sign reminded us that we were in a civilized place

Anywhere But Here

Take Care of Your Physical Needs Elsewhere, Thank You

We waited out the last few minutes of our escape from the sun enjoying a pineapple paleta and cherishing the silence, before sliding back into the air-conditioned van for the ride home. We were careful to place our leftover trash in the nearby bin, hopefully never to find its way into the nearby reservoir

Finances:
Tour to Sumidero Canyon from San Cristobal: $280 pesos per person (~$23)
Paleta from corner store in Chiapa de Corzo: $6 pesos
(Normally $12, but only if you have correct change) (~$0.50)
Mysterious bowl of meat stew in the market: $40 pesos (~$3.30)