Carolyn in Chiapas : CH'IXTONTIC. OCTOBER, 2016

IT TAKES A VILLAGE,

Well, here we are! A full, but uneventful day of travel. We old Gringo friends met up in Mexico City. Nice flights, but steady rain on arrival in Tuxtla and through the mountains on the narrow, winding road to the village of Ch'ixtontic.

The name means rocks with points. It is a Tzeltal village of a different tribe. They are Tenejapa people, very different from the Bachajon Tzeltal people of Ocosingo.

The dress, food, traditions, and dialect are distinct. They are more conservative, most still wear their traditional dress. They are shyer, and few speak Spanish.

Juana washing clothes for her 5 children. We stayed in their home

Alfredo's wife, Lucia and Eva. Alfredo is Pablo's drive. He is friend and part of the team. He lives in this village.

The whole village sits along a ridge winding along a pitted, dirt road, with houses on the edge, going straight up on one side and straight down on the other. As you walk along the road, the rooftops are even with the road. Most houses are cement. Some are 3 story, built into the side of the mountain. There is electricity, but no cell towers or WiFi. There is a primary grade school, to 6 th grade. Beyond this, the children WALK 40 minutes to a secondary school in a larger community, for 7th,8th, and 9th grade. That's about all there is. School is back in session after being on hiatus, government shut down, strike, whatever, for 5 months. What a travesty. As we played with the children at our house, the mom said that Belinda, 7, used to write her name but after being out of school for so long, now she cannot.

Juana and the children, twins, Seba and Samy, 3, Baby Edwin, Belinda, 5, and MariSulema, 7. Guadalupe is our friend and para- medico, who joins every caravan.

The view over the ridges and onto the other peaks is spectacular. There are limes, avocados, mandarinas, guyabas, bananas, coffee, and corn going up and down the mounts.