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10 days ago I was in a little village in Guatemala, on the side of Lake Atitlan and decided to escape because there were too many American New Age hippies walking around as if they had reached Spiritual Nirvana. They had absolutely no contact or relationship to the local culture and its people and I have always found spiritual arrogance very difficult to swallow. Coincidentally I met a girl, Lina, that I had met on the plane. We got along more than well and had been doing halfway attempts through email to hook up but for a months time we were always at different destinations. But anyways she was also heading to San Cristobal in Mexico, so at the earliest oppurtunity we jumped on the Chicken Bus and bounced our way across the border, meeting a French Reggae band on the way, who kept us entertained during the journey.
The city of San Cristobal is situated high in the Chiapas mountains. The climate is very pleasant- dry, warm, clear blue skies and sunshine during the day, cold and fresh at night. The majority of the population are indigenous Mayan Tzotzil Indians. Many of them adhere even more strictly to their traditions than in Guatemala, almost all of them in traditional dress, including many men. This, contrasted with the Spanish colonial Architecture- streets lined with colourfully painted houses, plazas watched over by old quiet churches- often leaves you feeling as though you are walking on a painted canvas splashed with colour and life.
Back in san Crsitobal we visited a cooperative of Indigenous Women who make theatre. It was interesting to speak to them, and learn a bit about what they do: mostly they work with themes like Climate Change (ta-taaa!!), Domestic violence, Drugs/Alcoholism, Health issues, etc. They have their own playwright who writes plays that stem from discussion and improvisation. Just right up my street I´d say!! Unfortunately we were unable to see a show or rehearsal, though...
One day when wandering about the Santa Domingo Craft Market where all the locals sell their beautiful wares, we met two Tzotzil Women sitting working at their stall, teasing wool, embroidering and making wool toys. We asked them if we could join them, help them tease wool and learn how to make some of the things they were making. What transpired were a couple of days spent really experiencing Market Life from the other side: We sat on the warm stone floor and teased wool, learnt to embroider and sew whilst they answered our questions about their culture, and we theirs about ours. It was probably one of the best experiences I have had so far (and we now know how to make woolen animals!!)
We went to the main theatre in San Cristobal to see a show called El Palenque Rojo. What a scream: directed by a Columbian, it was a wordless physical theatre piece about part of the Mayan story of Creation, the Popul Vuh. Much of the movement was graceful, the choreograpphy well rehearsed, and the use of space very inventive with actors jumping out into the auditorium, and behind and above us too, with flame torches, giant sticks and masks. But the design was terrible: tacky digital projections of moons and mountains, garishly painted wobbly platforms, headresses and masks too obviously made from foam and cardboard. Loud recorded music drowned out what live drumming, percussion and singing there was, the volume high enough to burst eardrums. The piece had no beginning, middle or end, just loud, melodramatic and overwhelming all the way through! At one point, a scene in the underworld ended in a parade; it looked like they had raided the costume and prop store and salvaged anything from past Day of the Dead (Halloween) parades. The music thumped out some dark electro dance rhythm as giant skeletons and and painted death maskes danced and screamed about the theatre. All a bit over dramatic, but a good effort non the less, and certainly very energetic on the performers´ part!
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