CIELO Y TIERRA TOURS
Maya Culture in Highland Chiapas
Cielo y Tierra Tours S.A de C.V.
San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico
Email: info@cieloytierratours.com
Content and Images © Copyright Cielo y Tierra Tours 2009
Situated in a beautiful valley (37km southeast of San Cristóbal) is Amatenango del Valle, a Tzeltal village renowned for its pottery. For over 1,000 years its women have been dedicated to making earthenware pots and ornaments. The women are also skilful weavers, and this can be seen in their stunning red and orange huipiles (traditional blouses) worn by the older members of the community.
We visit first a family of potters and receive a demonstration of this ancient art form. Their pottery is modelled by hand, and the pieces are fired using the traditional pre-hispanic method of building a wood fire around them, rather than placing them in a kiln. The art of pottery-making has been passed down through the generations, and it's humbling to watch the village girls at work, too, modeling small clay animals with astonishing skill.
We also visit Amatenango's early-eighteenth century church, in which villagers harmoniously blend ancient Maya beliefs and Catholic doctrine, before heading off to Aguacatenango for the second half of our tour.
It's a beautiful drive to the Tzeltal community of Aguacatenango (16km south of Amatenango) that takes us past fields full of horses and a large temporary lake, with a view of the village's ancient church off in the distance.
Aguacantengo is well-known for its floral-patterned, white on white embroidery on blouses, shirts and tablecloths. We'll meet the embroiderers in their homes to learn more about their artform and you'll have a chance to buy their beautiful work.
Our Tours: Highland Maya Villages
AMATENANGO DEL VALLE & AGUACATENANGO
Day of Excursion: Any day of the week
Duration: Approx 7 hours
OPTIONAL: After visiting the communities, we can stop for lunch in the attractive small town of Teopisca, famous for its traditional food, and especially its delicious cecina (cured beef) dish.
We'll also visit the village's fascinating Dominican church (built in the late sixteenth-century) with its white facade, thick adobe and stone walls, and bell tower. If we're lucky, a mayordomo (religious authority) will invite us to climb to the top of the tower to enjoy the lovely views across the village and valley.
