End of the World with the Zapatistas

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Date: 20/12/2012 to 21/12/2012

Path: After a night at Blue Waters and come face to face with the Zapatistas in Palenque, we changed plans and headed for Mexico 186 sense Villahermosa, skirting the border with Guatemala, to the city of Bakalar.

End of the World with the Zapatistas

We did the math, adapted the screenplay and everything was sent to spend the end of the world in full swing mystical Mayan city of Palenque. Just forget to tell our friends Zapatistas, that seized the world's attention to the region that date to ready up our plans.

Was giving 20 December 2012, Tanajura when we climbed in and set off towards Palenque. As we left a little late of San Juan Chamula, the night already fell while we were still a few dozen miles from our destination. We opted for caution, and risked spending the night at Blue Waters, Palenque to a neighboring town and that would break a beautiful waterfall of crystal blue water. If the world did not end in the early hours of the following day, we could just get to Palenque on the last day of the Mayan calendar.

We pay close 30 weights (approximately R $ 4.5) per person to access the park. The inside, There is a good small hotels and camping sites. We prepare our tents and still had time to quickly look the beautiful water color waterfall before night fall, just forget to take pictures (profudamente would repent it later!). We dined a fish and count the minutes to fall asleep.

We were anxious, after all, 's not every day that we can spend the end of time exactly where this whole end of the world began. During our path, read about it. We found that in the end, is all a matter of interpretation. Many people find that going on the road to Palenque, were happy with the time, since it was not the end of the world what they expected, but the start of a new era, from the order of another cycle. That's exactly what some experts limos Mayan culture. O tal do 21 December 2012 would end (approximate) the Mayan calendar, but the principle is nothing in the scriptures and records left by ancient indigenous gives a clue End Times. Ultimately, end if something, we were in the right place, and behold we could stop confer.

It was almost midnight, when the end of the world seemed to be starting. A very strong rain fell on our tents. A temporal accompanied by wind, that ensopou the tent and went to push água into it. The rain lasted all night until morning and ruined our hopes of seeing the waterfall under the light of day. There was still time for the world to end, then packed up their bags and headed off to see what was going on in Palenque 21 December.

A few miles down the road and find a jam. Everything was stopped! At first, think everyone had our idea of ​​going to Palenque exactly on this day. But then we realized that the traffic was not moving even. 'Maybe, uum has been accident”, think. Pulled up at a site and wondered what was happening. We, then, informed that our friends Zapatistas had closed the road in a protest against the government. Access to Palenque was completely blocked that road! Logo today!

As mentioned in the last post, the Zapatista movement emerged in 1910, when Emiliano Zapata joined a revolutionary army that would fight against the Government Porfinista (of former president Porfirio Diaz), that was in power for more than 20 years old. Today, or Zapatista Army of National Liberation (or EZLN) is a leftist revolutionary group, formed mainly by indigenous people living in rural Chiapas. From 1994, The group has declared war to the Mexican State, although most of their actions have been non-violent. The Zapatistas have the support of most of the inhabitants of the autonomous state of Chiapas, where most of the population is of indigenous origin.

Several hours passed before we found Stefan, a traveler who had known Mexican camping in Blue Water. He was on the counter-flow, giving up waiting for something to happen that way. He also wanted to go to Palenque, but after standing hours, reviewed plans and decided to stretch straight to the Yucatan peninsula. We reflect on the subject and decided to accompany him.

We drove the rest of the day, passing through villages that have never heard of and bizarre ways, before we reached the city Bakalar, near the border of Guatemala around midnight. We were exhausted and did not pitch the tents soon appeared in front of a hostel, in the same street. We spend a lot by the end of the world, but not over our. After much rain and the way Zapatistas, Survived. We woke up the next day in the beautiful Laguna de Bakalar, where would follow trip to Cancun.