Travel to the Mayan World, the fourth and last

These cities in Mexico are among those, least known to tourists, and yet they are among those that have retained more of the Mayan and less of the modern world. They are not the easiest to get to, but visitors who have made the trek have found them beautiful and fascinating worthy of a return visit.

Nestled in the highlands, this picturesque town is considered one of the most beautiful in Mexico as they have maintained the spanish colonial buildings with red tiled roofs, the beautiful cobblestone streets, and the wrougth iron balconies often festooned with flowers.

Accommodations in the town include:
1. The 17th century Parador San Juan de Dios. whose original buildings are constructed of stone and adobe, with tile roofs; and are surrounded by stately gardens. This is a boutique hotel on the northern edge of the town. It was formerly the Rancho Harvard which dates back to the 17th century, and the place where the archaelogists and anthropologists stayed. There is a restaurant that serves Chipas cuisine.
2 The Posado Mexico is centrally located in the town and is a hostel type accommodation
3. Lidotel Hotel Boutique San Cristobal has a swimming pool, restaurant and fitness center.

The restaurants serve Mexican cuisine with a gourmet touch, among them are:
1. Tierra y Cielo which is ranked #1
2. El Barrio del Jovial is known for it's fresh corn tortillas and Chiaps inspired cuisine
3. El Fogon de Joval where you will find traditional food from the mountain area as the owners and workers are native to the area.

In the town of San Cristobal there is lots to see including:
a. the descendants of the Maya still wear their traditional dress, speak the indigenous language, and maintain pre-columbian customs. Many of them still come down, from the mountains, to sell their goods and buy needed things.
b. In the city center the houses have red-tiled roofs, wrought iron balconies covered with bougainvillea vines and cobblestoned streets
c. Some of the most interesting sights are the indegenous group of indians the "Chulma". The men still wear their baggy thigh-length trousers and white or black serapes.
d. colonial churches are everywhere - among the best known is the Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzman, built in 1547, which has a gold-painted altar.
e. Casa Na Bolom - which means "House of the Jaguar" - was once a monastery, and was purchased by Frans Blom, a Danish Archeologist who was the first to excavate Palenque, and his wife Gertrude Duby Flom a documentary photographer and journalist. The museum now houses his personal collection of books on Mayan culture, many artificats and photographys of his wife.
f. There are Stores selling Mayan handicrafts, colorful textiles, amber and jade jewelery and carved woodwork.

Only a 150 miles northeast of San Cristobal, lies Mysterious, awe-inspiring Palenque, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. It was once the domain of the Mayans' greatest king - "Pakal the Great" - who reigned for 70 years - and was buried inside the Temple of Inscription - which was built as a funerary monument for him. The tomb was discovered in 1952 along with samples of hieroglyphic text found on tablets - which have been helpful in the study of the ancient Maya.

Palenque was abandoned in 900 Ad and was taken over by the jungle, the structure sits atop a eight-stepped pyramid which has five entrances. Even to this day, very little of Palenque has been excavated, but in 1994 archeologists discovered "Temple 13" where the Tomb of the Red Queen - the only Maya Woman to be buried in a temple - can be seen.

About 220 miles south of San Cristobal, near the Guatemala border, are the ruins of Izapa, which date back to 1200 BC. It is believed to have had up to 10,000 residents at one time, and is said to be the original location of the Mayan Calendar - which is said to predict the end of the world on December 21 2012.

Visiting Izapa one can see the ruins of "13 large plazas; a planned urban section in the central part of the ruins; scores of mounds - that is believed to have supported many temples; two ball courts; and the most complex stela - Izapa stela 5 - which is also referred to as the "Tree of Life" and depicts a large tree surrounded by many figures which represent a myth - or as others say the proof that there had been contact with people from other continents, before Columbus discovered the "new world".

Izapan art depicts religious and mythological subjects, which it is believed was influenced by the Olmec - Mexico's first pre-columbian civilization.

Villahermosa is a large modern city, on the Gulf of Mexico, where oil was discovered in the 1970s, making it a major port overnight. It has a fascinating history that goes back thousand of years, and some very interesting places to visit.

1. At the "La Venta Museum Park" in Villahermosa, can be seen the stunning artifacts - left by the Olmecs, who lived in the region in the 1500s. The most famous sight are the colossal carved stone heads, standing over six feet tall and weighing about 15 tons, they can be seen in southern Vera Cruz and Tabasco, and are the oldest known monuments in prehispanic Mexico. There is also a zoo, in the park, which have jaguars, monkeys, parrots and other exotic animals.

2. "Carlos Pellicer Regional Anthropology Museum" has on display Monument 6, which is from Tortuguero, and has an inscription referring to December 12, 2012, believed to be the end of an era, and the beginnig of another.

3. To visit the ruins at Comalcalco, which is 56 miles northeast of Villahermosa, is a easy day trip. This pre-columbian Maya archeology site is especially fascinating because of the use of kiln-fired bricks - instead of the stone used at other Mayan sites - this has led to the belief that the natives of Comalcalco had contact with the ancient Romans - who used these bricks.

This is also part of Mexico's "Cocao Route" and a very important cacao-growing region. Chocolate was first brewed in this area and was a very important part of the Mayan Religious and Royal ceremonies". Finca Cholula and Hacienda La Luz, two cacao plantations close to the ruins, offer tours of the fields and also the chocolate factories, best of all they give tastings.

4. Pomona, another archeology site is 155 miles from Villahermosa, it contains the remains of a Mayan city that was discovered in 1959, by a group of farmers and bankers on an agriculture inspection. The ruins are unique due to the limestone that was used, so far only one of the compounds have been excavated which revealed a central temple, ornately carved bas-reliefs and many artifacts. The on-site museum features pottery, stone carvings, and different artifacts that were excavated here.

Visiting this region can be a little more challenging, however there is a airport with direct service from Mexico City, Cancun, and Houston, to Villahermosa - a modern city with all the necessary infrastructures. There is also air service to San Cristobal, and both cities have day tours to their nearby ruins. With so many ancient sites within the cities, that are easy to get to. it is another excellent reason to visit.