I.I.IV.III – San Cristóbal de Las Casas: Day Three
SAN CRISTÓBAL DE LAS CASAS
I.I.IV.III – DAY THREE
18/08/22
As one might expect, Chiapas is also home to various Mayan archaeological sites. On my last day here, I’d be visiting the ruins of Toniná. – the first of many I was intent on exploring!
The name Toniná comes from the Tzeltal language of the Mayan inhabitants which means ‘house of stone’. Evidence shows that the city started out as a settlement as far back as 800BC, reaching the height of its power during the Late Classic period. What distinguishes these ruins from the rest, I would say, is their lack of popularity and relative peace and quiet from flocks of tourists. In addition, whilst Mayans were generally known to be peaceful, those of Toniná were involved in multiple wars, especially with those in the surrounding regions of Palenque in order to take control of various trading routes.
The Ruins
Upon entering the site, one has to walk over a path with fields on both sides where horses graze idly, before venturing into the depths of the jungle where the ruins lie . A large pelote court is encountered first, with statues of bowing men and jaguars serving as the rings through which the ball would pass and disc markers representing certain special occasions and dates.
On the side of the court, one can also observes statues of Mayans sitting cross-legged with their arms tied behind their backs on the sides. These, we were told, represented the captured rulers who would be playing the game and would most likely be sacrificed. On occasion, however, they would be either forgiven or given the choice to live out the rest of their days as slaves.
A few steps away from the court is a huge plaza that is flanked by temples on all its sides, with the Great Acropolis on the north, standing tall at 74 meters (higher than the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan). Unlike most other ruins, we were told by our guide Pedro, the temples of Toniná still have very well-preserved decorations made of stucco.
Stucco is a type of plaster made up of water and a binding agent such as mud or clay. Mayans made extensive use of this, covering floors and exterior structures of temples and building statues and other structures such as masks and reliefs out of it. This mixture conferred various advantages, such as being able to paint over the outside layer using natural pigments found in the surroundings without damaging the rocks, and, the fact that it protected the underlying constructions.
For all its virtues, stucco doesn’t fare well with the passage of time – which is exactly why the well-preserved structures in Toniná are a marvel. Whilst most of the colour painted on the stucco walls has indeed worn off, the actual plaster is still pretty much intact in most areas, with traces of pigments allowing us to imagine how the city used to look back in its peak.
Much to my surprise, Pedro told us we’d be climbing the Acropolis. At first, I have to admit I was a bit taken aback, knowing full well the impact of erosion that can be caused by walking on such ancient structures. Even more surprising was the fact that only up until a few years ago, most pyramids could in fact be climbed, including ones that are visited by thousands of tourists on a daily basis such as those of Chichen Itza. Thankfully, legal reforms that came into play during the COVID pandemic, now forbid people from going up. The ruins of Toniná, amongst a few others, are so relatively undisturbed by the general public, that archaeologists themselves aren’t too bothered about it.
We’d be climbing all the seven levels that make up the pyramid, housing thirteen temples in total – the number of the sky deities. On the second level are three doors that lead through a labyrinth that runs straight through the entirety of the pyramid which, in turn, leads to temples and tombs. Here a cross-shaped window symbolising the four directions of the universe may be found. To get to subsequent levels, narrow staircases and paths can be climbed, coursing through various temples and even high-class residential areas. Getting lost in between all these buildings whilst climbing on a pyramid was exhilarating yet mystifying at the same time, trying to imagine how the ancient Mayans used to lead their daily lives.
On different levels are various important structures, such as a plethora of friezes showing various depictions of the people’s victories over surrounding areas and supernatural manifestations of their gods, such as the Moon God being portrayed as a skinned lady. Apart from these are also many other temples such as the Palace of the Frets with a zig-zag pattern over its façade.
My favourite would be the mural of the Four Suns on the fifth level. The latter is a very impressive, a four by sixteen-meter frieze consisting of four panels – each showing various depictions and phases of the sun, with one of them being completely destroyed. One of the panels shows the Lord of the Dead, with the abdomen of a cockroach, a skull for a head, a severed head in one hand and a feathered serpent in the other. This might have been one of Xibalba’s gods, or, possibly, a god of the upper realm who’d transform into a lord of the underworld at night after much meditation in order to resolve some problem or another.
Needless to say, I can go and on about every single detail we went over during the entire tour of the ruins. What deserves an honourable mention, apart from its history and architecture, is the view from the top. A full view of the plaza and the surrounding mountains and jungle, with condors flying over the entire area. Truly mystical. I mean, come on, imagine the pyramid in its full glory; all covered in coloured stucco, with its citizens all clad in colourful costumes, the temples all abuzz with all kinds of activities, whilst surrounded by such a lush jungle!
A Dirty Affair
Just like that, my stay in San Cristóbal was over too. All in all, I can say my experience there was perfect. Except for one tiny detail.
All throughout my trip thus far, I had been doing laundry in a way I’m sure most people would find despicable. I’d throw my clothes in the sink, add some detergent (hand wash, body wash, shampoo, or, on a particularly pathetic day, soap lather) and attempt to wash the sweat and dirt off of them. For the price of fifty cents you can also buy a small bottle of bleach, which, I’ve come to learn, works magic on stained white clothes. Then I’d wring them out and hang them anywhere in the room and turn on the AC on full-power dry mode (or, if I’m in a low-budget room, in front of a fan). A process I’d come to love and cherish. Mindless work.
On my last day in San Cristóbal, I decided to treat myself and lug off half my clothes to an actual laundry… Let’s just say I should have kept up my good and humble work. In case you didn’t know, using bleach on coloured tees is not a good idea. Mostly cause they end up with patches of faded colour. Also, it turns out, if the washing machine runs on gas but its owner has none left, the washing machine will just stop working. I know right? Crazy! But wait, there’s more. Crazier still was the laundromat attendant’s solution to this – closing the shop and trying again the next day without consulting with the client.
Given that I’d be leaving for my next destination at the rise of dawn the following day, you can imagine my panic the second I realised the clothes I’d be using for the next eight months were being held hostage. Six phone calls later and I finally managed to ransom them with the help of her neighbour who stood by as he witnessed the drama unfold. We agreed I’d pay half the amount stipulated – cause you know, she did do half the job.
Then, of course, I had to carry the soaked load of clothes, which now easily weighed three times as much but had half the colour, all the way back to my hotel – at which point I had to redo my laundry before my early bus trip the following day.