A Tourist Break

June 29, 2012

Rio Grijalva going through Sumidero Canyon.

Yesterday I took the day off to take a tour to Sumidero Canyon with Carol and Jim. Our boat launched from Chiapa de Corzo and the tour took about an hour. This place was "British Columbia Beautiful"!  Although it was warm and humid the apparent wind kept us cool. This was one of those tours I would do again as it was so relaxing and peaceful. For a minimum cost of 250 pesos ($17.5 USD), it was a steal. A must do for any visitor to this part of Mexico — Chiapa de Corzo is an interesting city to see as well, driving into the city looked like parts of San Diego. Chiapa de Corzo is known for their elaborate celebrations they have in January and from what I hear is quite an event.

Inverse cascade along the canyon wall.

Back at the museo for the evening we had a busy start but it thinned out around 6:15. My first patient was a 62-year-old gentleman who had a couple of toes amputated and was healing very well except for this last two-inch by 0.5-inch opening. He wanted his blood sugar checked since he had a history of diabetes and he quit taking his insulin because "no me siento mal" — I don't feel bad. His blood sugar was over 500 (the monitor won't read it above this level so it just says 'HIGH'). We talked with him about the importance of diabetes and control and how it can be silent until things go "bad wrong".  Education is so important with this disease, and the lack of it seems too common.


The evening ended having dinner at one of the coolest restaurants I've ever been.  Clair and Benjamin (author of the Daily Good article about Don Sergio) took me to a place east of el centro. This restaurant had no name and served only fat wholesome quesadillas. Clair told me they have different quesadilla fillings every night but its always fresh. They also serve a warm fruit drink of whatever is seasonal. Their kitchen was a small enclosed cart with two women making the quesadillas and one young lady delivering the plates to the five tables (three of which were communal). The lighting was soft and the surround restaurant looked like an open garage with one back room… perfect ambiance.

Peaceful porch of Clair and Benjamin's rented home.

It was a magical evening with Clair and Benjamin, they are a unique multi-lingual world-traveled couple who only own their basic necessities and live simple and fulfilling lives. All their needs are met and they are able to telecommute and hence travel anywhere in the world and work (with internet of course). Clair loves her job and Benjamin loves being in San Cristóbal and learning more about the local Maya folk and learning the language Tzotil! The home (kind of a duplex) they are renting is more than 300 years old and was once a women's jail and winery — it has so much character and feel-good energy. The photo journalists spending a few days with Don Sergio and I interviewed me on their porch.