We visited Tuxtla Gutiérrez solely as a jumping off point
for Sumidero Canyon, but found it to be a charming little place to spend a few
nights. We stayed just off the busy main street that connects the town’s Plaza
Cívica and Jardín de la Marimba, the bustling heart and lungs of the city.
In the afternoons, the Plaza Cívica is packed with
canoodling couples and friendly families. Clowns entertain children in the
center while parents laugh from the sidelines. Colorful vendors hawk balloon animals
and smoke billows from nearby food stalls into the evening air. Boasting a
picturesque position adjacent to the Catedral de San Marcos, it’s a pleasant spot
to watch the bright blue daytime sky turn to night.
After sundown, the Jardín de la Marimba comes alive with
musicians playing its namesake instrument, couples strolling arm in arm, women
selling fresh fried churros drizzled in warm dark chocolate. Families of all
ages crowd the main gazebo where more clowns perform, kids dance, onlookers cheer.
They really love their clowns here.
There is a real sense of family and community togetherness, and you can’t help
but smile being a part of it.
On our last night, we stumbled upon the special treat on our
way home of a gregarious eight piece mariachi band performing on a stage in the
middle of the street. They were a comedic bunch, with dance moves that sadly it was too dark for me to capture on film.
We did develop such a rapport in my attempts however, that afterwards half the band and I were best friends. Long enough for a photo together, at least. I think I fit right in.
For photos of Tuxtla Gutiérrez, nearby Chiapa de Corzo and the beautiful Sumidero Canyon, click HERE.
No comments:
Post a Comment