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| Boats at Lago Pojol |
We start the day with an ample breakfast at a sidewalk café - Cafe Quiptic, run by indigenous, organic coffee growers. It is located beneath the stone arches and next to the yellow-stuccoed Santo Domingo los Ángeles
I had seen an advertisement in one of the brochure/maps – given out by the tourist office – for radio taxis that can be hired to go to the outlying sights. Our Spanish is not proficient enough to navigate the details of our proposed tour over the phone. So, we end up back at the tour office to ask their help.
They arrange a taxi to take us to Los Lagos Montebello
We leave at . Lagos de Montebello is our first destination. The road south – partially along the Pan-American Highway - is surprisingly flat, straight and deforested. The scenery passes by as a dull, brown blur.
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| Lago Tziscao |
As we leave Lago Tziscao and backtrack towards Comitán, we stop at Lago Pojol, Cinco Lagunas and Laguna Montebello. The most scenic is Cinco Lagunas: pale blue (almost glacial-colored) water encased by dramatically, plunging verdant hills that leave no room for a lakeside walkway. Flat, wood-planked boats manned by an oarsman ferry tourists around the lake. We just opt for the scenic overlook.
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| Cinco Lagunas |
About an hour after we arrive at the lakes, we depart for El Chilflón. We have to go back along much of the same highway before turning off and descending to the parched plains to the west. We approach El Chiflón about an hour and a half after we left the Lakes.
The region’s arid's landscape yields no evidence of the lushness of El Chiflón’s gorge. It appears like a miracle from its thirsty surroundings. Unlike Agua Azul, there are no unauthorized refreshment stands or eating establishments. It is a well controlled park with none of the frenzy of Agua Azul. There is one stone pathway leading the tallest falls, a few well-kept cabanas along the trail and just a couple of restaurants. We have lunch at one and then start walking towards the falls.
Each waterfall gets progressively larger. But nothing prepares you for the awesome visual onslaught of the final and highest cascade - Velo de Novia. The view from the final viewing area - where we welcome the drenching mist of the falls on a 90F+ degree day – can only be inadequately described as spectacular. It has to be one of the highlights of our entire trip.
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| Cascada Velo de Novia - El Chiflon |
There is a zip line across the falls. Unfortunately, it is not working this week. We later heard that it is often not working. Not a good sign.
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| Viewing area beneath Velo de Novia - El Chiflon |
After two hours at El Chiflón, we start back to Comitán. It takes less than an hour to reach the zocalo. It is now about . We pay our driver – the entire day cost 1100 pesos – and shore up at our hotel for a few hours.
Our first floor room at the Los Ángeles but has a funky odor emanating from the embarassing spacious handicapped bathroom. There is no other room available at this hotel or anywhere else in the town. We have to deal with it. I have an idea.
At a nearby supermarket, we hunt down a small bottle of Fabuloso, bring it back to the hotel and puddle it around strategic spots in the bathroom. We leave to go out for evening, hoping that by the time we return the smell is gone.
Our first floor room at the Los Ángeles but has a funky odor emanating from the embarassing spacious handicapped bathroom. There is no other room available at this hotel or anywhere else in the town. We have to deal with it. I have an idea.
At a nearby supermarket, we hunt down a small bottle of Fabuloso, bring it back to the hotel and puddle it around strategic spots in the bathroom. We leave to go out for evening, hoping that by the time we return the smell is gone.
Folkloric dancers are scheduled to begin the free concert at the zocalo tonight, followed by the marimba band again. We decide to dine at Matisse (1a Av. Pte Nte 16) – one of the recommended Italian restaurants in town. It has a stylish décor – chic for Comitán – and a creative menu. Some of the pasta dishes didn’t quite hit the mark but their salad was robust. Still, a good choice for this town.
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We return to our hotel. Is the smell gone? You bet. Fabuloso is fabuloso.
