these families that are selling shawls, belts, handmade toys, bracelets, and trinkets are for the most part, displaced Christians from the Chamula area, or so the story goes. I am sure that they aren't all from there however. Apparently the Chamulan form of catholicism doesn't tolerate those who change to any other form of christianity and they are run out of town. 
Another intricately carved baroque church - this one houses a market on the grounds as well as a newly built museum of textiles. The church itself was closed for visitors but we sure could wander the market.
Here "Cisco", a gringo has spent quite a few years rescuing plants from deforested areas and housing them for reproduction. 'In this way he has saved some series from extinction and allowed for the revival of others. He has also discovered a new plant which he named after his daughter.
this is his old greenhouse. He has a new on the drawing board and he encourages "way out" out of the box thinking in his architecture. He hopes to become known as an art/architecture area as well. 
inside the greenhouse where we communed with nature in a hothouse environment. We were encouraged to touch and feel anything we wished as we explored the area.
Our last evening in San Cristóbal - and we are greeted by a myriad of lights as we walked into town. We finally discovered that it was a display against "violence against women" and each illuminaria had a woman/girl's name written on it who had suffered or died because of this violence.
The line of lights went on for blocks as people walked in and around them, stopping to read the names and looking horrified when they saw the likes of 7 years, 9 years, 72 years, etc. What a way to get a message across.
All too soon it was time to leave our wonderful friends and head out. By early morning bus we then headed over to Oaxaca to get a taste of what was there.
