The Salto de Eyipantla waterfalls in my home state, Veracruz.
Looking at old pictures of my different trips through Mexico, I suddenly remembered about the existence of a series of sublime videos featuring some of our country’s most impressive destinations. They were made by the main TV network in Mexico to commemorate 200 years of the existence of Mexico as an independent country.
The videos feature ten different states (Mexico is divided into 32 states) with an extraordinary combination of natural beauty and breathtaking landscapes, imposing ruins built by ancient cultures, rich folklore and traditional towns full of history. Our guiding characters through these wonderful landscapes are three nymph-like models playfully springing around, becoming one with nature and connecting themselves with different iconic animals: jaguars, deer, dolphins, manatees, an eagle, and even a crocodile! The background music has a tribal-inspired rhythm with sweet lyrics singing the praises of each land in the traditional language of the region. I am fascinated by these videos because they provide such an alluring combination of travel and a rich infusion of culture, as well as a very welcome source of fashion inspiration!
I have chosen my favorite four videos to showcase here. Coincidentally, they are the videos from my favorite states in Mexico - all of them are full of tradition, history and colorful landscapes. Oh, and great food: tamales and mole in Oaxaca, heavenly coffee and pork with chipilín in Chiapas, and cochinita pibil in Yucatán.
Also, looking at the beautiful Mexican models prancing around in those ethereal, flowy dresses provides some serious beauty inspiration for me. I don’t want to say it’s thinspiration because of the negative connotation the term has, so let’s just say that seeing them motivates me to stick to my healthier, lighter regime and keep working out so I can look slender and graceful as well!
I know that everyone says that their country is the most beautiful in the world, but after seeing these videos, I hope you would agree with me that Mexico should definitely be in the top ten! At the very least, I hope this contributes to tear down the stereotype propelled by Hollywood about the whole of Mexico looking like this:
(Replacing the zebra for a donkey, of course).
Enjoy! (Best experienced in Full Screen and HD)
Chiapas.
Stills from the video:
If you are going to watch only one video, this should probably be it (or the one from Yucatán). This is a swift view of landscapes ranging from waterfalls of an unreal turquoise-blue, the great river that flows through the imposing rock walls of Sumidero Canyon, and a Mayan temple hidden in the jungle, featuring an elegant black jaguar swimming in the jungle.
Yucatán.
Stills from the video:
Quintana Roo.
Stills from the video:
One of the places with the most exotic landscapes in the country, this video features endless beaches, lush coral reefs, the unique Mayan fortress of Tulum and a swim with manatees.
Oaxaca.
Stills from the video:
Ancient ruins of interesting architecture, beautifully decadent abandoned convents and the famous petrified waterfalls await here.
As a bonus, last but not least, the land where I was born and raised, Veracruz: a paradise of fresh green and great rivers, famous for its coffee and the cheerful attitude of its people.
I have been lucky to visit several of the places featured in the videos, as well as many others that are not pictured there but are equally beautiful. I have seen the sunset from the petrified waterfalls in Oaxaca, visited abandoned convents near small, picturesque towns, and climbed to the top of the pyramids in Monte Alban, which are built on the top of a very high hill. In Quintana Roo, I bathed in the fresh, turquoise colored waters of Tulum, with the ancient ruins towering above the sea as a majestic background.
I have also cycled through the ruins of the massive city of Cobá, an ancient world now half eaten by the exuberant jungle, and swum in the dark and incredibly crystalline waters of Coba’s underground lakes (known as cenotes), a sacred ground for sacrifice in the times of the Mayans.
Cycling through the ruins of Cobá, in Quintana Roo.
Swimming in one of the cenotes near Cobá.
Chiapas, in the very south of Mexico, is another region of my country that I was lucky to get to travel to thanks to my scientific career (one of the best perks of being a scientist: free travelling!). Even though I was there for only a few days, I managed to pack quite a lot into my visit: I went on a boat trip through the Grijalva, one of Mexico’s great rivers flanked by immense rocky cliffs that form the Sumidero Canyon; got to stroll around Chiapa de Corzo, a traditional town full of charming details and traditional food and textiles; we visited the misty and infamously odd town of San Juan Chamula (more on that ahead) and finally spend the fresh evening strolling through the bohemian arty town of San Cristóbal, with its picturesque cobblestone streets, still wet with the afternoon’s rain and the perfect setting for a superb coffee gathering in its intense and lively atmosphere.
My picture of the majestic, Lord Of The Rings-esque view of the Sumidero Canyon.
Evening stroll through bohemian arty town of San Cristóbal, Chiapas.
San Juan Chamula is an odd place. It looks as if it could be straight out of a story by Juan Rulfo, García Marquez or Vargas Llosa. People walk barefoot, despite of the climate being very cold because of the town’s altitude, and women wear some rather eccentric looking long skirts that look like they are made of tussled black fur. The main attraction of the town is the sui generis and somehow sinister temple, where Catholicism has been mixed up with voodoo and witchcraft. Once you get inside the temple, there are no benches: the floor is covered with green pine needles, and the space illuminated by a multitude of candles, with long drapes suspended from above. Offerings of black and white candles, food, incense and Coca-Cola are scattered across the floor. A heavy aura descends upon you while you silently walk among the people sitting next to their offerings and praying. Along the interior of the church, on both sides, there is a procession of saint statues with mirrors hanging over their chest; their eyes look blackened and empty. Somewhere near the altar, someone slits the throat of a hen, as a sacrifice for the god they worship. Someone tells us this person has a family member who has fallen ill, and is making an offering for his health. Of course, there is a very strict no photos policy inside the church. Even though the place nowadays is obviously managed in such a way to cater to tourists, you can still get a glimpse of the original oddity that it once was.
Graves in San Juan Chamula, Chiapas, decorated with pine branches.
Time to plan new adventures,