One of the most interesting places to stay in the jungle is Lacanja Chansayab and not only if you want to visit the archeological ruins of Bonampak and Yaxchilan (both of them are very close), but also to do some camping or to practice rafting, swimming and hiking. Its offer is such that you could spend as much as a week without repeating activity.
Upon arrival we stayed at the Kayo´s cabins which are nice, cozy and clean. Our host offered us a walk to a cascade and to some ruins which are not explored by investigators yet. Kayon calls the place “The lost City”.
We walked for an hour through small bridges, steams and soaring trees. There is an abandoned vantage point on top of a Ceiba tree. The guide explained to us that it was canceled because after it was built, local people thought it over and decided that it was harmful to the trees. The view from there must have been privileged.
We walked around the ruins of the lost city, while they were telling us about the life of the Maya Civilization. It calls to our attention a three entrance building which has duplex cabins where the ancient exchanged wives in a ritual form as we were told.
Rafting, a Dip and the Temazcal.
Another place to stay here is the Lacandon Ecolodge. It has duplex and Community cabins (with private and community bathrooms wher hot water is provided). All of them are located in front of the Lacanja River. They even have ramps for the disable. The lodge belongs to the family that sheltered the first explorers who ventured to get there.
We learned very soon that rafting may be practiced there, on class II and III cascades of up to 2.50 meters high. After taking a training with Alejandro, a certified instructor from the “Jaguar Ojo Anudado 2” (Eye Knotted Jaguar) Camp (there are some others but we chose the best), we jumped into one of the most exiting adventures that we experienced at the jungle. Visit www.guiachiapas.mx and check out the video of the feat.
Later we decided to visit the Corcho Negro Cascade (Black Cork). On our way we found Tapir traces and Ceiba trees so big that 20 people would be necessary to surround their trunks. The guide showed us a tree from which the ancient extracted resin in order to make the balls for their ritual game.
At the cascade we are petrified observers of a demonstration of bravery and precision. There is a natural pool at the bottom of a 10 meter high waterfall, and in the middle of it, there is a gap of just 2 meters free of rocks and logs. Our guide dives into it without hesitation. The smallest miscalculation in his attempt and we would not have seen him emerge again, as we did, with a huge smile drown on the proud face of the expert diver (www.guiachiapas.mx). For security reasons visitors are not allowed to do the same as he did, but they are allowed to go down to the cascade in the conventional way to enjoy of a nice dip.
Upon getting back to the Lacandon Ecolodge, we ran into Bush and Chankin (a baby Spider Monkey and a Howler Monkey respectively, that people at the lodge have tried to return to the jungle without success) who approach us with curiosity. We must have not seem interesting to them because they went back to mind their own business.
On the last day we took a Temazcal (a traditional bath). Before taking the bath, the healer explains to us that the ritual bath represents the womb of Ixchel, she is the Goddess of the Moon, and so the bath represents some sort of a rebirth. The ancient used it before making decisions that would change the course of things. Our imminent departure could not provide a better opportunity so we immersed ourselves in the sweet scent of incense and Copal in the middle of the ancestral sounds of the jungle.
CONTACTO Call Center 01 919 300 15 Ext. 134 Turismo Municipal
Víctor Chambor victor_chambor@hotmail.com abelchankayom@hotmail.com
Tel. 916 105 15 73
Enrique Chankin 045 916 111 06 83, 045 916 107 50 53
Ricardo Chambor Kin Tel. 967 631 74 98
Lada sin costo 01 800 397 50 72
Gilberto Miranda Caballero 916 121 77 10
Rafting – Daniel y Alejandro Chankin.
Tel. 0155 515 122 53, de 17 a 22 hrs.
jaguarojoanudado2@yahoo.com.mx
CÓMO LLEGAR
Desde Ocosingo, poco antes de llegar a Toniná, tomar la desviación hacia Monte Líbano, luego hacia Nahá, pasando por Sibal hasta llegar a la Carr. Fronteriza del Sur en dirección al crucero de San Javier. De Ocosingo a Lacanj· 149.2 km
CONSEJOS Repelente, bloqueador y cámara fotográfica.
OTROS SERVICIOS
Masajes, temazcal, restaurante, senderismo, avistamiento de aves, estacionamiento, camping y cabañas.
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