Puebla toTapachula: Chiapas Road Blocks

Old Jul 4th, 2016, 08:16 PM
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Puebla toTapachula: Chiapas Road Blocks

So, ADO bus lines was not running into Oaxaca city and many places in Oaxaca state as of mid-June due to teachers' road blocks, but I saw they were running to Tapachula, Chiapas. It was a 14-ish hour ride, but I thought, why not? I thought it would be interesting to see the intervening scenery, as I'd never been further south than Puebla.

We left Puebla around 11:30 am and made what seemed to me good time, arriving in Arriaga in Chiapas around 11pm. The views of the mountains with the steep descent into the valleys was spectacular on the road approaching Orizaba on the way to Veracruz. The hills & mountains between Coatzacoalcos and Tuxtla Gutierrez were similarly quite beautiful. In between was mostly lowland sort of wetland with palms in Veracruz state.

The fun began in Arriaga. The bus drivers said some things that I didn't quite catch with my Spanish and some passengers left the bus. Asking questions, I subsequently found out the bus was likely not going any further that night due to the teacher road blocks, maybe not the next day either. The bus drivers had gone to sleep for the time
being.

I tried sleeping at first on the bus, but it was too hot. I tried going outside to sleep, where there was a breeze and due to a certain tilt of the concrete, the floor was sort of comfortable (a water bottle made for a not so bad pillow in a pinch), but I was too anxious and didn't want to fall asleep and miss the bus or any information. Rumours swirled (always in Spanish, which I'm getting better in, but sometimes miss things); the blockade was going to break in the morning, maybe 11am one said. Another passenger said that there were many roadblocks, but tried to string together a plan; maybe we could band our money together & get a combi (van) to the (perhaps first & only) roadblock, walk & catch a combi to the next town of Tonalá and continue from there.

At times, there was nothing going on, so I plugged my phone in. During one of these sit by the plugged in phone sessions, I had a fun conversation in Spanish with a teenager from Tapachula about a variety of insects eaten by some folks in Chiapas state.

Amidst all this anxiety and discomfort, there was a certain camaraderie, which on some level I was appreciating. My Spanish skills were certainly getting a workout. One conversation with some Salvadorean fellow passengers about the Maras was interesting (they were continuing from Tapachula to San Salvador by bus).

Around 6 in the morning, I was getting exhausted and desperate. We finally got someone to unlock the bus, so I could get my luggage, which was a major sticking point. I asked the taxi drivers outside if they could take me to *a* hotel in Arriaga that avoided the blockade; the one I asked may not have understood but responded in the negative. I tried to see if I could find a place to sleep, rolled my luggage to a nearby posada in Arriaga, but it was full. I then went back to the bus station, said I'd be willing to buy any ticket out of Chiapas state where the teachers were striking; Tuxtla at 11am was the next bus (still Chiapas) from which I might be able to get to Coatzacoalcos but it was uncertain I'd get on and things might be blocked there now too.

I go back & see my fellow passengers from the bus from Puebla. Some express surprise to see me back as I told them I was giving up and going to a hotel. Some
smile & seem happy to see me. (I think I'd endeared myself to some trying to use a water bottle as pillow on the concrete and when we'd all laughed when I took a selfie that one of them said I should entitle "Come visit beautiful Arriaga, Chiapas!" On
my return they tell me something is about to happen.

*To be continued*
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Old Jul 5th, 2016, 05:29 AM
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My fellow passengers informed me there would be a bus offered by ADO that would be taking us to the roadblock between Arriaga and Tonalá and from there we would catch another bus to my destination Tapachula. We board around 7 am. The first roadblock is a kilometre-long lineup of trucks of many varieties; the teachers placed tires and branches to stop the progress of vehicles. So, the bus stops and the passengers of the full bus unload their luggage. Mothers with babies, children, some elderly Salvadorean women amongst the group, we trek through the teacher's encampments until we reach a sheltered area. We then wait again for the ongoing bus for what seems like an eternity, but was maybe 45 minutes? I get fed up of waiting and take a combi (15-seater van) to Tonalá (not arranged by ADO, so this I pay for).

I arrive in Tonalá and learn that there will be a bus to Tapachula courtesy of ADO bus lines but not for another hour. My fellow passengers who waited at the sheltered area arrive in about 15 minutes via the no-additional-charge ADO bus. I laugh at my own earlier impatience. At this point, a lot of things are making me laugh and my Spanish is becoming progressively more and more blithering as I'm functioning having not slept for nearly 30 hours.

After a bit of upset (a bus left for Tapachula without even an announcement), we were all put on a Rapidos del Sur bus heading to Tapachula. As we zoom down the highway toward Mepantepec, I finally think that my troubles are over and I'm going to get to sleep in a few hours.

*To be continued*
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Old Jul 5th, 2016, 08:46 AM
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The bus to Tapachula stops in Pijijiapan and Mepantepec on the main autopista between Tonalá and Tapachula. Quite a number of people are standing (including some folks from far-away Puebla) and the bus is hot but I think we're all thankful to be moving so quickly.

Then, after Mepantepec, to avoid a blockade, the bus goes on a primitive, rocky dirt road with narrow bridges. Mepantepec looks sort of charming with curtained pedal taxi carts whisking people around. The area by the dirt road in some ways looks like paradise with animals grazing and chickens cavorting amidst the palms while beautiful red birds and yellow butterflies in number flit around in this bucolic setting while beautiful and surprisingly (to me) pale-for-Mexico Chiapans cycle or motorcycle with their friends amidst the scenic backdrop. Were I not so deliriously exhausted, I would have been fully enamoured; instead, I almost wanted to cry as the bus moved along the dirt roads about the speed of a bicycle which meant I would not be in a bed for longer than I thought. And I didn't know when the "dirt road" part would end.

Eventually, it did end though and thankfully between Escuintla, Chiapas and Tapachula, there were no more dirt roads or delays. So, we finally arrive in the humid oven of Tapachula at 4pm. The journey between Arriaga and Tapachula which ordinarily takes a bit over 2 hours took 9 hours.

Thankfully, the folks at Hotel & Suites Mo Sak in Tapachula could not be kinder, the room has well-functioning A/C and comfortable beds. Amazingly enough, I have some energy, so purchase my ongoing trip into Guatemala with Tica Bus and have a delicious supper at nearby Cafe Soconusco. I find Tapachula surprisingly (to me) modern in parts and more pleasant as the cool of the evening comes and so many people there were very kind to me. Despite everything, I'm glad to see the small city.

The next morning, after a good night's sleep, I take a cab to the blockade in Talisman, walk through the encampments, get skillfully scammed by peso-quetzal money changers but successfully cross the border where the Tica Bus is waiting to transport me to Guatemala City.

I wanted an adventure this year for my summer vacation, I wanted to say I'd crossed Mexico north to south by land. Success on both counts but I must say, I got a bit more of an adventure than I'd bargained for.

The Pacific Coast area of Chiapas is a beautiful place and I'd definitely recommend a visit when things calm down. For now, though, unless you have lots of time and can plan very slow travel, it's very hard (in some cases impossible) to travel in Chiapas, Oaxaca and Guerrero states. If you're considering going, you may want to check regularly via Internet "bloqueo" with the name of whatever state you're planning to go to in order to get updates.

Best wishes, Daniel
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Old Jul 5th, 2016, 11:18 AM
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Wow, I knew about the roadblocks in Oaxaca, but I did not know about Chiapas. Is it the same teachers strike issues as in Oaxaca, or are there other exonomic issues, or what?
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Old Jul 5th, 2016, 01:18 PM
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Hi emd3,

I understand it has to do with the reformas educativas being instated by the federal government. It was my understanding that the issues in Oaxaca are the same as those in Chiapas; it seems the blockades are restricted to the southern part of the country. I learned that the Mexican government does not appear to wish to budge.

There might be something to the cause--this I'll need to read more about. However, I did not feel much sympathy for the concept of a blockade; it's a radical recourse. It's more than creating inconvenience; they created tremendous hardship for quite a number of innocent people whose only crime was trying to get from A to B: for example mothers with babies (one baby seemed to really be suffering from the heat in Arriaga) not to mention the number of elderly people who walked with difficulty past the blockades. It seemed to me the most vulnerable of Mexican society were hurt by the blockades than say government ministers in their offices in el DF.

I think June 29th when I travelled was the first day of the Pacific Coast highway blockades, so ADO bus lines was not aware anything was up when we left Puebla.
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Old Jul 5th, 2016, 01:31 PM
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“Now it is a strange thing, but things that are good to have and days that are good to spend are soon told about, and not much to listen to; while things that are uncomfortable, palpitating, and even gruesome, may make a good tale, and take a deal of telling anyway." -- JRR Tolkien, The Hobbit

Your tales are always good, Daniel, but this one illustrates the truth of Tolkien's maxim!
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Old Jul 5th, 2016, 04:44 PM
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Fradiavolo--I like Tolkien's maxim. I even said to some fellow passengers that at least we had a story to tell. . Another good thing was I never felt in danger. I do wish one of my more comedian-type fellow passengers however would have refrained from calling out "La huelga!" (The strike!) when we would walk by the teachers as I wasn't sure how they would react...
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Old Jul 6th, 2016, 05:23 PM
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Reading ADO bus news, apparently service has been cancelled to parts of Veracruz state (Coatzacoalcos); not sure why, if there are blockades there too?
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Old Jul 9th, 2016, 05:59 PM
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Wow, what an adventure!!
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Old Jul 25th, 2016, 06:34 PM
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Error (multiple times): the charming town I refer to as "Mepantepec" should be Mapastepec.
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