Saturday on the Healing Waters International Transformation Trip to Tuxtla - Chiapas, Mexico

Saturday was another busy and fulfilling day for the Transformation Trip in Chiapas. We got up early and headed out to visit another Healing Waters system as well as meet a family that gets their water at the system. We headed up the hillside just outside of Tuxtla. The city of Tuxtla is in a valley and many of the poorest and marginalized communities are up on the hillsides surrounding the city. Below is a photo of a typical house in the community of "El Refugio" where Healing Waters has built a water purification system and a Nazerene church runs the system and distributes safe drinking water to their community.



We walked about three or four blocks from the system to the house of Maria Daisy. She is a squatter and has built her laminated tin shack on federal government property. She has been there for a few years and the government has not bothered her so she has made upgrades including a cement floor and even a pirated electrical connection to have electricity. She does not have running water and gets her drinking water from the Healing Waters system.

Maria Daisy hosted our group at her "house" and told us what a blessing the water system has been for her and her family. Her kids are no longer getting sick all the time and are growing more. Her husband has been missing less work due to illness and is able to work more to support his family. It is an amazing story.

Sitting outside Maria Daisy's house

Two of Maria Daisy's children

A view in the squatters community overlooking the city of Tuxtla

An outhouse in the background and the cooking fire in the foreground

Maria Daisy felt so honored that we would come visit her that she cooked us a meal of traditional chicken mole and rice and made us fruit juice from the safe drinking water she got at the Healing Waters system.

Enjoying a meal in Maria Daisy's house

The group and Maria Daisy with her family outside her home

After we visited her house we headed to Chiapa de Corzo which is a colonial town on the banks of the river that flows into the Sumidero Canyon. The town itself is charming and colonial, but we went straight to the river where we bought tickets on a boat to go up the Sumidero Canyon. This is a natural canyon that has walls that go up over one kilometer. It is a beautiful place and not to be missed if you are traveling in Southern Mexico.

The boats lined up ready to take people up the canyon. This is really a tourist attraction for locals and Mexicans as much as American tourists. We were the only "foreigners" on our boat cruise. We sang songs and had everyone laughing with our gringo antics.

Shane looking serious (or sea sick?)

The canyon and canyon walls

Jon looking up at the canyon walls.

There are crocodiles in the river, so you don't want to fall in.

I loved the creative use of a recycled old boat and tires to make this dock. This boat was probably taken out of service a few years ago, but still floats well enough to use as a dock.

Greg and Jenni enjoying the fast boat ride and the breeze!

Once we got back on land, we drove for about an hour to San Cristobal de las Casa. This is a charming colonial town in the mountains above Tuxtla. It is at a much higher elevation than the valley of Tuxtla, so it was cooler, a welcome break from the hot, humid weather. The town is really quaint and beautiful, many people think it is one of the nicest places in Mexico, take a look at the photos and you can decide.

Cobblestone streets and beatifully painted houses

Chiles in the market

Me standing with Elizabeth, the daughter of one of the Healing Waters/Aguas de Unidad Mexico employees. A little bit of a heigh difference (she is standing on a bench.)

A local indigenous woman selling her hand embroidered blouses

Me standing in front of a cheese shop called "El Guero." That is another word for foreigner/light skinned/gringo.

The cathedral in San Cristobal

Beautiful cross with a cloudy backdrop

A night shot of a church in San Cristobal.

This was our last night together as a group for the transformation trip. At about 7:00pm as it was getting dark, we lost one of our group members on the streets of San Cristobal (I won't tell you who.) After a few hours of searching we were reunited. We decided since it was our last night and because we found our lost member, it was time for a group hug.

Our "last meal" was Mexican hot chocolate and churros. It was delicious! We piled back into the van, exhausted but content. We had early flights out the next morning.

All in all the Healing Waters International Transformation Trip was amazing. I would love to have the opportunity to travel with any of the trip participants again, and hope that I do.

Thanks for following along and maybe you will be able to join us next time.

LET THE CLEAN WATERS FLOW!