Puerto Chiapas, Mexico... Part 1 of 2

I was up very early to take sail-in photos. The cruise port of Chiapas, Mexico is near the mouth of the Suchiate River, which borders Mexico and Guatemala. It was a very smoky morning with fires burning in many locations.  It made for some hazy conditions at times.  We got off the ship once we were cleared and we proceeded to complete our health check by the Mexican authorities. On the pier a colorful group of Maya dancers welcomed us. Being mindful of COVID we decided to take an independent tour and not the shuttle to town. Triple Tour was just outside the terminal and we were able secure their services for a 4-hour tour of the area. Our Guide Uriel spoke perfect English and was very knowledgeable about the history of Chiapas and Tapachula. Our first stop was the Izapa Archeological area Section F. These ancient ruins date back to 1500BC. Section F has a large mound pyramid and many structures and alters. Section B also houses alters and stelae Mayan carvings. Unfortunately, Section A was closed. It was evident the ruins have also suffered from the effects of COVID as they are quite in need of maintenance. While still in the Izapa Mayan Archeological area we were given a chocolate demonstration…we saw the cacao bean from the time it is picked, fermented, dried, roasted and churned into chocolate. Very informative and of course the best part was the actual tasting. Next, we made our way to Tapachula. Today and due in part to the very close proximity to Guatemala, Tapachula known as the Immigrant City; the city is a convergence point for the movement of migrants trying to make their way to the United States. In the 1800s and early 1900s, the foreigners were German, Chinese, Japanese, French, British, Spanish and American. Today, these historic routes are trod by Central Americans and Haitians along with migrants from Cuba, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Cameroon, Eritrea and beyond. Our guide told us if it was crowded that we would be doing a drive by in the city to avoid exposure to COVID. We were able to make a stop at the town square known as the Miguel Hidalgo Central Park, visit the San Augustin church, city Museum and a quick stop at the Central Market…We even got to see some street art. With lots of time to spare we drove through Puerto Madero a seaside town to the fishing village of Las Playa Escolleras…the beach lies directly across the water from where the Zuiderdam was docked. This port was a last-minute change, it was an unplanned stop and it turned out to be a really nice day of touring thanks to our excellent Guide Uriel and Mr. George our Driver. Back on the ship we went to the Retreat for the remainder of the day…  I took so many photos, the blog will be posted in two parts.