San Juan Chamula. Chiapas, México

One of the reasons I start this journal is because the world is big but full of special and interesting places. Each place has for each person a special effect a special pleasure or a special story. I already mentioned a few of those places that, to me, have this special effect. For its singularity, San Juan Chamula, is one of those places. The Chamulas people have always been a fiercely independent people. As part of the Tzotzil community, they resisted the Spanish upon their arrival in 1524 and later staged a famous rebellion in 1869, attacking the nearby colonial settlement of San Cristobal. The small town, about 10km (6 miles) from San Cristobal, is a key attraction as part of a tour of local villages around San Cristobal, and is best experienced with the help of a local guide, who can give insight and local knowledge that will help you to make some sense of the distinct culture and customs practiced here. Like neighboring Zinacatan the Chamulas are also enjoy being a private people; like other indigenous communities in this region, they can be identified by the clothes they wear: in this case distinctive purples and pinks predominate. All the clothes they wear are hand made locally. The wool on the sheep, cleaning, dyes and knitting are all obtained "in-house": nothing is purchased externally. Sheep are sacred here: they are treated, protected and mourned on passing as any other member of the family. If you are driving through this region take extreme precautions with sheep that may wander into the road. More than anywhere else in this region - you must take extreme care with your photography here. I never experienced nothing like this before. It is completely prohibited to take photographs inside any church, or of any ritual or any religious leader or healer. The least that will happen is that you will have fresh produce hurled at you and your camera; you can also have your camera confiscated, be fined and even imprisoned. The warnings are not lip service - these people are serious about their privacy. I never had this feeling before. The (legal) photos I was able to take from the outside church, have a unique value and are an extraordinary memory of this trip.