El cañón del Sumidero

Because of día de los muertos The children get a small vacation, from Thursday until Sunday they go to their parents. Well only one third of the children still has a home to go to ... For the other 20 children we have to provide foster families ... And when the children have vacation I am kind of unemployed here ... So I get some free time as well. Wednesday Giovanni and I visited the city Chiapa de Corzo and we took as well a boat trip trough El cañón del sumidero. Thursday we went to the 5 miradores (viewpoints) in la Parque nacional del cañón del Sumidero. These are 5 high points that give a breathtaking overview over the canyon, it's fauna and flora and the river Grijalva that flows it snake-like motion through the canyon making it even deeper as we speak. 

So what is it actually? It is a canyon, obviously. The highest point of the canyon has an altitude of more than 1000 meters! And, although I have never been at the grand canyon in the USA, I have seen it on pictures. I would describe cañón del sumidero like the grand canyon, but with a river still flowing in the valley. And where there is water, there is life. So in stead of the desert-like-look of the grand canyon, you see a canyon that is abundant with life. The jungle has claimed this canyon and with it came all the animals you would expect. Big crocodiles are using the blazing sun to help digest their meal on warm spots at the riverbank. Above them monkeys hop from branch to branch like true trapeze artists. Vultures soar over the green roof of the jungle, from one side of the river to the other, in the hope a crocodile didn't eat its last dish completely and left some scraps.

It sounds to good to be true ... Doesn't it. It kind of is and isn't. I'll elaborate. All of the above is true and it makes cañón del sumidero one of the most beautiful places I have ever traveled to. But. There is a big but. I'll write it in capital letters. BUT. Why do humans have to ruin everything?! Seriously?! The canyon and its nature are so breathtakingly amazingly beautiful, just don't look at the river itself. Because it is an ugly sight. I call it a plastic soup. Fill your bath halfway, take your full trashcan, empty your trashcan in your bath. Congratulations, you are one step further in creating your own cañón del sumidero ... It is so sad and really a shame. Everyone who doesn't throw away his/her garbage in the proper way deserves a walk of atonement like Cersei. Shame! Shame! Shame! Shame! The guide didn't even mention it, so I asked about it. He says the trash is coming from the cities Tuxtla and Chiapa de Corzo, people throw away their garbage on the streets and with a few heavy rainfalls all of this garbage finds its way to the river. He says it used to be way worse and they are working on it, if we must believe him, there should be now permanently running a campaign to clean the water and to create awareness among the people. I have my doubts ... I cannot imagine it used to be way worse ... Were the crocodiles maybe swimming in crude oil? Anyway I sincerely hope they are in fact cleaning it out and they are in fact raising awareness ... But there still is lots of work to be done until this beautiful place on earth is getting the treatment it deserves.

Greetings,

And please help reduce the pile of trash in the world. Buy in bulk, reduce your own trash and make sure that the trash that you do produce gets recycled. We ow it to nature, we ow it to our children and grandchildren, we ow it to ourselves.

#MakeNatureGreatAgain

B. Supertramp

PS1: El árbol de navidad is a cool natural phenomenon, this waterfall looks like a Christmas tree, really nice, look it up or try to spot it in my pictures. 

PS2: Although I try to take precautions I have been bitten quiet a lot by mosquitos, especially in the canyon, I realy hope I won't get dengue or chikungunya, I wouldn't particularly enjoy going through that again.