Coyotes, Vultures, Crocodiles, and Monkeys.

Chiapas is full of natural wonders, and Cañón del Sumidero is one of the most wonderful. Formed about the same time as the Grand Canyon, Sumidero is just over eight miles long and up to 3,300 feet deep. 

The makes for spectacular views from both the canyon rim and from the Grijalva River below.

The little coyote is proud to be associated with such beauty.

This dramatic horseshoe bend is the central point of the canyon.

After a tour of the canyon rim viewpoints, we donned our fluorescent green chalecas and hit the boats.

The first stop is the snack boat, where you can stock up on fruit, chips, and various flavors of micheladas before the two-hour voyage.

Soon we were racing downriver toward the main canyon past verdant, jungly hills.

The skies were filled the birds--cormorants, seagulls, pelicans, and vultures.

The cormorants nesting area was alive with hundreds of birds, the trees permanently stained white with guano.

A colony of black vultures thronged the beach, squawking and jostling.

Soon the rocky walls of the canyon began to rise around us.

Waterfalls spring out of the cliff face. It's now the dry season, so the flow is pretty sparse.

Here we pause to let everyone on the boat pose in the bow with this magnificent backdrop. Everyone chants "Besó, besó!" to the posing couples, and of course we all comply.

This waterfall is called "El Árbol de Navidad"-- the Christmas tree.

It's easier to see why from this angle.

The boat takes us right below the fall, and what looks like a fine mist from a distance becomes a drenching downpour. Quite a relief from the muggy heat on the river.

The "Cave of Colors" features bright streaks of minerals in red, pink, and green and a statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

These sheer walls mark the deepest part of the canyon--over 3,000 feet of almost straight drop from the rim.

Crocodiles!

Later, we saw a spider monkey cavorting in the trees, but he was too well camouflaged to get a good picture.

Our river trip ends at the town of Chiapa de Corzo, while the river continues on into Guatemala about 200 miles downstream.

Preparation for el Dia de los Muertos were in full swing here as well. We especially loved this campesino muerto driving his wagon.

With his wife and dog in the back.

A very zen altar.

Gorgeous flowers are on sale everywhere. 

Love these colors!

Back in San Cristóbal, the streets were packed with Halloween revelers. There were many fantastic costumes, but the crowds were so dense it was hard to really see them.

Such crazy fun!

P.