Friday, January 4 continued… We hopped into the car and drove a short distance through town of Tuxtla Chico to the main highway. We passed a herd of goats wandering the streets. 

A very short way down the highway, Miguel turned into a driveway and parked. He announced we were at the historical Mayan ruins. Directly ahead of us was a small pyramid.

We realized that since the Mayan ruins were literally on the outskirts of town, that meant that Tuxtla Chico has been an established town for thousands of years.  

Sunrise, Friday, January 3

Miguel picked us up from the marina at 0800. We drove for about 45-minutes to a town named Tuxtla Chico, but Miguel kept referring to it by its nickname, Chocolate Town. Along the way, Miguel chatted non-stop, explaining to us what we were seeing along the ways (what each of the buildings were, what produce was being farmed, what kinds of trees were along the road, etc.) and about Mexico’s economy, history and culture. Miguel was a history buff and enthusiastic about his own heritage, making him a wealth of information. 

Our first stop was a park that was a tribute to the town’s Mayan heritage. In the middle of the park was a sculpture depicting a ring and a black ball, which were the components of a game that the Mayans played. In the game, the ball was made of rubber (rubber trees grew in the area). Embedded into the ground around the sculpture was a ring made of small stones that had etchings at regular intervals.