Fast Facts

Area Code -- The telephone area code is 967.

Books -- The People of the Bat: Mayan Tales and Dreams from Zinacantán, by Robert M. Laughlin, is a priceless collection of beliefs from that village near San Cristóbal. Another good book with a completely different view of today's Maya is The Heart of the Sky, by Peter Canby, who traveled among the Maya to chronicle their struggles (and wrote his book before the Zapatista uprising).

Bookstore -- For the best selection of new and used books and reading material in English, go to La Pared, Av. Hidalgo 2 (tel. 967/678-6367). The owner, Dana Gay Burton, keeps a great collection of books on the Maya, and Mexico in general, both fiction and nonfiction.

Bulletin Boards -- San Cristóbal is a cultural crossroads for travelers, and several places maintain bulletin boards with information on Spanish classes, local specialty tours, rooms or houses to rent, rides needed, and so on. These include boards at the Tourism Office, Café El Puente, Madre Tierra, and Casa Na-Bolom.

Climate -- San Cristóbal can be chilly when the sun isn't out, especially during the winter. It's 2,120m (6,954 ft.) above sea level. Most hotels are not heated, although some have fireplaces. There is always a possibility of rain, but I would avoid going to San Cristóbal from late August to late October, during the height of the rainy season.

Currency Exchange -- There are at least five casas de cambio on Real de Guadalupe, near the main square, and a couple under the colonnade facing the square. Most are open until 8pm, and some are open Sunday. There are also a number of ATMs.

Doctor -- Try Dr. Roberto Lobato, Av. Belisario Domínguez 17, at Calle Flavio A. Paniagua (tel. 967/678-7777). Don't be unsettled by the fact that his office is next door to Funerales Canober.

Internet Access -- There are Internet cafes everywhere.

Parking -- If your hotel does not have parking, use the estacionamiento (underground public lot) in front of the cathedral, just off the main square on 16 de Septiembre. Entry is from Calle 5 de Febrero.

Post Office -- The correo is at Crescencio Rosas and Cuauhtémoc, a block south and west of the main square. It's open Monday to Friday from 8am to 7pm, Saturday from 9am to 1pm.

Spanish Classes -- The Instituto Jovel, María Adelina Flores 21 (Apdo. Postal 62), 29250 San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chi. (tel./fax 967/678-4069), gets higher marks for its Spanish courses than the competition. It also offers classes in weaving and cooking. The Centro Bilingüe, at the Centro Cultural El Puente, Real de Guadalupe 55, 29250 San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chi. (tel. 800/303-4983 in the U.S., or tel./fax 967/678-3723), offers classes in Spanish. Both schools can arrange home stays for their students.

Telephone -- The best price for long-distance telephone calls and faxing is at La Pared bookstore at Av. Hidalgo 2, across the street from the State Tourism Office.