Cutting through the canyon

Time for a boat ride wildlife safari! The ride to Sumidero Canyon was exciting in itself, with steep cliffs, eroded topography in the valley below, deep red soil, and moments where we were above the clouds.

At the boat launch, we were given our lifejackets and guided into the long boats seating around 40. The boats set off reaching high speeds, and we slowed down to observe the wildlife and learn about the canyon's history.

Egrets and herons, cormorants, pelicans, iguanas, crocodiles, monkeys! 

The steep canyon walls averaged around 400 m, but there was a portion over a kilometer high, and about 200 m deep in the water. Here, a nearby village threw themselves over rather than submitting to the Spanish conquerors. 

 

We saw two families of spider monkeys with a young baby. On one side of the canyon, they were zoo-released, and the male had a collar, but on the other side, they were wild and nervous.

Tucked in a cove, there was a chapel with a Mary statue and a ladder leading up. The rock face here was streaked with colours, shimmering pink down to the water.

At the end of our 34 km journey one way, we reached the dam. Hydroelectricity is a main energy source here, with ample water in Chiapas, this division of Mexico. In the water in front of the dam, there was a boat with three entrepreneurial men selling fruit, beers, and other snacks for the the trip back. We went full speed on the way back through the canyon, clutching our hats, smiling in the wind on a hot day.

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