Surrounded by the vegetation which insists on blossoming, a lagoon struggling to survive and the majestic mountains, there is a beautiful poqomchi' town, San Cristóbal Verapaz, whose inhabitants know of the beauties they can offer to the travelers, either national or foreign.

As all the roads in the Alta Verapaz' region, sinuous ways conduct the voyagers from Cobán, the Departmental Capital City, towards the population of San Cristóbal Verapaz. Only 22 kilometers away from the City of Carlos V, San Cristóbal receives the travelers with its narrowed paved roads, with thin sidewalks and houses that seem to hide interesting stories.

Our hosts, Luis José Fernández, tour operator residing in Cobán, Oscar Capriel, graduated in ecotourism in the University of Ohio, and the painter, Rubén Darío Mo Caal, have prepared a trip to meet the most interesting places of the town.

Capriel and Mo are members of a group that is trying to promote the ecotourism in the poqomchi' region, knowing of the cultural riches it has to offer.

Our first stop was already decided and we were about to experience a massage and steam bath, both intended to revive the body and that have been practiced from long time ago. I feel moved, once an archeologist had told me that in Piedras Negras, the investigators had the chance to prove the pre-Hispanic technique for the steam baths, so I left my imagination fly away and tried to feel like one of the great sovereigns from the Classic Period. Besides, Isabel Coy Mus, who has received the massage technique from the elders of the place, makes me believe I am a prince of those times. The massage includes burning incense, which helps in my imaginary transportation, and they apply a poultice composed with aromatic leaves, sweet basil, chilca and ruda, heated with a candle and applied in key points: the wrists, the elbows, the shoulders and the lumbar region. I feel tension-free. According to the ancients' beliefs, it is necessary to realize a movement to keep the bad vibrations away, and so Coy repeats it and clarifies its meaning to me.

But the experience does not end in there, after the massage the steam bath waits, in a place known as temaxcal. This cubicle is made with bricks and cement, but is identical to the ones I've seen in pictures, which are built with rubble. The space is reduced and it has been previously heat with wood, which has consumed for several hours. That is why the temperature is high. Two small openings allow ventilation, a narrow one which is almost hidden by three bowls, one with hot water, one with cold water, and another one with the same aromatic herbs; the other opening is bigger, and is the one I use to come inside and is covered with a piece of cloth like a curtain. There are several rugs in the threshold as well as inside so that you can sit down, and they have also included some coarse cotton sheets. Those who wish to experience this adventure must be sure they do not suffer from cardiac or respiratory problems, like in any sauna. Inside I transpire away all the toxins, then I take a bath mixing the waters and I get out to dry myself with a long cloth, but Isabel indicates me that this must not be done by oneself, so she helps me to get used to the surrounding temperature again. I am completely relaxed.

After the steam bath we received the invitation to taste a sack Ôik, the ceremonial food from San Cristóbal Verapaz, which I fully enjoy and end with a cacao beverage, served in a multicolor jícara (gourd cup) from Rabinal.

To continue with the itinerary, our hosts take us to the Katinamit museum, which means "Our people". In spite of its small dimensions it includes four rooms, where you can see daily aspects that are not far from disappearing, religious costumes, some interactive objects used by children to learn about the flora, fauna and ecological balance of the region, musical instruments and the coffee, which is of economical importance for the region. The second floor of the museum has a small library and a terrace, which offers the men and women the opportunity to experience the poqomchi' life: with hats, suits, mecapales, marimba and the beautiful scenery of the plaza with its colonial temple.
When we finished our visit to the museum, we went to El Calvario, but since they heard the objections when looking at all the stairs we had to climb, our hosts decided to take us by car all the way to the top. Once there we saw San Cristóbal in all its beauty, in contrast with the serenity of the Chicoj lagoon, which is threatened by something that is trying to turn it into a swamp: the contamination.

Besides visiting El Calvario, our friends also drive us to Pan Kinich, which is the most sacred hill of the region. In here, a blackish surface in front of a small building indicates that they carry out burning offerings. Inside a structure some crosses take our attention, they remind us the significance of the cross among the Mayas, the symbol of the union of all the worlds of reality, the world of the living, the world of celestial beings and the world of the dead; and the point where you can come in connection with the sacred.

After coming down from the hill we follow the road that will take us back to the Capital City, we wave a last good-bye to a beautiful town, fill with smiling people that have treated us wonderfully. After riding for a few dozens of kilometers I remember that the first thing that I wanted to see was the temple, as I usually do in each town, since normally it is the most beautiful thing of the site, but all the great things in San Cristóbal made me forget my intentions. I am sorry, but I cannot deny that I had an unforgettable experience.