George And Audrey DeLange
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| Tapachula, Park Benito Juárez, Old Municipal Palace Is Yellow Building On Left |
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TAPACHULA (tah-pah-CHOO-lah): The náhuatl word, (TLAPACHOLI) means "flooded House." Located in the SE corner of Mexico in the state of Chiapas at the base of the Guatemalan Highlands, near the border of Guatemala and the Pacific Ocean. Tapachula is a business city. The city is the commercial center of a coffee-growing region and has thrived in coffee export. It is an important transportation link between Mexico and Central America.and hosts a large European and Asian population. In fact, Tapachula is considered to be an important city in the national economy of Mexico. Tapachula exhibits the typical style of Spanish built cities with a Central Park surrounded by the Municipal Palace. The Old Municipal Palace is now the House of Culture for the city. Ceramics and leather goods are produced by local artisans. It is also a land route for the cocaine trade between Guatemala and Mexico. If driving between Guatemala and Mexico through Tapachula, expect to be stopped by the army or police at one of the checkpoints. The locals usually avoid the checkpoints by walking overland through the jungle with their illegal cargo. One place of interest is the Museo Arqueologico del Soconusco which is a small museum displaying local finds. Including some finds from Izapa. Everything is in Spanish. It is open 11 am to 6 PM every day except Mondays. Located at the main plaza, which is called Parque Hidalgo. Tapachula also sits at the base of an extinct volcano called El Tacaná. El Tacaná is important in the archaeology of the area since many structures at Izapa were aligned to El Tacana. We were at Tapachula on January 28 and 29 of 2004.
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| House Of The Culture Located In Old Municipal Palace | House Of The Culture Located In Old Municipal Palace |
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| Parish San Agustín | Grocery Store |
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| Three Wheel Transportation | Grocery Prices Divide By Ten To Convert To Dollars |
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| Parque Hidalgo | City Hall Or Municipal Palace |
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| Parque Hidalgo | Parque Hidalgo |
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| Volcano Tacaná, Near Tapachula | Volcano Tacana, Near Tapachula |