WATER MONTAINS

By David Díaz Gómez / Photos by Johan Willems, José Granados, David Díaz Gómez

Nestled between southern Tabasco and northern Chiapas, both Mexican states, is a stretch of mountains the Tzeltal Maya call Sk'inalel Toljá (Water Mountains) because- say the Indians-they contain more water than rock.

Misolhá, whose name means "water that come forth from the bowels of the earth" in tzetzal Maya, is a 30 meter cascade that falls in to a lagoon, which is frequented by the locals.

    Every cave has a stream, and when it rains, it seems like the rocks are spouting water. Heavy rainfall turns the paths into rivers and waterfalls appear spontaneously from every cliff.

    This is a land where the sun never shines, where the air is heavy with a mist called neblina and the forest remains at half-light. This is the land that pitted the courage of mid-19th-century explorer John Lloyd Stephens, who later said the Tumbalá cliffs were the most difficult he ever crossed in his life. It is also the land of dreamy rivers, and of waterfalls that rush down the mountain in stages, reflecting the colors of both sky and jungle as they go. Agua Azul and Misolhá in Chiapas, Villa Luz and the rivers of the Sierra in Tabasco are examples-which are accessible for travelers to visit-of a world where water and beauty reign.

    The Sk'inalel Toljá are part of the Montañas del Norte (Mountains of the North), a range some 250 kilometers long and 65 kilometers wide, with peaks reaching 2000 meters above sea level. From above, it looks like a gigantic wall running east from the Ocote Reserve and the Chichonal volcano, to the Lacandón forest border and the basin of the Usumacinta river.

    This "wall" of earth and rock protects the area from the atmospheric changes brought on by winds sweeping down from the Gulf of México, gusts that cross the alluvial plains of Tabasco undisturbed. Located in the basin formed at the foot of these mountains is Teapa, with rainfall figures of over 5,000 millimeters a year, it is officially the wettest town in the entire country.

    The area is rife with smallishtributaries-like the Tacotalpa, Teapa, Tulijá, Puyacatenco and the Carrizales rivers-that feed the Grijalva, the mighty waterway that crosses the mountains to join its fellow, the Usumacinta. All these tributaries had their start in those mountains, and are swollen with water by the time they reach the Grijalva-though they have crossed little country beforehand.

Through the mountains of northern Chiapas run many rivers, which form myriad multi-sized waterfalls- like in Agua Azul, one of the most important natural parks in México.

    In ancient times, small groups of Zoque, Chol and Tzeltal Maya dwelled in the valleys along the Grijalva and in the mountains near the Usumacinta river basin. The region was difficult and inhospitable; a land for collector-hunters; kingdom of the water gods.

    During the colonial period, the Dominican monks built churches and monasteries in villages such as Oxotolán and Tacotalpa, in the state of Tabasco; and Chapultenango and Tumbalá in Chiapas. These towns never really flourished, though they still exist. Malaria was a constant threat, as was flooding, and the lonely mountains did not make for easy evangelizing. Today the entire zone has an average of only 30 people per square kilometer, making it one of the least populated areas in México.

    In the northern range of the flank-the side facing the Gulf of México-are the Water Mountains of the Tzeltal. Cloud forests envelop the heights; trees grow up to 30 meters tall and are draped with bromeliads and wild orchids. The spider and howler monkey, the toucan, jaguar and white tail deer roam at will, and endemic growth includes many plants yet unknown to science.

    The scenery is spectacular: it is an endless procession of waterways that wend through a landscape of cliff and ravine; waterfalls of every size and type imaginable, many of which have only been seen by the locals due to their difficult location.

    On the other hand, some of the finest "waterworks" of the region are accessible to the average traveler. Tourists from all over the world come to see Villa Luz, the rivers of the Sierra (mountain range), Agua Azul and Misolhá, with their legendary, cool and crystal-clear waters.

In Villa Luz, close to the town of tapijulapa, in Tabasco, there is a series of natural jungle waterparks featuring sulfur springs and small waterfalls.

    The falls of Misolhá are located north of the town of Ocosingo, Chiapas, crossing the mountains,- that descend into the Tulijá valley and the plains of Tabasco-just 19 kilometers from the ancient Maya metropolis of Palenque. The name is in Tzeltal Maya and means, "water that comes forth from the bowels of the earth."

    The spectacular, 30-meter falls empty into a deep pool at the base of the drop. Misolhá is a 20-hectare park conditioned for ecotourism, with cabins for rent and a restaurant administered completely by the local Chol Maya. The dense jungle part of Misolhá has been used for numerous films and television series.

    Further on, in the municipality of Tumbalá, are the famous Agua Azul falls. Covering an area of 2,500 hectares, the grand daddy of the Water Mountains was declared a national reserve on April 29, 1980. The Shumulá river ("river of the squashes" in Tzeltal) provides most of the water.

    The falls wash down over limestone bedrock, the whitish limestone acting like silvering on a mirror. The water-which is crystal-clear to begin with- reflects the blue sky and all the different shades of green along the banks of the river. The effect is absolutely stunning.

En Oxolotán (Tabasco) Spanish Dominican monks founded a convent in the 16th century. The ruins of the old monastery are located at the foot of the Moyo hill, which features at its summit a sanctuary with the image of that is highly workshiped by the Tabasqueños.

    Agua Azul runs its course forming shallow pools along the way. The water that cascades from one pool into another has enough force to fill the air with spray and rainbows.

    Some of the pools have been christened with descriptive names: La Marimba (the xylophone), these are two falls that, from the air, look like the keyboard of this Chiapanecan musical instrument; Las Resbaladillas (the slides) and Las Tacitas (the teacups), which are small slippery falls adjacent to several small pools that seem to be created as if for single bathers; El Boquerón (the anchovy), that is located where the river narrows and the falls begin; La Poza de la Gringa (the Gringa's well), a former impromptu nudist camp; and the infamous Licuadora (blender), a large, ferocious fall that ends in a lovely pool where many have drowned for failing to heed the sign-in five languages-that prohibits swimming.

    In addition to swimming there is boating-for the river is navigable in certain spots-and hiking, either up river or down steam. Local wildlife, like foxes, armadillos and otters, can be seen in the evening, principally down river.

    Agua Azul and Misolhá in Chiapas, Villa Luz and the rivers of the Sierra in Tabasco are just a few of the region's many natural wonders, a region the Indians in their infinite wisdom call Sk'inalel Toljá-Water Mountains-and we moderns, Montañas del Norte. It is a land that celebrates the natural harmony of earth and water, a region of rivers and streams that brings life to the land and all that lives in it. It is a land of wonders too long held secret, a land waiting to be discovered, for its discovery, -and the awe that must follow- may assure its survival.