Landscape

The Necaxa River Valley, looking west from the foot bridge in Chicontla. The valley, once covered in lush vegetation, was swept bare by flooding in October of 1999. The old bridge in the foreground above and the cantina on the right were two of the 300 or so structures destroyed in the floods.

The terrain outside the Necaxa Valley is spectacular, featuring high, steep cliffs and deep, narrow river gorges. Some of the peaks in the area rise over 1,500 m., but the Upper Necaxa villages themselves sit on the valley floor at only 260 m. above sea-level. The differences in altitude result in stark contrasts in climate. The lower altitudes have a hot, humid costal climate with average day time temperatures in the high 20s or low 30s, while the higher communities have cooler weather and frequently experience dense fogs and temperatures below 20 degrees. Coffee is grown successfully in the higher terrain and corn, beans, chilies, and other food crops are grown on the less fertile slopes. Much of the valley floor is left fallow or dedicated to residences and livestock.

Chicontla lies on the north side of the river. In the centre of the photo to the left you can see the elementary school and, just to the left of it, the church, built in the late 1700s. Most of the houses in the centre of town are made of concrete or cinder blocks, and have running water. Many now have phones. Some of those on the edge of town (right) are not as well-off.

Patla is less than half the size of Chicontla and since the floods about a third of its people have moved into the viviendas on the south side of the river, built by the Mexican government as assistance for those who lost their homes. The new houses have running water and electricity, but are rooved with asbestos laminate.