In 1924, the Danish explorer Frans Blom became the second European archaeology researcher to visit Catemaco. Naturally a German was here first.
And he writes: "There was a good reason for not going into the country. Constant revolutions had made that wild mountain region a hiding place for all kinds of bandits, rebels, and political refugees. These people had imposed brutally on the Indian tribes, who considered the forests their property and, therefore, turned hostile to all strangers."
Not much different from the perceptions of Mexico today. And, just like any fortunate visitor in these times of bad press, he was royally welcome.
His book "Tribes and Temples - a record of the expedition to Middle America" is now available on the internet as a multi part pdf document, and has been one of my favorite reads about Los Tuxtlas since I found it, lent it out and lost it.
I highly recommend it, even to rednecks who can't tell a cate from a maco, and especially to a fool that lives on a hill.
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