Monday was my birthday. We started the day by going to a 'welcome to Oaxaca' talk at the Lending Library, which is a place where all of the ex-pats hang out. I saw two of my bird group ladies there. I had kind of hoped that we might learn some tips from experienced 'tourists'. No such luck. First, let me say, never go to an event populated by senior citizen Americans with no apparent idea that the internet exists and ample opportunity to ask (stuid) questions. That's a free life lesson for you, from me.
There are rotating speakers for this weekly event with various topics of expertise. This week's speaker h such a quiet voice that we could barely hear him. I think he had planned to speak about medical issues for ex-pats. But no, literally every question was about buses. I understand this question (see previous post about getting to the airport!) but the premise of these questions was so 'wrong'. Where is the bus station? Anyone who has travelled anywhere knows that 'the bus station' is an American/Canadian concept. There are probably 50 bus stations in Oaxaca. They had a hard time with this answer, some buses go south, some go north, first class, second class, specific destinations, specific companies etc... So, another confused American would ask 'where do we catch the bus then?
Anyway, I learned nothing.
Then, we walked down Alcala to the Zocalo. Shirley was looking for a small purse. It is always good to have a mission when in the Zocalo, it keeps the mind from trying to convince the wallet that 'everything' is just what the body needs.
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| She was able to pick just ONE from all of the choices |
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| This is only the third cat I've seen so even though it isn't that good a photo I'm including it. |
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| herbs |
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| This is the fattest dog i the world, he lives at the market. |
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| Mom buying some instruments for her kindergarten kids that she volunteers with |
It is a very nice looking restaurant, multi-level with private rooms and bars etc. But we were up on the veranda on the roof, overlooking the church.
Ok, prepare yourself for some super-dark pictures of my delicious dinner. We didn't sit down until 8pm so it was dark out.
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| Crab tostada appetizer |
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| Shared (with mom) smoked seafood plate with prawns and octopus. |
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| Even though I had ordered dessert, they brought me free birthday cake |
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| My real dessert. A goat cheese disk, with honey orange jelly on top, with a 'cookie' strip with coconut ice cream. Weird but delicious. |
Late home but early up the next day for our bus tour. We chose tour #4, Mitla, Tule, a small textile manufacturer (and store), a small scale Mezcal factory (and store) and Hierve el Agua (frozen/petrified waterfalls).
We started at Tule which is a little town with the biggest tree in the (country? continent? world? - wikipedia says stoutest tree in the world, so there you go). I remember going here with Val in our Mexico road trip. The tree is now fenced off (twice) but it is still in a pretty little square beside a pretty little church (well, not so little but in comparison).
Next stop, a textile artisan. He showed us how to spin wool (I had no idea it was literally just spinning!) and how they dye the spun wool. All natural colours from bark, flowers, and those red bugs. Then he has a loom to create amazing works of art in wool.
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| Naturally dyed wool |
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| The loom |
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| I bought nothing. I would have bought some wool, but they don't sell it :( |
They walked us through the Mezcal process which involves a hole in the ground and some fire. After that point in the explanation, I spotted some puppies so blah, blah, blah, and voila! you have mezcal!
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| We arrived, I remember that |
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| then the hole in the ground |
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| And then puppies!!! Oh, hello, rub my belly if you are just hanging around |
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| And then the sample bar was littered with empty shot glasses and I don't know what happened in between. Puppies!. |
I also remember that I do not like Mezcal.
So, now that our empty bellies were full of booze, one would assume lunch, but one would be wrong! Next stop, Mitla. This is a more recently inhabited archaeological ruin. It was occupied by the Zapotec after Monte Alban was abandoned.
We arrived and were assigned to a guide. Again, I couldn't hear a bloody thing he was saying, and didn't really care that much. It was hot, we were hungry, Mom was looking very green. When we arrived at the first building, Mom went back to the entrance to sit down and have some water and a bite to eat.
Our guide was a slow talker and a slow walker. So when we got to the first platform, a surprisingly intact building with beautiful designs in the stone, I just abandoned the group and headed up the stairs for a look inside the rooms. I took a wander through. When I came back out to come down the stairs, the bus tour group was still listening to our guide. I got back to them just as they were heading up the stairs. Nope, I went to the next building.
Since I left the group behind, I had the rest of the site pretty much to myself. I took advantage of my time to explore some tiny underground tombs. When the group arrived at the next courtyard, they all lined up to descend into the tombs one at a time, and I went and sat on a wall and contemplated life (and talked to some cool German tourists).
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| The tomb, after I crawled through the tiny entrance passage |
Finally, we went to a Mexican buffet lunch at El Famoso. Where I had mole #5 Estafado. This one wasn't in my original list of 7.
Then, off to the Hierve de Agua, the petrified waterfall. It is high in the mountains so it was quite a long drive. We got to watch the worst produced, 20 year old video of Oaxaca attractions.
Hierve de Agua is a 'waterfall' of minerals that have deposited over time from water running over a cliff from mineral pools. When we arrived, we had two options. Go 'swim' in the mineral pools or go on a 45 minute hike for a view of the waterfall. Only four of us opted for the hike, me, Shirley, Mom (who was feeling better by now) and another older woman. The young folks all went for the swim.
We got a local volunteer guide to take us down the path. We walked about 15 minutes in and stopped to have a lovely look at the waterfall with the 'swimming' mineral pools up top. Nice, snap, snap. Well, that wasn't 45 minutes... Oh, no, not that waterfall.
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| The mineral pools at the top, from above, near the entrance |
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| The view of the first set of fall, you can see the swimmers at the top |
Ok, we keep heading down the path. It was a beautiful view. And a beautiful day but very windy at the top. Stairs, the bane of my existence whenever I want to see something cool while traveling. This spot was no different. We finally got a view of the second, even more impressive falls. Wow!
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| This is where mom turned back and Shirley and I headed to the bottom of the falls |
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| This is where the water drips down from the top. Unfortunately, I don't think you can see it without zooming |
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| Me at the bottom! |
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| And heading back up. |
On the way back up was where our guide earned his no-fee volunteer tip money. He led us to the top of the falls to the pool cascading over the edge, with the most stunning view behind. Amazing!
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| Shirley at the precipice |
Last little thing to see before we left the falls, the heart:
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| This is a little pool, on a shelf below a cliff. So, yes, I had to stand close to the edge to get this photo |
We made it back to the bus just as the swimmers were returning. So, not too too bad. An even longer bus ride back to Oaxaca city where we got to watch Hacksaw Ridge. But not all of it, we didn't get to see the end. I didn't want to watch it in the first place but now I have to find it when I get home to see if buddy lives or dies (don't tell me) since it is based on a true story, it could go either way.
That was yesterday. I think I will end here and do today later. It must be bed time.
Here is some street art:
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| Poor Amos has seen better days |
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