Monte Alban

Joe and Carolyn are off to the laundromat.  I may have to wait to use my scrubba because they were willing to let me throw my little bag of laundry in with theirs.  I forgot to charge my camera so I am writing this while I wait so I can head out to visit the cemetary a couple of blocks away. I can't visit a cemetery and not take pictures.

Back to yesterday:

Monte Alban is a Zapotec archaeological site that sits on a hill above Oaxaca City.  We did a bit of research and discovered that there is no city bus that goes there.  But there is a bus that leaves from downtown every hour for 50 pesos (updated to 55 on more current info, actual cost - 60 pesos return ticket which is about $5).  That was the station that we tried to find the night before.  What we had found that night was a door that looked abandoned.  Next morning, it was a bustling  business.  We bought our tickets and waited a half hour.  (side note, that station was my first visit to a 'old style' Mexican bathroom - bucket flush, bring your own paper & tetanus shot).

It was a cloudy morning so we were good in that many tourists would skip going if there was a risk of rain, but we were bad if it rained.  We lucked out, no rain and a nice cool day to explore and climb ruins!

I left C & J at the first structure and was immediately distracted by a bird.  It was at this point that I remembered that my Mexican bird book only shows pictures of birds only found in Mexico. So, if a bird is listed in the Western or Eastern North American guides, there is no picture in the Mexico book.  That's a lot of birds that I won't be able to identify.  So, I have to be able to take a picture so I can look it up later (if I am lucky).

I'm looking at you looking at me

I found a little visited ruin behind a bigger building, as far from the big platform as possible.  This forested spot was tourist poor and therefore bird rich!

Secret Hill behind the big stuff

This crazy flower

Wander, wander, lots of pictures.  I finally found C & J when I stood at the top of the big platform and they were at the bottom waving at me.  They figured I would show up there eventually.

The place was almost empty of tourists

Yup, I am heading to those stairs

Here they are...

At the top! looking down.

Joe and Carolyn waiting for me at the bottom

This baby hummingbird just sat there patiently
while I tried to find it in my view finder.  You can see the fluff on its back

Carolyn's new hat!  (Full price)

I was a bit obsessed with the walking vendors.  They were all so photogenic, rough men against rough stone.

We headed back to town @ 1:30pm.  The bus 'station' is quite close to the big market with all of the food stalls (20th of November market).  Last time I visited there, years ago, I remember being completely overwhelmed, there were so many people and so many choices.  But I really wanted to get started on my 7 Mole mission.  C & J decided to head home so I was on my own.  Fortunately, I got there a bit before the big 2 o'clock lunch rush.  I found a stall that listed multiple moles and ordered "mole roja" - Red Mole.  It was, of course, delicious!

Mole #1 - Rojo

,After lunch, I walked around the stalls.  This is when I discovered that Mexico is no longer the Mexico I used to know.  I found a shopping bag I liked and asked how much.  70 pesos.  How much for two?  140 pesos.  Ok, I will keep looking.  I found those bags at four stalls and they were all exactly the same price and there was no negotiation, that was the price.  WHAT!!  no haggling in Mexico.  What has the world become?  I mean, sure, 70 pesos is only like 4 bucks but still, it is the principle of the thing.

Apparently, I only took two picures in the market,
chicken baskets and mole paste

I'll see if this is consistent across the city (I suspect it is from a few other minor interactions where I 'walked away' and they let me leave without a counter offer,  and for example, Carolyn's new hat at Monte Alban)

I got home around 4pm and was so bagged from my two days of non-stop walking that I was in for the night.  C & J and I played Scrabble on Carolyn's tablet.  It was a form of community scrabble since we could all see each other's letters and we all giving each other suggestions.  Carolyn is very good.

C & J have just come home and brought Pan Dulce (sweet bread) so that means I am done for now.

Pan dulce!

Here are a few street art photos to finish off: