Countdown Oaxaca

If we've been a bit delinquent with our blog posts of late, it's because we've been having too many adventures here in Oaxaca. With about one week left now, the countdown is on to try to squeeze in everything that remains on our to-do list here. But, let's not lament our ever-shrinking time in this lovely city; let's remember the fun things that have happened. That's what this whole blog is about, eh?

So, here's the recap of the last couple of days. First, Saturday, which we spent out east of town with our new friend Melissa. To start the day we took a harrowing taxi ride out to Mitla, an ancient Zapotec site about an hour outside of town. I say harrowing because on more than one occasion we felt like the cab was about to fly off the highway. Worst of all was one particular turn where the driver barely maintained control of the car as he took the turn as fast as he possibly could. He tried to explain to us that it's normal for the car to lose control around that turn, and that we shouldn't be worried about it. Right.

Anyway, we made it in one piece to Mitla, and we went exploring the archeological site. Mitla picked up in the region where Monte Albán left off, becoming a major center for Zapotec culture in the early and middle parts of the last millenium. Mitla is most notable, though, for its unique stonework. The buildings there feature geometrical stone carvings that are intricate, beautiful, and unique in the Mesoamerican sites that have been found to date. To give you an idea, check out this photo (in case you were wondering, that is me being a zig-zag):
Mitla was also cooled because we got to crawl into and take a peek at a couple of the tombs excavated at the site. At a small market just outside of Mitla, Emily and I bought me a new replacement wedding ring, because the cheap replacement ring I brought on the trip was turning my finger green. Now all of these Mexican women will finally stop hitting on me.

After Mitla, the three of us bravely hopped in the back of a colectivo taxi for the ride up the mountain to Hierve el Agua. This was not the taxi you picture when you think of the word; rather, it was a pickup truck with two benches along each side in the back and a cover to keep the rain out. We all sat on these benches trying to hang on for dear life as the truck took the rough dirt/rock road up to Hierve el Agua, and again as it sped around the corners of a paved highway (why didn't we go up the mountain on the paved highway? Beats me) on the way back down. It was scary. On the way down, I was pretty sure at least of Melissa and me would be bounced out the back.

But the truck taxi of terror did get us to the site of Hierve el Agua, which is lovely. Hierve el Agua is called a petrified waterfall. What it really is is a small group of mineral springs that bubble up and carry minerals down the hill. The minerals and sediment over years have built rock formations, much like water dripping in caves slowly build stalactites and stalagmites. Because the water is trickling over a hill, the mineral build-up has turned into tremendous formations resembling water rushing down the hill. Some photos to illustrate:

The site also has a mineral water pool set up, but unfortunately the weather--grey skies and a decent breeze--was not conducive to stripping down and hanging out in tepid water. But we hung out for a bit and took in the lovely view, and then we grabbed some lunch because it was way late in the day and we hadn't eaten.

Finally, after the previously-described adventurous ride down the mountain, and a bus trip back to Oaxaca, the three of us celebrated our survival of the day by treating ourselves to a nice dinner at a well-reviewed restaurant called Los Danzantes. Dinner was actually less than impressive, but we had a delicious dessert of flourless chocolate cake with molten chocolate inside, served a la mode. Mmm-mmm good.

Yesterday was a bit quieter. Emily and I once again headed out of the city, this time to the south to see two nearby towns known for their artisanry. The first, San Martín Tilcajete, is known for carving alebrijes, small wooden animal figures. Alebrije actually means something along the lines of "fantastical creature", but the artists carve and colorfully paint just about any animal you can think of. Just about every home in town is also a workship, and we stopped in quite a few before we got tired of alebrije browsing and headed back out of town.

Then, we headed back towards with Oaxaca with a stop at San Bartolo Coyotepec, the home of pottery using a type of black clay found in the region. We didn't spend so much time there, as we were still tired of browsing (we have only so much patience for that sort of thing) and we were running late for lunch with our family. So, we got in a cab and made our way home. We spent the rest of the day quietly, hanging out with our roommate, wandering a tiny bit in town, and fininshing the day by watching our roommate's pirated version of The Dark Knight.

Finally, that bring us to today, which has been mostly quiet. Emily and went back to class today, and our class has doubled in size. The two of us have been joined by a Swiss guy and German girl. Class goes a bit slower now, but what can you do? We walked around town after class and took in some of the local artisans' shops, and then we went home for a special lunch: Tlayudas. To understand what Tlayudas are, imagine enormous quesadillas filled not only with cheese but also with black bean, onion, avocado, tomato, and a huge slice of grilled beef. They're a local specialty, and we gathered outside with our host family to make them on a small outdoor grill. They were delish--the best we've had since we got to Oaxaca.

So, that's it. We're looking forward to enjoying our last week here as we also plan for our week of travels and our new adventures to come in Guanajuato. Stay posted.