Day 10 Flying to Puerto Escondido

Time to leave Oaxaca and go to the coast. 

The Oaxaca airport is small and easily navigated.  The plane is also small and not quite as easily navigated.  We have a wheel chair for Diane since we have to walk out on the tarmac to board the plane.  It is definitely a small airplane.  There are seats for 15.  There are 13 passengers today.  One person sits in the co-pilot spot and gets to wear the headphones and theoretically could take over the plane.  Luckily, we didn’t need a co-pilot!  Esther and Yo sat right behind the co-pilot so could see all the dials.  They reported after we landed that the pilot had the window open the entire flight!  Guess we didn’t get all that high.  It was interesting looking out the window and seeing mountains right outside.  After about 30 minutes, we see the coast.  Wow!  This is so much better than going on a bus for 8 hours doing switch backs!

I had been told that people from the hotel would meet us at the airport but no one is there.  We wait about 10 minutes and then decide to take a taxi.  Only a slight misunderstanding – the hotel people pay for the taxi to take you to the hotel. 

We are staying at a small place with only 5 rooms.  The pool is right outside the door of the rooms on the main floor.  Nice palapa area.  A sign saying that it is the honor system to help yourself to whatever you want from the refrigerator and write down what you take.  Easy to make ourselves at home. 

The closest beach is 164 steps down.  Oh Yikes!  That isn’t going to work for us. 

The owner is a very likable, friendly young woman. She came and gave us a quick orientation of the best restaurants, beaches, etc.  and takes us to a gourmet restaurant for lunch.  The décor is beautiful and the food great.  

After lunch, we take a swim in the pool.  It is close enough to the room that Diane is able to make it into the pool.  Refreshing!

For dinner, we pile into a taxi and head down to the big surfing beach.  Juan isn’t feeling well so stays behind.  We choose one of the many little places right on the beach.  Being Father’s day, there are lots of families enjoying the beach.  The waves are good and there are dozens of surfers out waiting for the perfect wave to ride in. 

We enjoy a good meal, margaritas and a beautiful sunset. Hmmm.  My  good sunset pictures are on my phone and aren't easily accessible to put on here.  But you get the idea.....

Hierve el Agua and Mitla Day 9

We’ve done really well with health.  But, today, Esther and Yo are feeling a bit under the weather.  They decide they will stay back at the hotel today and rest. Probably a good decision.  Enjoy a quiet day and be ready for the next adventure.

The rest of us head out for Hierve el Agua which means boiling water in Spanish.  It is about an hour and a half drive.  The first part is good paved roads through the valley.  We leave the main road and start climbing in the mountains.  We go through small villages with small herds of goats, small fields of corn, squash.  Passed several burros pulling carts or carrying wood.    At the site, there are mineral springs that bubble up in this area and form mineral deposits that look like waterfalls.  We stop at the top to see the overview.

Juan and I walk down to the ponds. The water is cool, fresh and refreshing.  Swimming in such a beautiful, natural setting is a rare joy in life! 

The town of Mitla  is our next stop.  When the Spanish arrived in the area in the 1500’s, they found a robust area of trade.  The town  continues to be a place of trade.  There several areas in town where you see ruins but one area is particularly well preserved and that is where we visited.  The Spanish built a church using many of the materials from the Mixtec structures.  But  much of the original Mixtec structures remain.  The intricate stone work is beautiful!

We all enjoy fresh fruit ice cream.  Very refreshing.  Ready to do some shopping.  Diane decides that Juan needs a new hat.  We find one that is quite dashing.  I try one on and am surprised that it actually fits me and that I rather like it.  We end up buying matching hats. 

Diane and I continue looking at all of the stalls of colorful merchandise.  I’m lured into a stall by a small child that looks to be about the size of my granddaughter.  I use her as a model for size.  Once we are in the stall Diane and I look at other things and end up buying several blouses,  and skirts.  Since we are such a small group, we can be more leisurely in the shops.  We really enjoyed interacting with the kids and women in the shop. 

For lunch, we stopped at a place that makes mescal.  It used to be that they demonstrations of the traditional way of making mescal, now there is a small museum  but no demonstrations.  Good food!

A quick stop at one of the rug shops in Teotitlan del Valle where they do dying of wool and rug weaving.  All very beautiful but no purchases today. 

We are glad to see that Esther and Yo are feeling better after a quiet day. 

Tonight Mexico is playing Chile in the America's Cup.  We decide we want to watch it in a place along side Mexicans.  The game ended up being pretty disappointing and we went back to the hotel at half time.  No sense in watching them fall apart!  

Villages Day 8

Today we are going to 3 villages around the city of Oaxaca.  Each one specializes in a certain craft.   Atzompa is famous for green pottery, San Antonio for the fanciful, colorful wooden figures and San Bartolo Coyotepec for black pottery. 

In Atzompa we visit a cooperative where many people from the village bring their work and each has their own little stall.  They are doing road repair in front of the cooperative so it was a little challenge to get there.  We enjoyed talking with the people running the shop.  We did help to support the local economy. 

Rather than going through the city of Oaxaca to get to the next town, we cut across country.  The countryside is beautiful with lots of small, family farms.  Turkeys, goats, lambs, cows.  Perhaps the most surprising was when we got off the dirt road and the driver said we were following the dry riverbed.  Can’t go that way in the rainy season!

We visited one of the many houses in San Antonio making the  alebrijes.  Generally, the men cut, carve, sand the figures and the women paint them.  There is a great variety in size and complexity of the work.  They are breaking out of only painting wood and are painting shoes and purses also.  Again supported the local economy. 

Last stop of the day is San Bartolo Coyotepec.  One woman, Dona Rosa, is famous for reviving the black pottery.  Many famous people have come to see her and honor her work.  She died in 1980 at the age of 79.  There is a picture of her with the Carters.  We were fortunate enough to see a demonstration by her grandson of the typical manner of making the basic pottery.  A little more local support of the economy. 

Since we are going to dinner and a folklore show, we wanted a light lunch to carry us over.  When we got back to the hotel, we walked a block to a little place that specializes in hot chocolate.  Oh, this is heaven.  We had hot chocolate with almonds and ordered croissants filled with apples, black berries, nutella, chocolate, spinach and cheese to dip.  Yummy! 

The women did a bit of shopping before returning to the hotel. 

Ended the day with dinner and a folkdance show at an old convent that is now a hotel.  The buffet was great with 3 different kinds of mole, tacos, soup, beautiful, luscious desserts.   The guitarists and singers that entertained us during dinner were delightful.  The dancing was colorful with dances from all over Oaxaca.

Monte Alban, Culipan, Zaachila Day 7

We augmented the hotel continental breakfast with fresh  fruit that Juan bought yesterday in the market - papaya, little bananas, guava, mango.  Diane contributed some amaranth bars.  Great way to start the day!  The hotel has a delightful patio for eating breakfast. 

 Yesterday, I arranged for a van for us for the next 4 days.  He arrived promptly  this morning and we are all pleased with his friendliness, knowledge of English and the area.   Our first stop is Monte Alban.  The driver is able to get a pass to take a service road up to the museum so Diane and Yo didn’t have to climb the steps.  There is a lift up to the main level of the ruins but the key to it has been lost for years.  The 10 or so steps were not a barrier for us. 

Monte Alban was built in 4 different stages.  The one that is mostly visible and reconstructed is Stage 3 which was from around 500AD to 700AD.   The first part that we visit is the ball court.  It is a bit different than the ball courts  in the Maya region.  This one is smaller, doesn’t have rings  and the top and bottom part of the “I” are  a bit bigger.  

Then to the main plaza.  The vistas are wonderful!  Juan explains the calendar parts of the plaza.  Esther and I climb to the higher portion to enjoy the even better views and see a large plaza and palaces that are hidden from the common folk  of the time who went have been allowed in that area.

 Juan and Yo discover they are long lost brothers.  We knew there was an Indonesia, Maya connection!

A little watermelon juice rejuvenates us all.

The next stop is Culipan.  Not just another church.  This one is designed without a roof.  When the Spanish came to Mexico, the people were accustomed to outdoor religious ceremonies.  At Culipan, the Spanish built a church without a roof to make it more inviting to the native population.

Lunch time!  We stop at a large place that specializes in grilled meats and fresh, home cooked everything.   We watched as they handmade the tortillas.  The aromas!  We enjoyed 2 varieties of fried bananas, great black bean soup, chicharon and various entrees.  Esther said it was the best meal!  (But, I think she says that after each meal)  A siesta would have been welcome but we still have Zaachila to visit.

Every Thursday is market day in Zaachila.  This is not a tourist market but a local market with loads of fruits, vegetables, colorful beans, flowers, medicinal herbs, pulque (the alcoholic drink made from the maguey plant)   We skipped the meat part.  I bought some squares to embroider.  The vendor was a bit surprised that I knew how to embroider and like doing it. 

On the way back to our hotel, we watched storm clouds gathering.  Yikes!  That’s hail coming down!  People take cover and we’re dry in the car.  By the time we get back to the hotel, it has stopped.

Now it is siesta time!  Since we had such a big lunch, no one was interested in dinner.   Good night!