Anne and Maddy - Our Travel Adventures: Oaxaca, Mexico - Friday, February 9

Meandering…

Fri 2/10/23: We woke up today in Oaxaca de Juarez, surrounded by mountains, with about a half million people of 16 different ethnicities in its metro area. This morning our guide Leonardo and driver Alejandro took us south to explore the pre-Columbian archeological site of Monte Alban. The mountainous area here has a valley to the east, west and south. This Zapotec and Mixtec city was built on a mountaintop, leveled to a flat top, beginning around 100 BC. We climb up and down, seeing the city's remains from different perspectives. And, once again, we climb in elevation, this time to 6400', a bit shorter than Mexico City's 7350'; we have some difficulty breathing. It would be wonderful to be able to see these ruins as it used to be, a thriving city full of culture and knowledge. We have heard from Murat in Turkey; he and his family are well. He tried to call Orhan today but has not received a reply yet. We're all hoping he's well. And would you believe there's a demonstration here today about a ruling made 20 years ago. Traffic is a mess. After our late lunch, we walked a couple blocks to the square and saw men setting up chairs and microphones. So we stayed to listen to the group and its tall, handsome singer. They were a marimba band with 5 marimba (xylophone) players, a bass guitar, two sax players, three different drummers and the guapo vocalist. After a lovely 'Besame' (Kiss Me), we headed home. As we approached our hotel, we saw another street party with more of a mariachi-type band, Union banners, very tall human-like puppet figures (mojiangas) made of cloth over frames and a street packed with people one block beyond our hotel. What a fun evening. We'll probably be asleep by 2130!

Sat 2/11: This morning Leonardo took us on a tour of several neighborhoods in Oaxaca. At a marketplace, we tried a tortilla with a tasty topping, and Anne enjoyed a champurrado, a drink made with corn, water and chocolate. We also tried a meringue-filled pastry. While we were standing outside a church, we realized a wedding was ending; and a group of people/characters were waiting outside the church. There were two mojiangas (a bride and a groom), two dancing guys on stilts (one dressed as a woman, the other as a man), two colorful Tiliche characters dressed in 'rags', six young women in traditional dress with plant-filled baskets on their heads, a 6-piece band and two large marmotas (white spheres) held up on sticks. When the bride and groom emerged from the church, the music and dancing began. It's a huge celebration just outside the church steps with so much action and everything and everyone is twirling, many drinking mezcal, for about fifteen minutes. Then begins the Calenda procession with everyone mentioned above plus all the wedding guests in the street walking to the town square before the fiesta begins. We walked with these celebrants for a couple blocks. As we neared our hotel, we saw/heard another calenda coming toward us. We watched as the cheerful group passed by. I counted three people with bottles of mezcal filling glasses while they passed us. We know Leonardo didn't plan this excitement just for us, but we were glad we had the chance to experience it. We thanked him for two great days of tours and wished him the best. More parties, all day long! A parade of characters and music came through the square while we had lunch outside, and another wedding came down our street.

Sun 2/12: Today was a free day, so we wandered over to the square to arrange a short trip to Mitla and Hierve el Agua. Mitla (meaning Place of the Dead) is another important Oaxacan archeolohical site, originally of Zapotec culture but later Mixtec culture/religion. It has geometric designs along the walls and freizes, made with polished stone and fitted without mortar. Impressive and found only at this site in Mexico. Thankfully it wasn't destroyed when they built the huge Catholic Church right next to it. Speaking of, it seems two boys made their First Communion today. They and family members were outside the church with two bands, dancing native-dressed women, a marmota, a couple Tiliche and a festive crowd. Next we visited the petrified waterfalls formed thousands of years ago by carbonated water runoff. There are two thermal pools of unusual colors from the spring waters. While having late lunch on the 2nd floor of a hotel overlooking the square, we were enjoying some calm crowds and soothing music and vocalists when the square was again invaded by large parades of the usual characters, bands and dancers from the Bilingual and Intercultural School of Oaxaca. This group had about five bands, a couple marmotas, two mojiangas, many traditionally-dressed marchers; many of the group climbed onto the huge bandstand and continued the party while the more sedate vocalists continued with their program. Oaxaca knows how to party. We've been in our hotel for a couple hours, and we can still hear the activity outside. It's exhausting just watching/listening to them. We're flying to Guadalajara tomorrow afternoon. It's known for tequila and mariachi music...

Friday, February 11, 2023

Morning on M. Alcalá, the pedestrian street where are hotel is located

Morning walk with the moon still out near the Oaxaca Main Square

Main Square of Oaxaca - Zocala (Plaza de la Constitución)

We visited Monte Albán UNESCO site - one of the earliest cities in Mesoamérica and is believed to be one of the major cultural centers of the Zapotecs.