January 8
Today alter the second night in our cozy apartment, we wake to brilliant sunshine, as usual, made a breakfast of bacon, pancakes, papaya and melon and as much coffee as we wanted without paying $1 per cup, speaking Spanish and begging for more syrup!!! Having our own place for a week or so gives us a much hended rest from dealing with daily unknowns.
We hopped on our unloaded bike and spun out of town. About 10 miles out of town we saw a group of six road bikers in formation and we worked to match ehem and rolled up to the rear of the group and joined them for about 30 kn. We are pretty strong alter all our riding – keeping a steady pace of 28-35 km (18 – 24 mph) along the valley toward Mitla.
| Tlaolula Market (top)
Alex Martinez - weaver from the Valle de Teotitlan (bottom) |
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We dropped off at the market town of Tlaolula. It was only a few blocks until we saw the market: blocks and blocks of tarp-covered stalls lined the streets. We pushed the bike; shopping for everything from pecans to painted gourd bowls and a pasta strainer. Oaxaca is known for the large number of pueblos that practice and sell tradicional crafts specific to each pueble. For examples: black pottery in San Bartolo Coyotepec, cotton weavers in Mitla, colorfully painted wooden creatures from Aráosla. Judee vibrated – wanting to buy one of everything!
On the road back to Oaxaca, we rode into the valley of Teotilan and stoppped at the home of a Zapotec weaver. Lucky for us he spoke English and was able to explain how his family for seven generations have carried on the weaving traditions of the Zapoecs from 100's of years ago. The whole family is envolved: collecting the natural materials to prepare the dyes, spinning the wools and mojair in a variety of thicknesses. Certain members of the family did the actual weaving, leaving the most fine and intricate work to his father, sister and himself, Alex Martinez. Alex explained the meanings of the different symbols used in the various rugs. We were enchanted! We own a few Zapotec rugs we have purchased in the US, but these were much finer and now we understood the designs – so of course, we bought another, one that Nancy Martinez.
As we continued homeward, we passed Santa Maria el Tule, home to a 2000 year-old tree, 129 ft in circumference. Amazing sight. Here we met 2 young people riding bikes south – the woman started 6 months ago in Canada! I (Judee) have been complainning that we are taking the bus too often – that we missed wonderful opportunities and sights between Mexico City and Oaxaca. Here were two 20-year-olds who bus many of the areas we biked because they thought they were too difficult (ie: south of Puerta Vallarta). The kids also were staying in hotels, too. SOOOO – I guess we aren't wimps after all!
January 9
Judee’s first day in Spanish classes …like a fish to water she started to bubble new words and phrases. I wandered around town, got change at the bank, read my book in the jardin, wrote to family and friends on the Internet, checked out a great bicycle shop – who ordered us Mexico riding jerseys! Ran into Alex Gloger on the street and we made a date for a hike on Friday while Judee attends her last day of class.
Note – new learning experience at the “super mercado” you can not take for granted that the ítems you pick off the shelf are in the right place as marked on the shelf below. On two occassions we chose wine, only to find out upon our return to the apartment that the price was not $6.80 but $9.99 and another was not $7.70 but $21.70. No Gonder our grocery bills seemed high! We returned the wine and got another one!
As I scribble this note Judee is studing Spanish next to me while we have a late afternoon beer and peanuts. Life is good!
January 11
Clear and beautiful as I set in the Zocolo doing my people watching and trying to match a few good people pictures. This Zocolo is extremely busy today – lots of polic present in full riot gear with tear gas, guns and grenades, full shields and bullet proof vests and helmets. Quite a sight for 10:30am.
Oaxaca people |
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In my wandering, I finally found the market which serves food. Two days ago we were starving as we walked all around it but could not find it. Lots of stalls with yummy smells….we will eat there maybe tomorrow after class.
Tonight we have a dinner date with a couple from Judee’s class. He is a profesor at Texas U out of Austin and they want to know more about our trip.
Note: the pigeons own-rule the Zocolo, basking on the fountains, begging for food, brazen enough to peck my toes for not paying them their due! These guys are huge and have a comanding presence: they puff up, strutt and gurgle to get the females attention. No squirrels in the Zocolo, but lots of doves, sparrows, and pigeons. All the walkers are out lined with hundreds of red poinsettas, all in this joyous, noisy place.
January 15
Spanish classes are over. Many new aqunitances have been made and friendships sealed over dinner, a music program in the Zocolo, on a local market expedition. It is a good feeling to meet and greet people we know. It feels a lot like “home”.
Now that there are no more classroom obligations, we can spend whole days riding our bike (unloaded) to all the interesting places located around Oaxaca. Most of the destinations are to the various villages known for specific crafts. The ítems are often lovely and I want to buy things. Silly, since we really don’t plan to be home for 3 to 5 years and not even sure we want a house then. But I still want STUFF!
Our ride yesterday took us out to several craft centered pueblos and on the way back we followed a dirt road about 12 km and at the half way point we ran into a pueblo with the most amazingly gorgeous 17th century church, Templo de Santa Ana Zegarde, in the process of restoration. The colors were vibrant golds, brilliant blues, pinks, corals, etc. with deep reliefs of flowers festooning the front entrance. The interior had a large main altar with at least eight side altars, all extremely elaborate and guilded. A painter, Rodolfo Morales, was the benefactor for the restoration and numerous other projects for his birth town, including a computer center for the residents and students. He died in 2001 , but his foundation continues to find projects, such as the new jardin-zocolo in the town center on with the church on one side. Lorie was telling us of another incredible huge, new art center and jardin being constructed north of Oaxaca. The generosity of patrons is a major factor contributing to the cultural vitality of the city, making Oaxaca a very inviting and livable place.
Today we slept late, ate well and ventured out on our bike. We shopped a bit, and then got not further than the Zocolor for lunch in one of the sidewalk cafes and a free concert by the city band. We ventured a few more blocks to visit the home of Benito Juarez, where a young couple offered towmatch our bike while we went inside. Upon returning outside, a festival seemed to be starting in the churchyard across the street…band, dancers dressed in elaborate feathered headdresses reminiscent of Aztec priests, leaped and twisted about in highly energetic movements. We watched as a family constructed the bamboo stucture for the fireworks display tonight and another group of men prepared the processional pallette that will carry the Saint being honores out of the church and around the town center on the shoulders of 6-8 bearers. Bird of Paradise and other exotic flowers mixed with the heady aroma of litllies were used in flower arrangemsnt tic on the pallette, on the alter, above the doorways, and encircling the columns.
All of this activity required feeding of the workers, the congregation, and visitors – so we were ushered into the church hall and fed!! Sitting at long tables we were fed a first tours of vegetable/pasta soup, accompanied by beverage, including Mexcal, then two huge pieces of chicken each in the best mole, yellow with a taste of peanuts, too. Rice and tortillas accompanied this. We sat with our friends, Lorie and Alex, a Seattle couple living here for 3 months, waiting for dessert, but alas, it must be served later tonight when the festivities continue.
Home we went, to read, play cards and rest up for another big day tomorrow. We have friends comino for an American style pasta dinner. Just like home!
January 17
Today we decided to take the bus – the distance was a bit much – to see Mitla, the pyramid ruins of the Zapoteca indians that were prominent after Monte Alban declined: 1200 until the Spaniards came in 1500. The mosaic relief brick work and carvings were astounding. We saw where the rug motifs of the Mitla key and the Zapotec diamond came from. I purchased a piece of linen like tose I saw being made on huge looms that shot the shuttle back and forth by a pull string. The weft was pulled by hand by the weavers who stood using their stong arms to manuver. All the weavers of these linens were men.
Several days ago we visited another pueblo where all the weavers were women using strip looms that were attached to the waists and suspended from a stationary place Duch as a tree or roof joist.
Art & I are now sitting side-by-side as I type our journal notes into the computer and Art is sizing and selecting photos to send to Gary for our web site. We have been told by a number of web site watchers that we have a lot of mistakes and the form is cumbersome. As I type, I match the Spanish machina “correct” my spelling, add a few new punctuation type marks, etc. I can not use spell check, so please forgive the sloppy writing. We find we need to put down what we are doing—this is the only journal we have—forgive us for rambling!!
To
after oaxaca
