Not Ruined but more ruins

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Got to Oaxaca Sunday morning early after an overnight bus ride. Much easier getting into town this time - no strikes or marches or being a Sunday morning, traffic. Got in about 8 due to the time change here - sprung forward and walked the quiet streets from the proper bus station to the zocallo and then to my hostel where I was able to check in early and take a much needed hot shower with some water pressure. Sunday walked around - visited churches - was palm sunday so people were selling palms and crosses of palms and braided like palms with attached crosses of straw - bought one - outside the churches and most women were carrying these items into the churches and in town - missed a procession that took place at 6am but went to the cathedral, the incredible church of santo domingo and a few others. Hungry so ate overpriced meal on the zocallo watching people and listening to the horn section of the symphony that was playing. Took a nap and walked around and visited contemporary art museum - loved a very strange looking andy wharhol dog from his last years - talked to the security guy - he didn´t like it at all. Got in just before the skies opened up with rain and lightening.

Yesterday went up to Monte Alban, the huge zapotec site on the hill above Oaxaca which flourished from about 500 bc to 800 ad - the major site of this area. The site gives fantastic views of the valley, and what was most interesting was that heavy clouds encircled the mountains around the valley, but above was a huge circle of clear blue sky (and very strong sun). Given that we are at the end of the dry season, there are few leaves on trees, and most is brown. The site has a major plaza with pyramid like structures on both sides and huge platforms at both ends and you can see evidence of the 4 phases of its existance. For more info you can go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Alb%C3%A1n
or http://www.mines.edu/fs_home/jsneed/courses/LISS.380-83/LISS.381/resources/sites/monte_alban/index.shtml.
It was a very open area and the few large trees with shade were indicated on the site maps. I find I feel better when my mind is occupied. On the tourist bus down I met a woman from France who is living in Mexico so had lunch with her in town at a cheap local but good resto, and then went to use the internet. After that was feeling down but then on the way back to the hostel I ran into Peter from Fort Erie who I had met in Merida and had not seen since. Had a beer with him and decided that I would go on a tour with him the next day and we hung out for a bit.

Today we went on an all day tour to see a huge tree, a weaving village, a place where they make mezcal and 2 ruins. First we went to Santa Maria de Tule to see the arbol el Tule - a huge cypress beteen 2000-3000 years old which is said to be one of the oldest living things on earth. While not that tall is wide - about 58 metres in circumference and had many interesting shapes. Is stands in the courtyard to the church which it towers over and is now being kept alive through underground irrigation (it was sufferering a water shortage for several years.) Then we went to another village where they make carpets and learned how they cleaned, spinned and dyed the wool using natural dyes including one made from an insect that lives on a certain variety of prickly pear and depending on the acids or bases you add to it produced many shades from oranges to purples and how they made the carpets - many which are works of art.

From then it was on to Mitla a smaller site that arose after the decline on Monte Alban, and which as the guide stated was devoted to building great buildings for the people and rulers rather than for the gods - the post classic period was more a time of war. The buildings were beautiful with inlaid geometric mosiacs and what is amazing is that they are earthquake proof with no mortar or other building elements. The site was occupied until the spanish came and a church sits on top of the part of the palaces and the village is still a zapotec village.

Then we went to one of the many places where they produce mescal a tequila like beverage from a different types of maguay or agave plants (also the centre is roasted in a covered pit for 3 days before being fermented). Interesting but dont really like the taste - though the roasted plant tastes great - very sweet . After lunch there we went to the last sight of Yagul, which represents the period just after the decline of Monte Alban but before Mitla - it lies upon a hill and has a high fortress that provided excellent views of the valleys - it had one pyramid base, but was less of a religious centre than a residential one. There was a wierd feel to the place.

Much lightening so will publish this now in case power goes out.

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