http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from North America , Mexico , Oaxaca , Oaxaca en-us Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:22:28 UTC Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:22:28 UTC A five hour drive turned into a ten hour drive due to military check points and some upset workers who were drinking beers while blocking off the highway for three hours brings us to Oaxaca. Oaxaca's a sweet city big city feel without the big city pains. There are a lot of artists and students here so there's a great vibe when you're walking around. It also happened to be a particular holiday http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-350470.html Okoli Oaxacy je porostle agave zejmena pak mezcalovych druhem po mexicku zvanem maguei. Z tohoto druhu agave se dela v Mexiku a po celem svete proslaveny agavovy spiritus mezcal. Proces vyroby je jasny. Rostlina musi nejdrive 78 let rust a uzravat pak ji useknou a postupne zpracuji. Na mezcal se pouziva srdce rostliny ktere se nejdrive ocadi v podzemni peci zasypane hlinou pote se necha http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-348575.html Brzke rano nabizi poblanos neskutecny vyhled na Popo. S nadmorskou vyskou je Popo zahalen do ruznych odstinu bile a majestatne dominuje nad krajem. Kdyby Puebla a Cholula a Mexico City a dalsi mesta mela tyto krasavce jen na ozdobu nemelo by to chybu. Ovsem pritomnost vulkanu naznacuje ze se nachazime ve vulkanicky aktivni oblasti a proto bacha na vec Popo az tak nezlobi ale zazlobit muze...Ho http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-348551.html HolaA quick update on my adventures in Latin AmericaAs hinted at in my previous entry I managed to get out of La Paz for a days mountain biking last week which was headed up by the very likeable Miguel of 'Baja Challenge'. Five of us cycled through some beautiful scenery in La Sierra de Laguna just south of La Paz seeing Santiago on the way and finishing up at a beautiful natural pool with a http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-347255.html So there I was deep in thought about deep listening. Thinking hard about how important it is to just listen to people and let them talk without throwing in your own experiences or ideas when up walked one of my students to ask if I wanted to play snakes and ladders. Well does one really have to ask Of course I want to play snakes and ladders Only it turns out we didnrsquot play snakes and http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-346334.html I only had 2 days in Oaxaca which made the morning lost in locating my day bag left somewhere the night before and the hostels padlock that had gone awol. Having found the bag and bought a replacement padlock I spent the remainder of the day visiting the ruins of Monte Alban. Like Teotihuacan not that much is known about it but it's glory days were between AD 450 and AD 600. It sits 400m up a st http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/Monte-Albon/blog-346291.html 41108 Arrived on the overnight bus from Mex City with a cricked neck at around 6am. This first class bus that cost 18 quid for around 8 hours of travel. Very comfortable with fully reclining seats except there was an annoying courting couple behind me UK Guy This may sound a bit sad but I like to work out at they gym US Girl I know a cheaper way of working out who didn't get the h http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-345799.html So the last few days in Chicago were great Luke did some shopping and we went with my Auntie Hazel to the huge Museum of science and Industry and went on a massive bike ride through the countryside to Brookfield Zoo One night we went bowling with everyone I was embarrassed that my score was about 38 everyone elses was over 90 due to me missing all the skittles most of the time oh but more http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-344467.html Hola amigos...my plane finally arrived and i am now in mexico...mexico like all the other countries so far is proving to be wonderful...and quite a bit hotter than the south..hurrahstarted off in mexico city...which really is quite big....when up a tower to look at the whole city so i am able to confirm that it is in fact massive...the day i arrived was the day of the dead here which is a fest http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-342392.html First of all I should say sorry for hitting you all with a very sad poem and then not writing for a few days. Yes the poem is true I did lose a student over the weekend to a car accident and it was quite a shock after so many days of celebration. But this blog is not about that and I have been promising to tell all about Muertos in Oaxaca and here it is.Los Dias de los Muertos or Muertos for sh http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-342380.html I soon realized that no journey carries one far unless as it extends into the world around us it goes an equal distance into the world within. Lillian Smith It really should have come to me as no surprise that it is only now a year plus into my journey in a nonEnglish speaking country soon to arrive in Peru lost camera broken laptop spring cleaning my own bag to minimise my possesions http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-341372.html I canrsquot remember his face.My class still looks the same but something is missing.A chair stands empty a school bin of notebooks untouched since three days.A place mat turned upside down whispers the name of its owner but he isnrsquot there.ldquoA car accidentrdquo they tell me and my head starts to swim.Memories rush into my eyes and ears slipping tires and the slow silence before a http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-341342.html 700 am and the alarm rings but Irsquove been awake for thirteen minutes. Itrsquos 500 am in BC October 21st. I wonder if the fog is hanging over Victoria dulling all sound. Only the distant horns of the ships can be heard calling to each other as they slowly trace their routes. 704 and the snooze is going off again then again at 708. The house is quiet but my room is slowly filling with http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-339509.html I am going to tell you the story about the time I tried to explain how maple syrup is extracted from a sugar maple tree in Spanish. It took place many days ago I think ten or twelve to be exact. It was the evening I gave my home stay mum and dad some gifts from the great white north. They were the typical assortment of smoked salmon some ferry and double decker bus pens a bear bell with the 20 http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-339492.html We arrived on the red eye from a Vancouver autumn getting colder and darker by the hour and step into the hot dry desert air of Oaxaca City. The baggage claim and customs area at the Oaxacan International Airport is the same size as the departure lounge and check in area of the Tuktoyuktuk City Airport. Think small so small that we have to move in an S like formation. Pick up bags go left get http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-339490.html Right so it has been over a week since yoursquove heard anything from me. It has been a week of frustrations and struggles and epiphanies. In short it has been a typical hump week. Thatrsquos right this week was the middle of my time here in Oaxaca and being in the middle I was in a funk. The purpose of this trip was to experience teaching in a new culture with a new language to challenge http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-339484.html Oaxaca Another lovely Colonial town We arrived late in the evening and rushed straight to the city square to get a quick orientation and some dinner. The town square was filled with people and music and of course the swarm of people trying to sell us their arts and crafts. As we headed back to our hotel we noticed a procession coming down the street. It was from the Cathedral fireworks http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-337802.html Wow. I mean seriously wow. This week just gone I was amazed at how different a place like Oaxaca is in comparison to the rest of Mexico. The place was a whole new side of Mexico you could almost have been in another country the language style was different the people were different the whole vibe and I loved every minute To begin at the beginning...Wednesday afternoon at around 2pm we hoped http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-337438.html The pavement jumps up to greet my startled toes my body falters ever so slightly and my lips whisper lsquoaiiiiirsquo. Old cable anchors and telephone pole stumps create extra obstacles forcing my eyes to stay trained on the slim sidewalk in front of me. Here in Oaxaca walking is not only common but is treated as a mixture of sport and art. Oaxacan Sidewalk Walking the new Olympic trial s http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-336726.html Grade 3 Montessori School Oaxaca Oaxaca MexicoItrsquos 1230pm and wersquove all been here since 8am four and a half hours with one and a half left to go. Recorder music drifts through the open door one of the students is practicing her mad recorder skills on the step outside. A few minutes ago she came up and asked me my name in English and in Spanish. She already knew my name so I thin http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-336305.html I have found myself with some extra time due to a disagreement with my stomach and I have decided now that I am able to come out of the foetal position to fill you all in on the past few days. There is a lot to tell.Well more then a week seems to have gone by in the little town of Oaxaca. Tuesday morning we all met up in the north end of the city to attend a workshop with one of the secondary s http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-334332.html It was an interesting weekend one that included our first day off since wersquove been here. Saturday morning we arose extra early in order to head out to the pueblo of Teotitlan. After meeting at Omarrsquos school we climbed into our lsquocochasrsquo and headed for the mountains. It was an overcast morning but warm and we had the windows down with the radio blaring old Cranberries tunes. http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-331672.html It doesnrsquot feel like only a couple of days since I posted it feels more like a week or two So much to see and do and experience and take in. Monday we started our Spanish classes and they are amazingly intensive. No English is spoken and we have gone on trips to markets and a pueblo that we will be working in.I have noticed in the last few days that learning a new language requires a cer http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-330600.html Today we all got up bright and early even though it was Domingo Sunday and headed off to our first ruins. My Mexican mother stuffed me with food once again fresh fruit pan sweet bread cereal frosted flakes this time mango juice and a fresh Oaxacan cheese and avocado tortilla. How does one explain in Spanish that a big breakfast to me is yogurt and granola I met up with Christina and Ch http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/Monte-Albon/blog-328805.html Yo quiero mi familia host Nada I love my host family They are so patient with me and I am really enjoying attempting to have conversations with them while they are enjoying all my Franglais Spanish. Tonight I gave them a few things from Canada the obligatory maple syrup and smoked salmon which we are having for comida tomorrow a 2010 Olympics bear bell BC ferries pen that has a doubledeck http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-328385.html Our trip to Oaxaca was better than the bus ride we even arrived an hour early. So instead of staring blankly at at arrivals at 6am under flourescent light we decided to hoof it to our unbooked hostel. My first thought was i packed to much and my second thought was exactly the same. The fresh air was welcome and the views of the mountain beautiful as the sun broke over the top. In Australia they sa http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-327155.html Another eleven hours this time on a luxury bus and I arrived in Oaxaca. I booked myself into a nice wee hostal and went about finding Steph and her mates. Again I could see straight away that Oaxaca was a beautiful colonial city with landmarks parks and churches everywhere. My first day was spent walking around the town taking in the sites and we ended up in some little bar called La Costumbr http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-326299.html Good daymorningBrad and I are hanging out in the hotel lobby getting a late start to the day. We had a very long 700 plus km ride yesterday. That isn't anything to long but with 6 toll booths winding high mountains rock avalanches fuel stations and a intense ride through Mexico city we are a little tardy getting on the road this morning.We really had a cross section of Mexico today. From http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-324629.html Well we arrived on 16th August 2008 in Mexico City. Never seen such a long queue for a taxi or driven with such a crazy driver. Mexico City seemed fine. We met up with Tony and Trish for some tequila. We visited the amazing ruins of the Aztec pyramids and managed to see some local dancing on one of them. We then caught a coach to Oaxaca which was fantastic see photos and we chilled in the zocal http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-318396.html