Oaxaca

---

Traveling down the road highway mex180 to Oaxaca with an unkown destination for the night. The roads surface is good by high mountain passes with winding roads makes a challenge with a big rig. The scenery was to die for , a little scary looking over the edge. First toll at Chiapas 100 pesos, 2nd toll 54,3rd toll 146. As we dropped elevation of 6600 feet more tolls 49 pesos then 117 pesos. Driving through fields of agauvi and many muskil processing plants . Day light was still in our favor as we discouvered our propane regulator had broke loose from all the rough roads.But this is Mexico and as usual in a small town just at sun down do we not find a small road side shop that had a flare tool and a piece of copper pipe. 1 Hour later and a cost of 50 pesos ( we gave him 150) we were on the road again with no idea of how far it would be to find a place to stop for the night. By 8 oclock we found a pemmex station and the guard allowed us to park for the night.

Another short drive 80 Kms bright and early the next morning we found our RV Park. Qiete and moderate services a nice place to be close to get around. Oaxca Campsite. Headed of the next mornig to a beautiful must see Hierve e Agua. (water boils) is set of natural rock formations in the Mexicacan state of Oaxaca that resemble cascades of water. The site is located past Mitila in the municipality of San lorenzo Albarrada, with a narrow, winding unpaved road leading to the site. The site consists of shelves or cliffs which rise between fifty and ninety meters from the valley below,, from which nearly white rock formations are created by fresh water springs, whose water is over saturated with calcium carbonate and other minerals. As the water scurries over the cliffs, the excess minerals are deposited, much in the same manner that stalactilites are formed in caves.

After that beautiful morning we went for a traditional Mexican lunch.

Then off to the Teotitlan dyeing and weaving in del Valle . Famous for women making hand crafted clothes and rugs for generations. The art of dyeing from Marigold seeds, parisites from cactus bark etc. Still today the products are exported all over the world.





Then of coarse last stop the mescal factory.....great way to end the day.

Today we visited the Monte Alban ruins in Santa Cruz Oaxaca. The partially excavated civic ceremonial center of the Monte Alban site is situated atop an artificially levelled ridge with an elevation of 2000 M 6400 feet. The site is characterized by several hundred artificial terraces, and a dozen clusters of mounded architecture covering the ridgeline and surrounding flanks.

Besides being one of the earliest cities of Mesoamerica, Monte Albans importance stems also from its role as pre-eminent Zapotec socio political and economic center for close to 1000 years. Found approx 500 BC and vacated 960 AD.

We next went to Arazoila where the house of wood is. Crafting wood products from solid wood with hand tools they are very famous for the quality.

And last to San Bartol Coyote to The Black pottery house. Again all made by one family and all by hand.

The last amazing event Arbol del Tule 9The tree of Tule) located in the church grounds in the Town of Santa Maria Del in the state of Oaxaca on the Road to Mitla. It is a Montezuma cypress. It has the stoutest trunk of any tree in the world.

The trunk has a circumference of 137.8 feet. The age is unknown but estimates are 1200 -3000 years. It is a heritage site and the widest tree in the world.

---