On the way to the beach....

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I finally decided that I had to get out of the city and go to the beach. Left on monday instead of sunday and spend the better part of two days on the bus. Had originally planned to leave sunday and spend a day in cordoba then go to oaxaca and then to puerto escondido but felt really tired on Sunday, and in a sad mood, so did not leave and to make the connection i had to take the bus trip back to Puebla to make the connection to Oaxaca - thankfully I slept on the second part of the bus trip. South out of Puebla to Oaxaca it remains dry, actually get real tall thin cactuses (some with white fuzz from 4-12 feet tall) and other cactuses that have a single stem and then multiple long stems at the top like a tree. The trees have mainly all dropped their leaves. Get some amazing mountains.

That part of the journey was to take about 5 hours but took over 8 due to the taxi strike in Oaxaca. About 80 km north of the city, a security guy boarded the bus and made an announcement which i did not understand, and we and the bus behind us left the autopista and headed to this small town Nochixtlan where the small station was already full of buses and people milling around. We were to be there at least a half an hour until 5. I did not quite understand whay - something about a strike - and flet very perplaxed and losts - but then finally found someone to ask (here there were more gringas) and there was a 24 hour taxi strike in Oaxaca and the taxistas had blocked off the city and some of the highway. A couple buses were sent back to mexico city. We waited and waited, people milling about, some of the women from the town then selling tortas (sandwiches) and tortillas outside the station, more buses coming in, heard that the road was a bit open but that they still were not letting in buses arounf 6:15. Around this time I connected with 3 guys off another bus - one fron india, one fron the us and 1 from the uk, and chatted - at about 7 the buses bagan to depart - they had said that they were going to consolidate them but instead we ledt in convoy - about 15 or so buses all leaving - a line to get on the highway which had been closed and some taxis parked blocking it. Got to Oaxaca and roads were dead - an annountcement that we could not get to the main station - roads blocked so buses going through outside neighbourhood with grafitti and broken cars on dirt roads then ended up on crowded major street above the town and went into a second class terminal that was off my map. All people poured out and was chaos. I panicked - had no idea where I was, where i wsa staying that night (was now almost 9 pm) and of course there were no cabs into town. A bunch of backpackers were heading in one direction, by where taxis were parked in intersection, and I saw the three guys I had met while waiting, and asked if i could join them - they had told me that they were going to a hostel where they had a free night from the one they had stayed in in Mexico city. The guy from india (who is a race walker) started walking and we began to follow down fairly empty street (afterall traffic was blocked) - he had found out the zocallo (centre of town) was down that way a couple of km - they had left their bag in Mexico city and I could not keep up with the race walking (half running) with my sack so one of the guys carried it. after about 30 minutes we got to the centre of town where more taxis were blocking the centre and found that we were on the road we were looking for. Did not look at numbers so walked past hostel and had to turn around at which point we saw backpackers en masse (well about 20 or so) walking up the street from where we had come (may have gotten bus or truck of something). Hostel not too great - had passed a nicer one but was not going to split afterall they had really helped me - and stayed the night. Town centre was very quite - convience store passed out good through bars but still felt ok.

On the way into town that night realizing how late we would get in, I though about just takinga bus through the night to Puerto Escondido where I was headed - but as i said, we did not go into main terminal (and as I found out - no buses left from that terminal either that night). The next morning after not having really slept and not having eaten anything the previous day except bus food (these vitamin enhanced cereal bars, yogurt drinks and juice) i headed out to look at the zocallo and find the second class bus station for the "fast" bus to the coast. I had heard that there was to be a marcha and saw the riot police dressed in black setting up with their riot shields, helmets, and batons heading out in groups and gathered on most every corner near the zocallo, and trucks of police coming in and some with snarling german shepards on leash and got a bit freaked out. Still restos were setting out their tables on the square so I had a coffee, found out the march was starting at 9 (it was almost 8) and decided i was getting out of the centre quickly. I think it was a national day of protest by teachers or something. A Ticketbus office had just opened and I bought a first class ticket to here (it takes the long way - 11 hours) grabbed my gear and took a taxi (the 24 hour strike had ended and they were back) to the station. Leaving town was passed some marchers setting up - normal people, seemed peaceful, like a peace march withoutthe radicals, streets were being shut down to centre though,

THe drive out wwsa very long - second class take a worse road but only about 7 hours - our road was very winding - some beautiful brown mountains, clear sky, cacti in places, empty landscape - no villages etc though the mountains - one girl got sick - a gringa bus again - almost all tourists and emptier that what was booked. Ride peaceful, not stops for military checks (though they were stopping people heading onto the city), but very long - landscape brown and I got sad feeling alone and wondering what I am doing here. One tie up in small town where march was winding down.

Got here - don't like hostel - no lockers - very young crowd. Had breakfast with two women I met on the bus who were changing hotels too, wanting to be around more tourists and I am. Write more about this place later.

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