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Published: August 14th 2008
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Teotihaucan
in the middle of Mexico City This the 2 weeks in Mexico...... photos to follow
1st Aug
Mexico City
Tour of Teotihuacan, an ancient civilisation from 150 BC - 650 AD.
At the tourist shop we were shown how the Mexicans use the Maguey (agave) cactus. At 12 years old, they cut out the centre stem. This is used I several ways. A sweet milk is drunk from it, the needle sharp tip is cut off carefully with some fibres still attached, this is used for sewing. They use geranium flowers to dye the fibres. He stem also provides strips of plastic like paper which can be written on. For 3 months a sweet juice is harvested from the new centre of the plant, which is high in vitamins and proteins…(Mexican Viagra). The plant is also used to make soap and shampoo and skin creams.
We were also shown samples of the local stones, which they make jewellery and ornaments from.
We climbed the two sun and moon pyramids. The city was quite a big place. Told loads of myths and legends…..
The we went to the church of the Virgin of Guadeloupe!? (never heard of her) Apparently the most visited church after the Vatican .
Teotihaucan
Skeletons.... the lovers 31-1st Puebla, pretty colonial city of 1.9 million. Hundreds of churches. Nice café lined square.
2nd Oaxaca. Lively colonial city. Lovely squares, galleries, craft markets and a huge bustling indoor market where all sorts were sold including worms, crickets, unrecognisable fruit and vegetables, fish, meat, local drinks and strange cooking ingredients… we saw a little girl clutching a paper bag which seemed to be emitting a chirping noise……..we later found this to be a tiny fluffy chick!? There were boxes and boxes of them, all dyed different bright colours…. A novelty pet…. for a day or two maybe ! )-: (would be nice to think they make it to chickenhood )
3rd Oaxaca. Day trip to Le Tule to see the Cypress tree with the largest trunk in the world (58m circumference). Then on to a traditional weavers where we saw the different natural dyes they use, carding, spinning and the loom. They can get 126 various colours from the Indigo plant and the cochineal beetles used. .Next, on to Mitla to the Zepotec ruins (about 1200AD, before the Aztecs) built with no mortar carefully cut stones interlocked to withstand earthquakes. Finally to a small Mezcal factory….. (The best
thing the Agave (marguey) cactus is used for) and some tastings…Bought a couple of bottle of the creamy mix ones, Mocha and Coconut …
Mezcal is local to the region and uses the ??? (sword) Agave. Tequila is made from the blue ??? variety.
We were shown the process: They cut of the cactus leaves so they have a huge pineapple, this
is cooked for a few days in a kiln (covered with soil), then it’s cut up (at this strange it is also eaten like sugarcane, but tastes like charred, barbequed pineapple) then pulped by horse driven grinding wheel. It’s then fermented for a week or so over heat, the steam is cooled and the condensed liquid is done!… about 38%
4th Visit Monte Alban, (Kev decided he likes Mexico now!) Beautiful Zapotec capital (500BC-1000AD) high on a hill surrounded by valleys and the mountain ranges of Sierra Madre del Sur and Sierra Madre de Oaxaca beyond. Fascinating place… many stone carvings, mostly depicting male genital mutilation, castration and collecting the resulting blood for rituals!
Night bus to San Cristobal, standing at 2110m high in a mountain valley in the beautiful but poor state of Chiapas (mountains and
jungle lowlands) with just 130miles separating the Atlantic and Pacific at the narrowest bit.
5th Visit 2 villages near san Cristobal, each quite different. The people still wear traditional dress….colourful blouses but skirts that look like dog blankets… wrapped around with several folds at the front held up with a thick wool sash/belt…. not very flattering. Guys wear hairy black tunics. Elders wear colourful outfits with ribbons on their hats (for the number of children they have)
We visited a normal household where we were shown weaving and had some almond hooch stuff and tortillas with avocado, hot salsa and crushed pumpkin seeds….. They were yummy….. But the kitchen wasn’t up to much. It was a wooden shed separate from the house (itself just a single room!), with a few pots and pans, a clay oven and an open fire with no chimney, which was where the tortillas were made. (The lady sat on the floor with a bowl of dough and a wooden press ) The tin roof was black and greasy… as were our clothes after the visit.
6th. River trip to Sumidero canyon. Beautiful scenery through 1000m high canyon. Saw a crocodile (about 2 metres long) ,
spider monkeys, pelicans and herons. Passed under a lovely waterfall.
7th. Day travel to Palenque. Very twisty roads through the mountains to the jungle where there are some more impressive ruins. It’s rainy season, so everything is very lush. The hotels (huts!) around the jungle entrance are groovy bohemian hang-outs … loads of live music and fire dancing. Also cooled off in a couple of waterfalls (the one where Arnie fought the predator!!) Walking back from the ruins we saw a toucan and a couple of macaws. We stayed in a little cabana (straw roofed hut) and listened to howler monkeys most of the night…. Sounded like a very large jaguar right outside the door.
9th. Bus to Merida. 9 hours travel. Hotel is a very weird place, it doubles as an art (loose term) gallery. The building is a converted car showroom. The rooms are boiling hot, like a sauna, sleeping is difficult.
10th Bought a couple of hammocks.. Hope we get to use them. More ruins…. Tonina, and swimming in three different of cenotes (waterholes) very nice…. Large bats in one cavern, some fish including cat fish.
11th Chichen Itza. Unbearably hot day. Late Mayan city dating from
432BC and taken over by the Toltecs in the 10th century. Beautiful and a vast site. The ball court was fascinating…. Stone carvings around the court show the clothing and protective equipment worn, and the captain of the winning side being decapitated for the gods… a great honour!
12th Playa del Carmen. Hot and expensive… but beautiful azure sea.
13th. Ferry to Cozemel for a snorkelling trip. Lots of fish… lots of other boats and snorkel groups. Reef only a 100 or so metres from the shore. Entertained by a band on the ferry, playing Santana stuff. I’m a tad uncomfortable tonight writing this, didn’t apply the sunscreen for snorkelling and burnt my arse!
A couple more days here then on to Belize with a new bunch of travelling companions, hopefully no geeks, (we will have to break them in).
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Ben
non-member comment
Sounds good
Sounds good so far guys. Keep up the blogs! I'm heading to Mexico on the 8th of August, I'm booking into a Spanish school for two weeks then I'm heading out on a trip for 46 days through central America (which sounds like yours!!!). cheers, Ben