Oaxaca to San Cristobal

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Oaxaca is a smallish city situated well south of Mexico City. It lies in the mountains and is reached by good roads.
The truck stayed in a trailer camp that was only half there. The Oaxaca Trailer Camp situated at the corner of Violetta and Navel Militare, has been half sold to some one who is building a very large building at that corner. Only the men’s bathroom was open and as follows the rule since arriving in Mexico… paper is not flushed down the toilet. Even number two paper is deposited in a basket… (some with plastic liners…many not…) that stands beside the toilet bowl … at times closer to ones face than comfortable.

The place was as usual set up for RV’s so it was dusty and hard ground into which we had to drive our pegs. Dinner was eaten sitting on the concrete dividers between parking spaces. We were restricted to two RV spaces because most business being made here was from providing parking for big busses. The showers worked and were less than warm but were at least wet and cleaned off the day’s dirt. Because it is now warmer ... Hot… the windows of the truck remain open and at the end of the day the colour one has attained is not a tan but a layer of Mexican dust.

Thank goodness for the self inflating sleeping pad… the small stones and at times cement chunks are bearable …. Until one night a sharp one comes thru tarp, tent floor and pierces the inflatable. This could happen anytime because our ‘leader’ does love to bush camp and invariable does not find anything until well after dark. This is his idea of adventure since nothing much else seems to stimulate him … well food for sure, gambling and winning, very likely. Am not yet in the know about his sexual appetite. Will surely discover this before the next seven months have run their course.

After a sleep, that was disturbed by an off key church bell that rang in some strange random order having nothing to do with time and dogs in high numbers, the group scattered to the four corners of the city, each finding their own way to the Centro. I had a basic map and followed the sound of traffic to find a street with a bus. After asking another woman who was waiting for the bus if this was going where I wanted to go I paid my fare and waited until I saw a sign about the cathedral.

Santo Domingo, not the Catheral....I did go to the Cathedral in the Zocolo... it is quite different ... is the main attraction. It is a baroque church gilded in gold leaf and absolutely splendid if you like the baroque style. Got out of the bus when I saw the word cathedral at the side of the street. Asked the bus driver where the cathedral was and then walked in the direction he pointed.

Found a lot of things along the way before I ever got to the Cathedral.

The artisans market had embroidery, leather work, woven belts and mass produced trinkets (from China ..probably…did see china packaging in Mexico City…) on sale. Bought a startlingly yellow dress embroidered in red with green tassels. This will do very well for lounge wear and for power point presentations.

The food market offered stacks of vegetables, exotic fruit and free range chickens that were almost as yellow skinned as my dress. There are special delicacies that have been sited in the information books. Such as fried grasshoppers (tried some…very salty …could be used as a garnish for a salad like anchovies), red worms dried and grounded up to be used in sauces ( same red worm is found in bottles of mescal), mole paste in rojo, negro and mixed used for sauces with meat and vegetables, cheese of the region that is sold in a rolled up ball of stringy cheese the size of a cantaloupe, and a chocolate mixture pressed into round cakes or sold by the kilo bag that started as cacao beans, cinnamon sticks, almonds and course sugar.


The eating market was another gourmet feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. Each family or vendor had a space that included the kitchen, a counter and seat for the patrons. Menus were displayed above the station. Once ordered the food was presented with various salsas and cut up onions and chili peppers. Of course the tortillas were not far behind.

I wandered around and searched out the best that was on offer. When I came to a BBQ smoke filled section of the market I was stopped in my tracks. The place was overflowing with people. All carried a flat woven straw plate with brown paper on it. On the paper lay 2 to 3 onions and the same number of peppers. I watched for a while and in no time I was handed a straw plate. With the plate I went to choose the cut of meat I preferred. The meat and onions and peppers were handed to the BBQer. I sat down and waited…like all the locals. Ensalada in the form of chopped red onions, guacamole, various salad veggies and radishes were offered on small square Styrofoam plates.

The heat was stifling. The atmosphere was phenomenal. The food was delicious. And there was too much of it. Luckily Merrick came along and he helped me finish the meal. Paid separately for the meat -25 pesos, the ensalada - 25 pesos, the water - 8 pesos, the tortillas - 5... Did I forget to mention there were tortillas? Watching the people eat and having the eating experience myself was worth every peso and every drop of sweat that rolled into my tortilla.

At one corner there was a very polished shop… brown smooth wood, impressive doors with brass handles, iced glass with etchings … and the smell emanating was unmistakable chocolate. Was not lured by the chic-ness. Walked further and saw some old presses with an equally old man working the ground cacao sauce down the spout of the grinder. Watched as he incorporated the rough sugar into the runny paste of chocolate cinnamon and almond. This produced 3 kilos of chocolate ready for making a delicious hot cup of chocolate never previously encountered. Hot chocolate will never be the same again. The lady behind the counter prepared a hot cup of chocolate for me and I sat enjoying the cup while watching the world pass by and admiring the logo of the well established choco producing company.

Further wanderings produced a need for a public washroom. Paying 3 pesos for el bano assures some level of cleanliness. This bathroom had a concrete trough with water spouts. Interesting …but no paper towels.

After much shooting of windows in every colour of the rainbow the Santo Domingo was reached and admired. There were many churches in this town that made perfect cool resting places.

Walked to the proper one-way street and caught the bus back to the Trailer Park. Found the laundry and the grocery store with the help of Hills. Ate chicken at a hole in the wall while the laundry washed.

BIG mistake of the day …. Washed my sleeping bag. IT did not dry. According to Pablo it smelled like cat piss. I had to agree. Tried to dry it by holding it up to the window on the way to San Cristobal. That almost worked. When I could not find an Autoservicio Lavanderia, draped the bag over my tent and it did lose most of its smell and it did dry, so can be used again.

On the way to San Cristobal we stopped to take in the height and beauty of the Sorinomo Canyon. Took the 32 km boat ride up the river, stopping often along the way to listen to Spanish explanations and take fantastic shots of the kilometre high cliffs. On the way back the boat sped along at a very fast clip bumping over waves caused by other boats. Because I was sitting at the bottom of the boat (four persons on the one seat was too close for the hot day) I bounced mightily on the last wave and now have a fist sized bruise on my rear end. After a very badly served lunch and some very delicious sweets we made our way to San Cristobal.

Getting to the city was easy. Finding the campground was almost a lost cause. Then by accident the correct street was achieved. We get lost often… two and half hours trying to get out of Mexico City. Once more we set up camp in the dark. We were to stay only one day but because of internet necessities and a humongous drunk on the part of many another day was decided upon. The time of departure was twice changed. Time to see the coffee museum, the jade museum and the museum of life on the streets of San Cristobal.

San Cristobal is another colonial jewel left by the Spaniards. The new part of the city boasts a MacDonald’s, a huge grocery store and cinema featuring Harry Potter.

The classic part of town had cobbled streets and wrought iron bars on windows. All houses were behind high solid walls mostly topped with glass chards embedded in cement. The more affluent had coils of barbed wire. All gates and main doors were so dense there was no peaking inside the courtyards. Only on a few lucky occasions was the main gate left open long enough to display muraled walls, massive pots with tropical plants, tiled verandas and ornate outdoor furniture. These courtyards were in sharp contrast to the cracked cement walks, potholed streets and some derelict buildings that were yearning for a coat of fresh paint.
The entrances to hotels were recessed behind solid doors that gave way again to the open, vibrantly decorated, plant filled and shady courtyards.

The streets off the main square and church were filled with tourists, hotels and restaurants. Very disconcerting. I like being the only visitor. This overcrowding of gringos is going to increase as we get to more popular Central American destinations.

The campground, tucked away past all numbered buildings and named streets was the home of two well constructed “houses” with sash windows and glass doors; two ramshackle concoctions made of recycled material that served as sleeping quarters for those who used the brick outdoor fireplace for cooking and roasting; an array of joined rooms that were for rent by the night and an office and sleeping quarters for employees.

Not to be forgotten are the showers that were just a bit musty and mouldy and the toilets one had to flush using a plastic gallon ice cream container. Water was brought from a big oil drum filled by hose, at the end of the covered walkway. At the disposal of all campers was the row of five cement wash boards with faucets that gave forth cold water. Good thing I had my own clothesline and pegs.

Because of the need for a recovery day, after a colossal drunk up on the part of a majority of the group, we stayed another day in San Cristobel. If considered, the apparent eight days we seem to be behind in the proposed schedule which we have been told to ignore, would equal the number of days of recovery required since the beginning of this trip on May first.

Personally indulged in two drunk ups one more drastic than the other and have vowed not too participate again. All but three of the eighteen remaining members of the group drink every day be it beer or mixed drinks. On hot days or pissed off days even I have a beer. Bought two cases of beer so that I can ask for a beer now and then from Merrick or English Paul.

Had coffee with a family on holiday from the western coast of Mexico, hung up my laundry and arranged my things including my smelly sleeping bag atop my tent to let the sun burn out the stink. The second day in San Cristobal was spent with Hills because now that Sue and the boys had to go home for a family emergency the day before and since she had spent lot of time with them, she seemed at odds and ends.

Never did get to any of the museums but did walk about observing the museum of life; the vegetable market, the refurbished, after 500 years, Santo Domingo Church; a lovely coffee stop and innumerable hawkers of woven belts, scarves, bracelets and purses in all sizes bracelets.

Arrived back to eat the invariable chicken, shower, and sleep in a dry tent. By morning the tent was again sopping wet because of the night mist and had to be wrapped up in that state.

A much easier way was found to exit the city than enter it. Wires and tiles were avoided and we were on our way to Monte Alban. This ruin was a very pleasant surprise because it had not been totally redone like the Sun and Moon Pyramids and the whole complex in Mexico. At Monte Alban one mounds was unearthed while a corresponding mound was left covered in the accumulated earth of two millennia. The huge trees that were probably atop the mound had been removed but the earth and grasses covered the mound just enough to be able to discern the shape and location of the ascending stairs and sharp corners. Each of the Mayan ruins visited presented a different aspect of the civilization. It is to be hoped that one day we will know as much about the ancient Mayan, Aztec and inca civilizations as we do about the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans.

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Comments

[teri]

couple of mistakes
In oaxaca - Santa Domingo is NOT the cathedral - the cathedral is just next to the zocolo - Santa Domingo - which is much more spectacular is about 4 blocks north. You have Santa Domingo and Monte Alban in your San Cristobal section - they are both in Oaxaca. Did you visit Chamula while in San Cristobel - very interesting