The bus arrived early evening and we checked in to La Venta, a pretty basic business style hotel chosen for its location …
… rather than its view!
After a good lunch, we weren’t feeling that hungry but wanted to stretch our legs, so ventured out, with care as the hotel is on a busy road. We ended up at a food court and beer garden Mexican style, and had a couple of beers each and some guacamole before calling it a night.
Villahermosa is the state capital of Tabasco and also the easiest airport to fly back to Mexico City, and we could have just stayed the night and flown out, but there is something we wanted to see.
Just across the road from our hotel is the Parque Museo La Venta, an open-air museum in a jungle setting featuring major Olmec sculptures, including massive colossal heads and altars rescued from the nearby La Venta Archaelogical site.
The Olmecs were the first major, complex civilization in Mesoamerica, earlier than everything else we’ve seen. La Venta was their most important centre, began in 1750BC and at its zenith 900BC to 400BC with a population of some 18,000 people. It was built with a planned architectural outline centred around an impressive clay pyramid around 130m across and 31m high and was discovered by Frans Blom in 1925 and excavated through the 1940s. In the 1950s Mexico prioritised oil development and state owned Pemex built a petrochemical complex very close to the centre of the site destroying much of the remains and the most significant pieces were moved here.
Despite being by a main road, it was like an oasis, with few visitors and green and shady which was lucky as it reached 32° today. Since it opened, the first part has been a zoo showcasing animals from Tabasco, and the monkeys seemed free to roam as did these cute creatures called coatis.
The smaller creatures were ok …
… but I would prefer them not to have jaguars or ocelots as they haven’t enough space.
Moving on, we reached the reason for the visit, a collection of huge heads and altars, carved from basalt, which would have been sourced some 150kms away which is a feat in itself. The colossal heads of La Venta were originally positioned around the great pyramid as if protecting the sacred part of the city and here are three of them, all with similar features, slightly surly expressions and earspools.
This stela was found close by and has been called the King’s Stela due to the importance of the figure.
There were also several altars, with a sculpted figure inside …
… and this one with an additional relief on the side …
… as well as sculptures referred to as the Grandmother …
… and the Governor.
We were in no hurry and spent the morning happily wandering around …
… enchanted with the antics of the coatis …
… and just enjoying being outside surrounded by green.
When we were done, we walked along the lakeside …
… until we found refreshments.
Villahermosa translates as beautiful town and certainly the park and lake were just that.
As for dinner, it was back to Barrahermosa, not necessarily beautiful but certainly popular and my tlayuda hit the spot while Chris played it safe with pizza … although he did add a drop of sauce … Tabasco of course!
Up early tomorrow and we are flying back to México City for the last stop on our taco trail …
A trip to Yaxchilan and Bonampak had been on our wishlist, but I wasn’t sure we’d be up for the trek. Chatting to someone who had been a few days ago changed my mind and then a leaflet was thrust into my hand when we arrived in Palenque!
So why go … what’s to see? Yaxchilan was one of the most powerful Maya states along the Usumacinta River and is visited for its jungle location and detailed stonework while Bonampak, has the finest examples of classic Mayan murals.
The minibus collected us at 5.30 and drove for a couple of hours through the sunrise then stopped for a breakfast of eggs, bread, fruit and coffee to keep us going.
Yaxchilan is set on a horseshoe shaped section of land, surrounded by the Usumacinta River on three sides and deep within the Lacandon rainforest …
… and the only way to reach it is by long boat or lancha.
The boat sped along for around 40 minutes with Guatemala on the far bank, and since we crossed the mid point, Guatemala can be added to our destinations visited!
The six English speakers in our group shared a local guide who told us Yaxchilan reached its zenith between 600-800AD under Itzamnaaj B’alam II, or Shield Jaguar II and his son Yaxun B’alam IV or Bird Jaguar IV and these rulers commissioned the major structures we were going to see.
We entered through a building called The Labyrinth, which contains three levels with multiple doors, passageways and stairs interconnecting the rooms within.
We spotted bats and a large spider living inside ..
… so were pleased to reach the sunshine … and here is the Labyrinth from the plaza.
Mayan buildings use the corbel arch to achieve high-ceilinged structures with heavy stone, but it does have limitations. Thick walls, narrow rooms, and restricted space as can be seen here, but certainly durable.
There are lots of buildings half hidden by the foliage …
… and we approached this one from the rear.
We climbed up and walked round to the front of the building called Structure 33, the most impressive on the site.
Pierced stone structures called roof combs features on several buildings here, a decorative effect to add height and prestige. At the center of the roofcomb was once a gigantic figure of Bird Jaguar wearing an enormous headdress, although it is difficult to make out now.
There were several things to look at. Firstly the risers to the steps at the front featuring reliefs of the ball game – the first shows Bird Jaguar IV’s father, Shield Jaguar II playing ball …
… and this one is the largest, and shows Bird Jaguar IV in his first ballgame, remembering that this is not really a game, more a sacred ritual.
The underside of the doorway lintels are carved, each showing Bird Jaguar IV in a dance ritual. The first commemorates his accession to the throne, wearing a wild headdress and with his wife, the Lady Great Skull behind him.
The central one shows the end of five years on the throne, dancing with his son. They both hold Mayan crosses with curved ends.
In the last Bird Jaguar IV wears a headdress composed of a giant coil of spotted material, snakeskin or a roll of stuffed jaguar pelt and commemorates a year on the throne.
All the time we had been at the site, we had heard the distant sound of howler monkeys accompanying our visit and now a group of spider monkeys were spotted in the canopy and Chris snapped this one.
The bellowing of the howler monkeys came closer and began to echo all round us for some time, but we didn’t spot a single one!
We descended back to the great plaza and looked back, and imagined how imposing the building must have been with fewer trees.
Other highlights include this lintel with a well defined relief of Lord and Lady Great Skull and a ritual-induced vision of a snake creature. Several lintels have also been removed from the site, some to Mexico City and three in the British Museum.
The site also has a number of stele and the clearest was destined for Mexico City, but somehow never went. Interestingly, it is a monument of political propaganda as it shows the transfer of power from Shield Jaguar I to Bird Jaguar IV, an event which never happened, but made to legitimise his rule.
Finally, we walked back past the ball court …
… and down to the river for our return trip …
Donna Mary provided a very good lunch before a drive back to Bonampak which was on our way back.
This whole area is the homeland of the Lacandon people, the same indigenous community that the owners of Casa Na Balam in San Cristabel had worked with. The Lacandon continue to be guardians of the forest and we transferred to their transport for the last stretch to Bonampak. We walked through the forest into the grand plaza with several buildings ahead, but the only interesting one was the building under a cover to the right with three rooms.
Bonempak had become a satellite of Yaxchilan by 600AD and king Shield Jaguar III oversaw the accession to the throne of Chan Muwaan II at Bonampak and hired Yaxchilano artisans to commemorate it in murals.
It seems that a trick of nature is responsible for the survival of these murals as over time, calcium rich water seeped into the building and deposited a coating of crystallised calcite to seal the fresh colours beneath. Specialists in the 1980’s, meticulously removed this layer and stabilised the murals but there is a twist to the tale. Apparently good was not enough, and visitors subsequently sprayed kerosene on the images to brighten them for photos, until it was realised it was causing damage!
While parts of the painting are vivid and clear, others are worn or damaged and I’ve pumped the colours to make the images easier to see. I’m just including the parts that I could identify easiest, so here goes.
The first room shows tribute and was the most colourful with this parade of percussionists who play turtle carapaces, drums & large gourd rattles …
… and trumpeters.
There is also an image of Chaan Muan II, presenting his new son and heir to the nobles of his court, each dressed in fine fabrics and wearing precious spondylus shells.
The next room was difficult to make out with chaos of battle and damage, but here is a line of lords after the battle wearing more decorated fabrics …
… a triumphant Chaan Muan with his pleading prisoners …
… and others with blood dripping from the hands where their nails have been ripped out!
Finally, the celebration with dancing wearing huge headdresses …
… a fanfare …
… but also ritual blood letting … although I missed the scene with the noble women.
Afterwards, I found this excellent article by Richard Quinn which details later research and how infrared and other photography techniques have been used to enhance the images for better understanding and it’s definitely worth a look.
We walked back to the bus, and then had a long drive back to Palenque, seeing the sun set on the way … and arriving at 8pm.
It was a very long day but well planned and the driving was excellent, especially as it was all on a minor road through small settlements and villages and each is protected with a tope or speed bump either side. They are barely visible and rarely signposted and our driver slowed for every one!
The rest of our time in Palenque was the R&R we had planned, a whole day in the hotel, brunch, sitting by the pool, watching this little chap …
… a dip, an ice cream and dinner and the following morning was similar as we didn’t get on our final bus until lunchtime.
Mind you, it wasn’t idle time as it was a chance to do a little laundry, but getting clothes to dry with high humidity is a challenge but the twisting in a towel trick has now been joined by utilising the hairdryer and the iron! Also, I became engrossed finding out more about the carvings and the murals we had seen and writing the Palenque posts of course.
Anyway, onwards and forward … but ironically backwards in time to the Olmecs
This time we had a silver OCC bus and not an ADO red one … sorry Chris!
Otherwise there was no difference which was good as it was going to be a long day. We left at 10am stopping for a brief stop halfway with loos and snacks. We checked out the fruit stall …
… but just got a soft drink to share.
It said Senzao and when we checked it said it was guarana flavored soda from Brazil …guarana being a berry high in natural caffeine … well it was a long day!
We passed state border guards …
…. and the sun set.
Finally we pulled into Palenque around 6pm and I had knitted all day and reached the heel of my first sock!
As we stepped out of the bus, the warmth and humidity enveloped us, such a change from the highlands … and the pool twinkled in the light.
Having checked in, our first job was to sort out the tech gremlins as both our phones had run out of data and a very nice Telcel man helped us recharge our SIMs so we are back online and happy once more. Next dinner and bed.
The day dawned on La Cañada, the part of Palenque which translates as the glen, a green area near the bus station, but not quite in the town. It suits us with Hotel Chablis providing a nice room with balcony and a pool to relax round and dip into as well as a choice of restaurants on the doorstep. Apart from visiting Palenque ruins, this was our opportunity for R&R since we didn’t include a beach visit.
We headed to the Palenque ruins after breakfast. A taxi to the ticket office, a ticket for the national park, another for the ruins and a third for a collective to save a good mile uphill to the entrance and finally we were in!
Palenque flourished from 600-800AD and at its zenith was a powerful Mayan city with around 6,000 people. Palenque’s the greatest ruler was K’inich Janaab’ Pakal, also known as Pakal the Great who came to power at the age of 12. Most of the buildings at Palenque date from his reign or his two succeeding sons and grandson. Decline followed as another group took power in the region and Palenque was then hidden by the jungle until 1950.
Entering the plaza, the largest building is the stepped pyramid called The Temple of the Inscriptions, named for the three large inscription panels inside from which experts have deciphered around 180 years of the city’s history.
It is also the tomb of the Great Pakal who was interred in an engraved sarcophagus, still inside, which depicts Pakal at the moment of his death, falling into the underworld. Having whetted your appetite, I now have to say that the building has been closed to the public for 25 years to protect it, so here’s a copy of the lid.
Also, his body was found covered by a jade suit held together by gold wire and his face had a mask made up of 340 hand-carved pieces of jade, now in Mexico City, but here is a picture.
Next to it is the Temple of the Red Queen, named for the red cinnabar and the attributes of a royal burial.
We could go inside and see the sarcophagus.
Across the plaza is the centrepiece, The Palace, rambling complex of administrative and residential buildings, topped with a unique square tower, whose purpose is unknown – watchtower … observatory?
The patio behind has carvings but none very clear.
Across a stream was another group of temples including Temple of the Sun …
… and The Temple of the Leafy Cross, both named after pretty indistinct interior carvings …
… and then we saw the ball court. This had profound religious and symbolic meaning, representing the cosmic struggle between life and death, light and darkness, rather than just a sport.
We had been avoiding souvenir sellers, but I finally relented and ended up with a handheld whistle shaped like a jaguars head that roars … the nearest we will get to a jaguar I’m sure!
We took a path through a wooded area …
… and past cascades …
… and some less restored ruins …
… until we reached the museum … but hey this Is Mexico … closed for several weeks!
We made our way back for some pool time …
… and prepared for a romantic meal … after all today is Valentine’s Day and love is in the air!
Tamales are one of the staple foods of Mexico, although the filling is usually made with lard, so we were delighted to find a cooking class at El Tizitz with a vegetarian option.
We found the blue door as directed …
… and were amazed to see the beautiful house and garden hidden behind such an unassuming door!
We were greeted by Irma and joined by Caitlin from Colorado, whose sister was poorly and unable to come, so just the three of us.
First we had a market tour, but photos were not encouraged. It was good to find how much we had learnt already since being in Mexico, realising that some of the fruit and veg were now familiar to us. This was a new one though, Guaje seeds which are either roasted as a snack or used fresh in salsas.
We were cooking three varieties of tamales – one flavoured with a herb called chipilin, containing a little red salsa and a cube of cheese, another with homemade mole with oyster mushrooms and a prune, and a dessert one mixed with cinnamon, chopped pineapple, raisins and some grated coconut.
Irma had done some preparation beforehand, including simmering the corn in water with lime for three hours to cook it.
We all helped with the tasks like stirring …
… soaking the corn husks to soften them to make wrappers …
… putting the corn through the Nixtamatic grinder twice to make the masa or dough …
… then mixing it with water and working it till smooth which Chris excelled at!
It was then time to start building the tamales, carefully encasing the filling in dough and wrapping them.
They were then layered into a pan with a trivet and cooked.
Meanwhile, we toasted tomatillos, garlic and chillis till scorched and worked them to a paste with a pestle & mortar before adding coriander and diced onion.
Everything was very tasty and it was a lovely experience …
… even if it unlikely I will make them again as I doubt I can just substitute Jolly Green Giant!
In the afternoon, we stopped at Casa Na Balom, once the home of Frans Blom, a Danish explorer and archaeologist, who with his wife researched and recorded the Mayan cultures of Chiapas. It is now a museum, hotel and research center dedicated to the protection of the Lacandon Maya and the rain forest, an area close to Palenque.
The building and garden were lovely …
… and there was a replica adobe hut …
… with Maya crosses inside …
… as well as old photos of the Lacandon people.
We also climbed up to Guadeloupe church before calling it a day.
Creatures of habit, once we find a restaurant we like, we often return a second time, so it was back to Balil for another lovely meal. This time we started with some little sopes, one of which was topped with cooked strips of cactus which we had seen in the market. It had a texture similar to peppers but a fresher more astringent taste and I’ll certainly be looking out for it again.
On our last day in San Cris, we took a taxi to the north of the town to the orchid reserve, where they conserve over 600 species of Chiapas orchids, bromeliads, and other epiphytes rescued from areas of deforestation.
We went in search of orchids and there were two greenhouses.
To begin with, it seemed little was in flower until we realised we just had to look carefully! We’ve been so spoilt with impressive cultivars, we almost overlooked these tiny treasures
… and then when we thought that was it, we spotted this beauty!
It was all a bit rustic and I loved this use of bottle tops …
… and here are some bromeliads to finish.
We hailed a taxi back, had a bit of lunch …
and wandered catching a last few snaps …
… before sitting a while in the afternoon sun on the steps by the cross watching the arrival of goods for the night market.
A final pose and in the morning we are off to the jungle!
Of all the cultural tours to indigenous communities, Alex & Raoul’s tours are well respected locally and we were back by the cross in the Plaza de la Paz to meet Cesar at 9.30.
First we went to San Juan Chamula which is renowned for its distinct religious practices, where Catholic customs have mixed with indigenous culture to create a “traditionalist” Catholic belief.
Right at the beginning, we were told we could not take photos of people close up, any ritual or the inside of the church.
The town is situated between three sacred hills, but it has nothing pretty about it. In fact homes were made of traditional wattle-and-daub homes until the 1960s when concrete started to take over. The graveyard below was decorated with pine, plants and flowers left from Day of the Dead in November.
Graves are built up to continue to provide a good surface for the feast and offerings on this day.
The Tzotzil people of San Juan Chamula live with a unique autonomous status with fierce independence. In order to be a resident of town, religious rules must be followed, enforced by their own police force. Chamula is divided into areas, each with a community leader who volunteers and serve for a year. We arrived at the changeover, celebrated with a big feast and the slaughter of a bull to feed all of his team who have helped him in his duties to the community. This is accompanied by music, fireworks, alcohol and the feast and all were wearing their traditional clothes. We saw one area where the bull had already been butchered and hung up in quarters, and another where this was in progress. Apparently people save up for years to have the money required to fund this as they are too busy to work and their responsibilities are extensive and expensive, as much as US$50k but they earn huge prestige for having stood. In another week, there will be more traditional rituals such as running with bulls and fire-walking.
We then visited the home of a spiritual leader who works with his wife to look after a shrine to a particular saint, set behind a panel covered in cut green foliage. Incense is burnt on the altar in braziers, candles burn in bull shaped holders and pox is sprinkled around in rituals three times a day. Other duties include replacing the foliage regularly, caring for the saints clothing, and carrying it in parades. Cesar suggested that savings of around US$20k would be needed to fund their service.
Finally, we visited this church, with a green cross outside adorned with pine, but not a Christian cross as it has rounded ends and represents the Maya tree of life.
Inside, the floor was covered in pine needles, there were no pews, and small groups of people sat on the floor each behind an array of white candles, representing food for the saints. Pox, the local spirit made from sugar cane, and also soft drinks are sprinkled on the ground in offering. Some people had eggs which are used to tell the future, a bit like tea leaves. We also saw several groups with a chicken which would be sacrificed by a shaman to absorb illnesses or negative energy from a person. Obviously we couldn’t stop or stare so only got a fleeting glance as we walked by.
Walking round, the heat from the candles and the smell of alcohol prevailed. Belief is firmly in the life on earth not the afterlife so prayers are offered to the saints for everyday things like food, good health and good fortune.
Once outside, we had a little free time to wander …
… and we went to a cafe for a drink and saw this picture of men in traditional dress.
The women wear skirts that look like black sheepskin, but are actual woven wool with tufts of wool incorporated as it is woven, and I took this pic a couple of days later.
Wandering round, I spotted bull shaped candle holders and braziers like we saw in the shrine …
… pine foliage for sale …
… and bought a pretty bag made of woven wool and embroidered in the market.
The mountainous geography of Chiapas means that many towns are separated by twisting roads and travel between them has been difficult which explains why the customs in the neighbouring town of Zinacantán are so different.
Known for its traditional clothing and skill with textiles, they also have a thriving flower growing industry using swathes of greenhouses which we saw from the bus.
We were able to visit the church …
… and take pictures inside …
… and we saw that the candle holders were in the shape of a variety of animals.
This is because the people here believe that everyone has an animal companion or chanul, which is central to their spiritual life and shares their soul.
Next, we visited a family of textile makers in their home. We were able to watch weaving using a backstrap loom …
… and also see embroidery.
We also entered the kitchen and watched as the woman prepared and cooked a pile of tortillas for us to try …
… with some black beans and sprinkled with roasted and ground pumpkin seeds which tasted a little like roasted peanuts.
There was an opportunity to look at the items they had made including the traditional woman’s jacket …
… the men’s jacket modelled by Chris …
… a wedding dress …
… and scarves and runners for sale …
… and we bought a cloth to keep tortillas warm, or in our case, to line our bread basket!
This visit gave us a glimpse into a mystical world we would not expect to see in the 21st century and thanks to Cesar we understand a little of their way of life.
I was also delighted to have a few more Mexican memories to pack into the case!
When we got back we chilled for a bit in a cafe …
… and sampled some more pox …
… before visiting the textile museum, where a piece of cloth has survived from 600-900AD which is pretty amazing.
There were also leaders outfits from different communities …
… and a huge selection of huipils, but here are just two local ones.
In the evening we walked through the night market, amazed at how all these people selling so much stuff could ever make a living.
Dinner was at El Fogon de Jovel, where there were even tunes while we ate. We’ve been surprised at how quiet the town and restaurants have been, but apparently this a lull between the Xmas and Easter rushes.
Of course, the next excuse for celebration is just in a couple of days …
One of the popular day trips here is to visit the Sumidero Canyon and to marvel over its vertical limestone cliffs up to 1km high, carved by the Grijalva River.
We began visiting a couple of Miradors to look down into the canyon, first La Coyota …
… and then the stunning Los Chiapa where Chris took this fab shot of the horseshoe bend.
Back down to water level, we got jacketed up ready for a boat trip through the canyon to discover the area’s lush flora and fauna, possibly including crocodiles and monkeys.
There were lots of birds, mainly hawks and cormorants, although we glimpsed a brown pelican.
Chris also took this fab photo of an iguana basking.
Also basking was this croc, unfortunately only a tail end view … with his mate poking his head out of the water!
The canyon was spectacular and it was such a beautiful day for a boat trip.
This cave became popular when the image of a crucified Christ was noticed in the wall, just to the right of the ladder, so needless to say, a shrine followed.
We also stopped to admire a unique waterfall spilling down the side of the canyon, not unsurprisingly called the Christmas Tree. At this time of year, only a few drops of water were falling, but the constant water causes the limestone to deposit into these shapes and enable the plant growth.
The most stunning canyon views were at the beginning of the trip as the canyon flattened out, but I loved this bit of cliff with cacti.
At Chiapa de Corzo we got off the boat and had hour to wander so we did just that …
… and sat with ice creams in the square, before the drive back.
In the evening we went to Belil Sabores de Chiapas, offering authentic Chiapanecan cuisine with veggie options, for local soup, pork stew and quesadillas.
It wasn’t my best night’s sleep, but it was also far from my worst! We stopped at a state border post around 6am and a man came in and briefly inspected the bus and we were on our way again. Got a couple of pics of the early morning …
… and we arrived in San Cristobal De Casas right on time at 8.30. It was just a short walk to Hotel Posada de Real de Chiapas, a colonial Manor House set round a courtyard decorated with murals and textiles.
We left our luggage and had a coffee with some pastries we had bought in case we were peckish. We couldn’t check in properly till after lunch, so it was a perfect time to go on a walking tour of the town with Voy a Chiapas. We met at the cross in the middle of Plaza de la Paz right in front of the Catedral de San Cristóbal Mártir …
… and had a quick peek inside while we waited.
Our guide was Anna and we began by walking to the main market which is so large, it encompasses two churches! Here’s the market …
… and Church of Saint Domingo decorated with plenty of gold leaf.
Anna told us of the importance of the Lady of Guadalupe as a profound symbol of Mexican identity. She is always depicted as a woman of mixed Indigenous and European features and she wears a turquoise cape with a sunburst.
We actually returned to later to see the intricate carvings of the main facade lit with the afternoon sun.
As we walked through the Barrio del Cerrillo, Anna started to talk about Chiapas and San Cristobal. The town was begun by the Spanish as a military fort in 1528. Its elevation in the highlands means that it sees chilly nights and warm days, but temperatures are pretty constant all year. Chiapas, like Oaxaca has a large indigenous population with 12 distinct groups. Here they are directly descended from the ancient Maya civilisation, but each group has developed its own unique customs and culture.
Anna spoke strongly about the life and rights of indigenous people, particularly women, and spends time working with these groups and young people.
She mentioned the Zapatista uprising in Chiapas in 1994 led by indigenous people demanding equal rights. Several municipal capitals were taken, including San Cristóbal and after 12 days, civil pressure led to a ceasefire. Subsequently, indigenous rights were recognised in the Constitution, but indigenous people still don’t have proper access to education and without even being able to speak Spanish, are obviously at a disadvantage. These murals remember this time and the role women played …
We saw several murals and stickers protesting against Cola-Cola which is deeply embedded here with the world’s highest consumption of over 2 litres a day each. Unsurprisingly, diabetes is a severe and increasing problem here.
Their marketing in the 1960/70s made it a status symbol and a substitute for the traditional alcohol used in religious ceremonies.
In addition, the local bottling plant opened in the 1990s operates under government concessions and consumes so much water it leads to local shortages … but it also employs 16,000 people creating yet another dependency.
Making our way back, here is the church in the centre of the barrio …
… then finished at a cafe where we had a tasting of pox, pronounced “posh”, the local artisanal liquor distilled from fermented corn and sugarcane, often used in religious ceremonies.
We tried it neat and also flavoured with hibiscus and chocolate!
Tzotzil is the indigenous Mayan language spoken in and around San Cris and we learnt that kolaval means thank you, but can also be used as a toast … so kolaval!
After the tour we meandered back, took some downtime and had a huge shock when our phones burst into life with a loud noise! It was an automatic seismic alarm due to continued seismic activity with small quakes 3.0-4.0 reported locally. When we checked, the nearest was 95km away and they were too small to be of any consequence, but it’s worth noting that San Cris has had at least 4 quakes higher than 7.0 since 1900!
An early dinner and we were keen to get a good night’s sleep after our night on the bus.
Next day we were off to Octotlan. There was a little confusion over the taxi going as although it was a collectivo or shared taxi, it just took us, and while the price was cheap compared with UK prices, we felt we may have paid over the odds. Nonetheless it was a good trip and 40 minutes later we were dropped off at the entrance to the weekly market, which attracts people from all the neighbouring villages. It was huge and bustling and sold everything and anything and we can only have walked a fraction of it. These were the highlights – the tortilla making machines, one that makes the masa and others that roll the tortillas …
… a lady preparing cactus …
… hats …
… the Cocina de Frida a popular food stall in the same family for 70 years with its very own Frida …
… huge piles of embroidery thread and beautifully hand embroidered dresses …
… and lots of lovely veg.
Apart from the market, we were also on the trail of Rodolfo Morales, an artist born here in Ocotlán who became one of Mexico’s greatest artists, then used his earnings to restore buildings and create cultural centers throughout the valley. Morales made sure that much of the restoration work was done by local women who developed skills for later work and established a computer training center for young people. First we saw the murals in the Municipal Palace celebrating 400 years of the town.
Just outside we also spotted a temporary health and wellness area, with a mobile mammogram van, optician doing eye tests and a hairdressing school providing a trim!
The C16th Dominican monastery next door, contains a Morales museum which shows more clearly that he was a surrealist who incorporated elements of magical realism into his work, which used a variety of media.
Time for lunch, and we started down the meat section, spotting the favoured thinly cut and lightly salted tasajo beef on the menu everywhere served grilled.
I was in search of lamb, always my favourite meat, and I hoped to find lamb barbacoa, which is slow-cooked, traditionally in a fire pit. Success, I had a bowl of lamb and vegetable broth, with chunks of cooked lamb added on top as well as a tortilla, filled with lamb. I was shown that toppings were needed, both in the soup and the tortilla – salsa, coriander, onion, shredded cabbage and lime. Both were delicious, and Chris manfully waited until his turn and had a veggie quesadilla in the food hall.
After lunch, we found the church, and spot the native grown ponsettias growing outside …
… and a craft market with rugs …
… and the whimsical painted wooden creatures called alebrijes which come from the nearby town of San Martín Tilcajete.
Our returned journey was more successful and we ended up in the back of a collectivo with a lady, while two chaps shared the front with the driver … and the fare 40 peso each, just £3.50 between us!
Walking back to the hotel we spotted activity at La Soledad, a huge group preparing for a parade to celebrate 65 years of a local school, with many of the students in local dress and large balloons and paper mache figures to be carried.
Dinner was at La Olla, a long standing local restaurant with veggie choices and in fact we both had a yellow mole flavoured with yellow chilhuacle chili and thickened with corn.
On our last day in Oaxaca, we had a slow start, packed our bags and went to visit a couple of museums – The Textile Museum with contemporary exhibits …
… and their collection of local huipils …
through the San Pablo Cultural Centre …
… to the Museo de los Pintores with its eclectic mix of exhibits. Leonora Carrington was a famous British-Mexican surrealist and some of her drawings were on display including this one of Carrington Hall …
… but I was drawn to these colourful images by a local artist called Fulgencio Lazo filled with images of weaving and cotton reels!
Later, we spotted a wedding procession in the street, with the banner round the ball at the front with their names, two huge paper mache bridal figures, a band and colourfully dressed dancers who would all have been hired, mingling with the weddding guests behind. No doubt they also have to pay to have the police stop traffic on their route!
There was also dancing at La Solenid, maybe a class or practice for a show!
We picked up some bits for later … three small bottles of mexcal so we could have a little tasting session on the bus to help us sleep …
… and snacks just in case …
… and had an early dinner at Taniperla before heading to the bus station.
With a 12 hour trip ahead of us, we had booked the front seats in the posher purple ADO bus …
… with complimentary water, in seat entertainment … only in Spanish, and reclining seats with footrests.
Mind you, our planned mexcal tasting didn’t quite happen as the bus was in darkness once we left. We took turns necking one miniature, I listened to a couple of podcasts and was eased into sleep by Bill Nighy’s dulcet tones.
I have been so looking forward to today! We are booked on a textile tour to Teotitlán del Valle where the Zapotec indigenous community have specialised in making textiles for generations. We were collected by Laura and Carlos of Where Sidewalks End who work with local families to make these experiences possible for interested travellers. Our journey was certainly eventful as the main road out of Oaxaca was roadblocked by a huge red Coca Coca lorry by teachers protesting for a pay increase. With some kerb jumping, we turned round and a few back doubles later we were off.
Josefina welcomed us into her home …
… but was in a rush as she was off to Mexico City to exhibit a piece of her textile designed to show her Zapotec heritage and culture. It incorporates copper, and agave fibres as well as wool and cotton, all dyed naturally using traditional methods then woven … and was beautiful!
She left us in the capable hands of her daughter Danny who explained how they sort and card the wool, then spin it into yarn, and wash using a locally sourced plant rather than soap, all translated for us by Laura.
Dyeing come next and first we saw the preparation of dye from cochineal, a tiny insect found on nopal cactus, which is dried then ground. Mixed with water, it produces red …
… but this can be modified with an acid like lemon juice to make orange or an alkali like lime to make purple.
They also use indigo, which they buy dried and grind to make dye. When they dye, they always use the fermentation method in clay pots.
Next we watched Danny, then had a go weaving on a large piece, remembering to lower the correct paddle to pass the bobbin through and not to tighten the wool too much.
Then it was our turn, to choose two colours and wind them from the skein onto a bobbin.
Fortunately, Danny had already prepared the looms as it takes time and would certainly have been beyond our pay grade!
We then spent the rest of the morning weaving a coaster each, with whichever pattern we chose.
I decided to do an irregular stripe and Chris’s pattern went a bit rogue in the middle, but we are delighted with our finished mats.
It felt very special to be welcomed in, told about their family heritage and the traditional methods they use, and then to be able to make our own piece to bring home. The weaving was surprisingly therapeutic and relaxing once we got the hang of it, and Chris enjoyed it much more than he expected, initially only coming along for me and to take some photos!
Once Danny removed our pieces from the looms, she served us a delicious lunch of sopa de guías, made from the tender vines, shoots, leaves, and flowers of the squash plant and a crispy tortilla with cheese. By then time we had eaten our mats were finished off and ready to bring home, a lovely souvenir, as was the short video Carlos had made of the day.
We took a look round the showroom, interested in the variety of designs of the rugs …
.. and I was able to buy a mixed handful of wool dyed different colours to use in stitching when I get home.
Walking through the Zocalo later, there was a tent city of those camping out protesting with the teachers.
Once back, we took some time to relax before going out for dinner at La Olla, another restaurant with vegetarian choices which proved another hit with excellent enchiladas with black mole for Chris, and a different type of chile rellenos for me.
Sitting on the roof in the sun with a couple of fabulous buns for breakfast is a perfect start to the day!
We then headed into the town to the church of San Domingo …
… containing an another very elaborate gold altarpiece.
Next door is the old convent, an impressive building, with a courtyard and views of the cactus collection in the botanical garden beyond.
It is now home to the Museum of Culture and we were particularly interested to see the finds from Monte Albán before visiting the next day. Monte Albán was begun around 500BC and served as the Zapotec capital and a major socio-political center for over 1,000 years. After its decline, the Mixtecs used the site as a sacred burial site and Tomb 7, discovered in 1932 was a big deal, containing some 200 ritual objects. It must have been like finding buried treasure, lots of gold and precious items worked with skilled craftsmanship and here are a few – a representation of Mictlantecuhti, the lord of the place of the dead, made with a human skull decorated with turquoise and green mosaic …
… a golden pectoral, designed to be worn around the neck of a Mixtec dignitary …
… a breastplate of turquoise beads …
… and several of 30 intricately carved animal bones telling of events in Mixtec history.
This golden pectoral tells the order of the universe – the ball court is the sky, the sun disc is day and the flint knife the moon and the monster with gaping jaws is the earth.
There were many rooms telling of the history of Oaxaca since the Spanish conquest, but unfortunately no English translation, so we passed through quite quickly.
We had deliberately had a light breakfast so we could go the the market for lunch. Mercado 20 de Noviembre is the fresh food market and we walked through the meat hall, filled with the aroma of grilling meat, which looked delicious, but we moved on!
In the centre were more stalls …
… with many serving tlayudas which are large thin & crunchy tortillas spread with refried beans, lettuce, avocado, cheese and salsa. Chris chose veggie with squash blossoms …
… and I got some meat after all, a piece of Oaxacan cecina, pork marinated in chilli & spice then grilled. It was one of our best meals and also one of the least expensive!
After a turn round the rest of the market …
… we decided on a bit of R&R, but in my case a chance to catch up with my posts! Dinner was a real treat at Las Quinces Letras, where they offered veggie mole so Chris had the mushrooms with white mole while I had Chilli Rellenos in a fruity Mixtec inspired sauce, together with Mezcal cocktails and guava mousse to share.
Next morning, a cooler day was forecast, which was great as we were off to Monte Albán, the Zapotec capital which sits on the top of a flattened hill some 400m above Oaxaca and includes ancient pyramids, a main plaza, ball courts, residential terraces and underground tombs.
We took the bus which wound up the hill past brightly coloured houses.
The visitor centre had a small museum where original carved stones can be seen, removed from the site to prevent further erosion and replaced with copies. They are carved with various images …
… and some like this one are called The Dancers but actually show tortured, naked war captives rather than dancers.
As we entered at the north end, we could soon see what a commanding position the site held with giving huge vistas across the valley below.
We explored this group of buildings, with stepped platforms.
Our first proper view of the site from the north end was certainly impressive, showing how the artificially levelled hilltop gives a central plaza for gatherings with ceremonial centres at either end and residential and temple platforms along the sides and continuing down the slopes.
And yes I was there!
We made our way down, past the a patio area with a central altar …
… to the the ball court.
It was hard to understand how much restorative work had been done, or was still being done to keep the site intact with so many visitors.
Just like the other sites we visited in Mexico City, the focus is on monumentality rather than the detailed decoration we had admired in the Mayan sites of the Yucatan, although there was some simple details.
We climbed up the South end and looked back across the site.
At the back were some other buildings, still not completely excavated.
We explored the central section of buildings last, which were covered in engraved stones, which detail conquests by Monte Alban over other towns, probably to advertise their power. Each stone has the glyph of Monte Alban at the top with an upside down head to represent the conquered people.
We really enjoyed looking round the site at our own pace and may have missed a bit of the detail by not having a guide, but we were still able to be amazed by the human endeavour needed to achieve this without wheels or beasts of burden to help.
On the way back from the bus, we passed through our most local square with the Señora de la Soledad church where there are a collection of cafes selling local ice cream.
They use condensed milk but it’s quite icy like a sorbet – mine was burnt cream and prickly pear …
… and Chris bravely tried mango with chilli!
Later we went for mezcal cocktails at the Magnolia Roofbar, overlooking the back of the church, so we could watch the sunset, but the sky didn’t light up like the first night and there was a chilly breeze so we didn’t stay too long before going for dinner.
Off Travelling Together 