It was still dark when we went out of the bus and the city was still blanketed with a thick cold fog. It was also very nippy when we got there and I have to grab my jacket and wore it because I felt that the morning cold had seeped in deep into my bones. I was kinda shivering at that time as if I'm brewing with a flu. Hopefully not, because I cannot afford to be sick without seeing all those beautiful places I've never seen and been yet, especially here in Oaxaca.
I popped two tablets of Tylenol I hid inside my pill box to prevent my premonitions of getting sick. I have to because with all those sleepless and tiring travels I might probably have dropped my resistance and contracted something along the way. I was just being a hypochondriac, a sort of a malingering habit, and I am just taking precautions, you know. It was still quiet and calm in the whole city during that early cold foggy morning when we arrived there.
When we got out of the bus station, we called for a taxi to bring us to the Centro asking the driver to drop us to a very affordable hotel where we can leave our luggage and stuff. The driver had no idea where to drop us because it was still dark and most of the hotels were still close. He gave us an option to search the hotels door to door until we found one that was more willing to keep our luggage while we are roaming the whole city until they will start the check in time at 1300H.
After depositing our luggage at the Santa Rosa Hotel and Inn, deep in the heart of the city, we instructed the guy to reserve us one room. We never wasted any second, so we decided to roam the city while it was still fast asleep. There were no traffic at that time because it was still early and the city and it's inhabitants were still sleeping. We saw people started coming out, maybe to go to work and the garbage collectors doing their early morning rounds to collect the trash. The city appears so clean and tidy. No wonder Oaxaca was dubbed as the cleanest city.
We ambled towards the zocalo and started to appreciate the buildings around there. The city typify a colonial outlook as reminiscent of the architectures around us. We kept ambling around the plaza and took pictures of every corner streets and buildings everywhere and anywhere. It was beautiful there during that quiet-cold-foggy early morning. The serenity of the place was very intoxicating. I cannot complain more but to subdue my emotions and feelings. All the fatigue that I got from the long hours of nonstop traveling was been eased up as we strolled around the spacious zocalo.
We ambled near the green church which is the Church of the Assumption, which is Oaxaca's major cathedral, at the north side of the zocalo. It appears moderate in size and the concrete was colored minty green which is very soothing to the eyes. I just saw a church colored in green. I don't know if it was marble or stone but the building was uniformly made of the light green concrete. It was beautiful to look at. The facade of the Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion was very intricate and stunning which prompted me to take pictures of it's outside and inside structures.
We went inside and uttered some prayers thanking the Lord God for the safe journey all night and for keeping us safe and healthy during our travels. The inside of the church was actually huge. There was a middle altar which was unique and the statue of the Assumption showing Mother Mary being brought to heaven by the angels and cherubims was very stunning. We roamed the vast interior of the church and feel the intoxicating and spiritual vibes it had conveyed to us, welcoming us to this very magical and mysterious city.
After spending an intimate twenty minutes inside the cathedral we then got out of the church and started to interstingly ambled around the paved and cobblestoned streets of the quiet city of Oaxaca. It seems that most of the streets of the towns we've been visiting were intricately paved with cobblestones. And the streets were impassable by other vehicles especially near the zocalo, which was blocked permanently with carved steel beams and boulders, as evidenced by the calm and smooth mood of the streets nearby devoid of the onslaught rush of the city's traffic and the irritating noise of the honking vehicles.
At the north side of the church near the curbside of the street was a man selling "tamales" and "champorado" which were the staple Mexican early morning treats. My friend bought a cup of warm sweet "champorado" to warm him from the nippy weather. I refused to buy and eat something because my tummy was been gurgling, growling, and cramping during that time. It was been like that when I was in the bus and I was passing out loose stools the whole night. It looks like I am bloated so I just don't want to make a "big bang" there.
After buying the "champorado" we kept ambling all over the city and took a lot of pictures while the city was still asleep. Shortly after, people started to graduallly showed up on the streets walking briskly basically either to go to work or maybe just to crowd the spacious streets, I don't know. We kept ambling from the corner streets to the next corner and continued to snapped beautiful pictures of the prominent buildings and beautiful places of the city.
We ambled towards the west side until we saw an excavated place with a small placita near the police station and another cathedral, called the Basilica Mejor de la Nuestra Señora de Soledad. There were policemen lining up at the placita for their early morning roll call formation. We went down the makeshift amphitheater and then turned around to go to the church. We went inside the church and prayed then went out and ambled more of the streets acting like there were no directions.
We then circled when we got to the "mercado" and decided to go back to the hotel following the straight paralleled street of Trujillo Avenue going to the zocalo where our hotel was located nearby. When we got to the hotel it was already 1000H and the tour agency at the lobby was open already.
We decided to check what kind of tour they were offering and we saw there were a lot of interesting places they offered. We bought two passes for the tour which will start at 1100H until 1830H. The flyer had listed several places for the tour to bring us. Starting from the Arbol de Tule in Santa Maria, the artisanal place in Teotitlan, the mescal factory in Matatlan, the archaeological ruins in Mitla, the Dominican Monastery and Church near the outskirts of Oaxaca, the Zapotec pyramids in Monte Alban, and the Hierve del Agua Azul in San Lorenzo which will capped the tour. It will be a long and tiring day I guess.
We waited at the hotel lobby after seeing to it that our luggage was in a safe place. Then at exactly 1045H the mini-bus arrived outside the hotel to pick us up. We went in the bus as our name were called and had noticed that there were other people inside the bus already. We then left the hotel and the bus still continued to roam around the city stopping at other hotels to pick up more passengers that had signed up for the whole day tour.
When the van was been fully loaded with passengers we left the city going to Santa Maria de Tule to start our first itinerary at around 1130H. We were thirty minutes late already. First up for our tour was the Arbol de Tule. It was a humongous cypress tree near the placita in Santa Maria near the municipal hall believed to be the oldest living tree in Mexico at 2000 years of age. It was huge spanning like ten times the size of a normal pine tree. There were a lot of people there curiously checking the mysterious gigantic tree. I took pictures of it and we roamed the entire small placita and took pictures of the municipal hall.
It was almost noon and the sun was been on its peak. I was sweating so much because of the tropical temperature during that time. The weather during mid day was so much different compared to the cool breezy and foggy morning we had seen earlier when we arrived. After thirty minutes in Santa Maria we went back to the bus and then left for Teotitlan and went to a weaving factory there.
When we got there at Teotitlan it was around 1200H and we parked on the parking lot of a weaving factory somewhere in the middle of a vast and dusty land. There we were greeted by a portly middle aged guy and welcomed us to come inside. When we were seated he started to explain to the group how they weave wool blankets and other accessories made of wool.
He explained to us how to spin wool spools and how to color them using indigenous plants and stones to make them more captivating to the eyes, after that he brought the group to another receiving room where the looming and weaving machine is located. There another middle aged guy was waiting for us and ready to show and demonstrate to the group how to weave the colored wool threads on the weaving machine. There were people who were eager to do the weaving by themselves. Me and my friend just tried to get pictures while we were reinacting the weaving process.
From there we were directed next to another receiving room where the finished products were being displayed. Despite of the sign "No pictures please!", we still stole some moments to get pictures of the intricate-colorful blankets and carpets hanging on the wall, decorating the whole room. Carpets and blankets of different sizes and colors were being displayed everywhere, on the wall, on the floor, on the table, etc. It was cool to see the mixture of the different colors and the different patterns weaved on them. It was very vibrant and lively in that room. Some of the guys bought some finished products while we were waiting outside near the patio for them. When they're done we left for another place to go and the next one was the mescal factory in the nearby town called Matatlan.
When we got in Matatlan, we saw the factory near the highway and the van spotted a nice parking at the front of the factory. There were other buses parking there, who were ahead of us, and there were a lot of tourist there. It was already 1245H when we got there. The tour guide had gathered us in front of the factory and then when we were all there he brought us to the back and showed us where the initial process of making mescal; an alcoholic beverage derived from the maguey plant, was being done.
There he showed us a mound of sand and gravel and explained to us that underneath it was the maguey buds being slow roasted under the soil. Then he directed us to a grinding area, and the distillation area. The process was very rigorous and there I know how mescal was being produced. We even tasted a portion of the roasted maguey plant, which was sweet and juicy like the sugarcane tubes.
After touring inside we went to the front and did the mescal tasting which was very interesting. I was on several wine tasting sessions before but mescal tasting was fun. There were a lot of mescal flavors and I've enjoyed it a lot. There were ice creams of different flavors also loaded with mescal. Very interesting huh! We had a lot of fun there at the factory.
After the mescal tasting and purchasing some of it for our folks back home, we gathered around again in front of the bus and the tour guide explained to us that we will be going to a holy and quiet place and he briefed us about the archaeological and burial site of the Zapotec Indians in Mitla.
On the road the guide had told us a little history of the sacred burial ground and also had showed us some rock formations along the roads. We arrived at Mitla shortly after 1300H and it was so packed over there that a parking is unforeseeable. It was very crowded there and there were a lot of tourist there as well. We then alighted from the bus and again the guide had gathered us and told us the time we will convene after checking out the whole vast place. It was already hot when we got there in Mitla. The sun was already on its highest point and I am terribly drenching with sweat. It was very uncomfortable.
We headed to the burial ground going to the entrance after passing the alley full of vendors selling goods and handicrafts made locally and then roamed around the burial grounds. The archaeological site was about three hectares big with flat shoe-box structures believed to be the pantheon of the Zapotec Indians around Mitla. The walls of the structures were intricately adorned with geometric reliefs believed to be baked first then plastered on the four walls of the structures. It was very beautiful to look at and appears to be meticulously done. It was so pretty and peaceful around there despite of the scorching and fierce heat of the mid day sun as well as the tourists and locals crowding the entire place.
There were also a lot of tourist roaming around there observing and taking pictures of the lost site. We stayed there for half an hour because the area is enormous to roam around and it was scorchingly hot during that time so we shortened our stroll there because I could not stand the heat and I was already thirsty and diaphoretic. I even took my polo shirt off and just left my wet undershirt on. After taking enough pictures of the archaeological site we went back to the van and stayed there enjoying the cool breeze of the aircondition inside the bus while waiting for the others to come back after our set limit time. It was already 1400H during that time and still we have a lot of places to go to after here.
When the time limit had gone and all the passengers gathered at the meeting place then we continued to our next destination, which is to eat lunch because other passengers were complaining of being hungry and besides the driver and the tour guide were also exhausted and hungry as well.
In the bus there were talks that we might probably skip two of the famous sites which were included in the tour package because of the lack of time and also the roads in going there were very treacherous and dangerous. The remaining sites we still needed to see that were included in the tour package were the pyramids of Monte Alban, Hierve del Agua Azul, and the Dominican monastery and the Santo Domingo Church in the outskirts of Oaxaca. But it could be decided after the lunch. So we went back to Mitla and we stopped at a big restaurant in the middle of nowhere, which is a deserted place along the highway, and there were a lot of touring buses parking there.
The restaurant was packed and there were a lot of tourist there. We decided not to eat because we had a heavy breakfast that morning and besides we were nibbling in the bus earlier starting from Oaxaca, to Santa Maria, to Matatlan, to Teotitlan, and Mitla. So apparently our appetites were already loss because it was already 1430H at that time and lunch was already late.
We seated at the far end corner of the restaurant near the children's playground and was lucky to saw a vacant table to sit and pass the time while the others were busy gorging food at this very late time. There we met three young German tourists, one girl and two guys, on their early twenties. Two of them were couples and the other male was just a friend tagging along.
I introduced myself first then asked them about the places they've been. The conversation was very intense and friendly. They've introduced their names to us likewise we did the same but sad to say that I already forgot their identity. (Shame on me!)The girl can speak Spanish well and I was really impressed. She was pretty, too. They also sat there to wait for their other companions who were eating and we've also noticed that they're not eating because they were also full as what they've told us.
We were talking about what we've heard in the bus about shortening our tour and they told us that they've heard the same. They were saying that it was due to the lack of time, because the tour will end at 1830H plus the road to those places were dangerous and they were also crowded with a lot of tourist. We were discussing also about us being ripped off by the touring company and not giving us the exact agreement that they've been charging us. But we can't do otherwise because in reality time was the problem.
At 1500H we gathered at the parking lot and the guide had discussed to us the problem. So it was confirmed that we have to miss some places posted on the flyers. The guide had convened with the group to chose only one among Monte Alban, Agua Azul, and the monastery. The group decided to go to Agua Azul and dropping the remaining two. I was deepy flustered due to the fact that I will be missing the monastery because in the first place that was my goal in coming here, to find my spirituality, so I have to accept the decision of the group. I might probably come back here again to Oaxaca, in the future, to see the remaining two that I have missed. Hopefully on my next visit, fingers crossed.
It was already 1530H when we left the restaurant in Mitla and headed to the municipality of San Lorenzo Albarradas. The guide had warned us that the road in going there was very treacherous and dangerous. We have to go around the mountain because the falls was on the other side of the mountain. We passed by several communities on the way there and the narrow dusty deserted road was very dry and lonely.
It was just like driving in the desert and looking for an oasis. We have to take the narrow, winding unpaved and dusty road up the mountain leading us to the exact site where the Hierve del Agua Azul was located. It was a long dangerous dusty ride and some of the passengers were frightened and screaming inside the bus as the driver thread the bus windingly on the treacherous passage. I was mortified as well and it was a long winding dusty ride indeed.
When we arrived at the mouth of San Lorenzo, we were even furious seeing the other buses that we left at the restaurant arriving there first. We were just told that there was another way in going there but there will be a huge toll fee in order to pass by there. So in order for us to avoid paying the toll fee the guide and the driver decided to pass the treacherous road and had us endangered our life had there was an accident happened.
Good thing there wasn't but it was still a big deal to us passengers especially the old lady seated at the back who was screaming a lot during the long tricky drive up and down the dusty mountain road. I lost count of her saying "Dios Mios and Santa Marias" because I was also concerned of what might happen to us. My friend was just enjoying the ride like a lunatic sitting on a roller coaster. It was very overwhelming and not fun at all. At least we had arrived safely at San Lorenzo. Thank God.
It was already 1630H when we arrived at the site where the Hierve del Agua Azul was located. The area was teeming with tourists and there were also a lot of tourist buses there parking at the wide parking lot. The sun was almost setting down but it was still bright there and crowded. We trekked down the paths going to the water basins for about ten minutes and a very stunning and beautiful site had emerged before us teeming with tourists appreciating the blue water basins and the canopy of plateaus from a distance.
There we saw at the side of a plateau with a deep ravine a rock formation which appears like frothing white water dripping from the side of the cliff. It looks like a big falls but it isn't. That's why it was named as "Hierve" meaning "where the water boils". It was a natural rock shelves formation which rise between fifty to ninety meters from the ravine below, from which it extend nearly white rock formations which look like waterfalls. These formations are created by the fresh water springs, whose water is oversaturated with white calcium carbonates and other natural soil minerals. As the water scurries over the cliffs, the excess minerals are deposited on the sides of the cliffs, much in the same manner that stalactites are being formed in caves.
One of the adjacent cliffs, called the "cascada chica" also known as the small waterfall or the Amphitheater, contains two large artificial pools for swimming as well as a number of small natural pools which appears like a steaming stream with a very distinct suphuric smell and giving a blue hue on the crystal clear water. One of the artificial pools is very near the edge of the cliff and there were a lot of tourist going there to get some pictures of the magnificent and magical view of the place. I never regret going there despite of the tricky road we had passed earlier. It offsets our anxiety earlier, at least. I'm glad we went there. But my heart also bled because I will miss the pyramids in Monte Alban and the beautiful Santo Domingo Church and the Dominican Monastery in Oaxaca.
We spent two hours there appreciating the panoramic view of the Hierve del Agua Azul and it's several blue basins which appeared like a movie screen in front of us. It's just like a 180 degrees of excellent and beautiful view of the place which soothes ones senses once I clicked my camera and captured the magnificent view. It was very awesome and captivating to the sight. I loved the sceneries and the artificial falls spread just in front of us.
It was already almost like 1830H when we left San Lorenzo and the drive back to Oaxaca as what we were told was roughly more than one hour. The sun was gradually setting down from the crimson horizon when we left there and now we used the shortcut road because some of the passengers were complaining not to take that dreaded threacherous and winding road we took earlier when we went there at Hierve del Agua.
I think everybody was so exhausted of the whole day trip and we were all tired as well but it was a very excellent trip and adventure despite we missed two of the most famous sites but still it was a good package deal. It was just the time was not enough because the distances between sites were very far. And the long drive plus the inevitably hot weather had really put a great toll on all of us. But I did not regret coming here and getting lost in the middle of nowhere. Life is just so good!
In the van on the way to Oaxaca all of us were just talking about all our experiences today and were just very interactive at each other compared to the first time we met before we left the city. Now we were more bonded and very chummy at each other. The drive going back to Oaxaca was smoother and the good view of the sun setting down from the horizon as well as the sceneries as the night is slowly creeping in was fabulous and relaxing. An apt moment for us to relax, contemplate our unforgettable adventures, and just enjoy the ride back to the city.
When we arrived at the city the driver dropped each and everyone of us to our respective hotels and we poignantly bade goodbye at each other. We got to the hotel and retrieved our bags then headed to the bus terminal and bought two premier tickets going to San Cristobal, Chiapas. When we got settled inside the bus we were both talking about our day's activities and as well as planning what we will be doing when we arrive in San Cristobal. We left Oaxaca at 2200H and now comfortably sitting on a primier bus going to San Cristobal, Chiapas, which is a good time to rest after spending a hot and tiring tour of the state of Oaxaca.
We gathered that the ride going to San Cristobal will be less than nine hours so it will be morning when we get there. Just enough for us to look for a hotel and leave our stuff then roam the whole place. We planned to spend a night there and just enjoy our stay there roaming and searching for good and nice places to enjoy, appreciate the place, and take good and captivating pictures of some of the beautiful sites there. We were also planning to party and celebrate there. Sounds like a great fun and a good plan!
We slept in the bus not minding what was happening along the road. Our fatigue had succumb us to fall asleep and I was really sleeping it off not even knowing what had happened during the entire night trip. I took two Tylenol tablets earlier, before we left Oaxaca, to ease up my body aches and also to make me feel better the next day. I guess I got addicted to it already but what the heck anyway.
Tomorrow will be another day of fun and adventure for us in San Cristobal de las Casas and I can't wait to have it. I hope it will be a more challenging and fun adventure and experience compared to what we've had in Oaxaca today. I'm looking forward to it. For the meantime, I am also educating myself by reading about San Cristobal and the nearby town from the Wikipedia articles I have downloaded earlier before the bus left Oaxaca. Hopefully, things will be even more better and grander when we get there, fingers crossed.
So, ciao for now and please read on my next blog about our adventures in San Cristobal, Mexico and the nearby towns. I promise you a fun and more fascinating activities ahead. I'm sorry for the delayed article because as I come back to work things are getting busier and harder but all my adventures and experiences were still intact in my head and I can still vividly describe it in words as I write it, but I just needed to buy enough time to recall every intimate moments we had experienced there. So be patient my avid readers and always enjoy what I've written for you.
Hopefully, I did it with much justice and had equally described everything for your own amusement and entertainment for that's the main purpose why I am doing all of these, to make you all happy as well as travel with me in your imaginations. Adios por ahora y tener un buen dia a todos ustedes. Amo a todos!
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