Back to Oaxaca

Arriving back in Oaxaca we went back to the beautiful Hotel Posada Catarina we had stayed at before leaving for our hike. It is located on a street southwest of the Zocalo.


view from Oaxaca hotel rooftop patio

It is spacious, elegant with small garden patios and a dramatic roof terrace. It even had a television. But more importantly, it had an amazing hot water shower and bathroom. This was especially important after our hike and bus ride.


view from Oaxaca hotel rooftop patio


view from Oaxaca hotel rooftop patio


Seeing Monte Alban on April 9th is it understandable that it is considered to be one of Mexico's most impressive sites.

Monte Alban

Before retiring for the evening we booked a tour for the next morning to Monte Alban.
Monte Alban was first occupied around 500 B.C., probably by the Zapotecs (indigenous people in Mexico) from the start. Archaeologists divide Monte Alban history into five phrases. The years up to about 200 BC saw the leveling of the hilltop, the building of temples and probably palaces, and the growth of the town of 10,000 or more people on the hillsides. Hieroglyphs and dates in a dot-and-bar system carved during
this era may mean that the elite of M.A. were the first people to use writing, and a written calendar, in Mexico. Between 200 BC and AD 300 M.A. the city came to dominate more and more of Oaxaca. The city with its peak from about 300 to 700, when the main and surrounding hills were terraced for dwellings and the populations reached about 25,000. Most of what we saw dates from this time.


Monte alban


Monte Alban was the center of a highly organized, priest dominated society, controlling the extensively irrigated Valles Centrales, which held at least 200 other settlements and ceremonial centers.

Many Monte Alban building were plastered and painted red and the architecture (a stepped building style with alternating vertical and sloping sections). Nearly 170 underground tombs from this period have been found.

Between about 700 and 900 Monte Alban, the place was abandoned and 40,000 people dispersed and settled in other area, and M.A. fell into ruin. Many believe that this happened because of drought. Monte Alban, Phase V saw minimal activity, except that Mixtecs (indigenous people in Mexico) arriving from northwestern Oaxaca reused old tombs here to bury their own dignitaries. This was a truly amazing site to see the morning of Thursday, April 9th.


wooden 'alebrijes' carved figures



Leaving Monte Alban we proceeded to the town of San Antonio Arrazola which specializes in alebrijes, figures carved in copal wood creating fantastic zoology.

Leaving San Antonio Arrazola we proceeded to the town of Culilapan De Guerrero, a magnificant site with an outstanding open chapel.


open chapel church


open chapel church

The unfinished church of basilica base and the ex convent is truly spectacular. From this beautiful site, we went to the indigenous market in Zaachila where you could buy food, i.e, fruit, vegetables, fish Mexican aprons, hardware items, etc.


open chapel church


Taking a self-directed tour of churches on Thursday evening, we visited the Iglesia de La Compania and the Iglesia de San Juan de Dios, the latter is a beautiful small 17th church on the site of Oaxaca's first church, which was built in 1526.


church in Oaxaca

The 18th century baroque Templo de San Felipe Neri is where Benito Juarez (the first indigenous president) and Margarita Maza were married in 1843.


Back in Oaxaca City one of the beautiful Churches here


After visiting this magnificent church we headed four blocks north of the cathedral to the gorgeous Santo Domingo it is considered to be the most splended of Oaxaca's churches. It was build mainly between 1570 and 1608 as part of the city's Dominican monastery, with the finest artisans from Peubla and elsewhere helping in it construction. Like other big buildings in this earthquake-prone region, Santo Domingo has immensely thick stone walls. Amid the fine carving on the baroque facade, the figure holding a church is Santo Domingo de Guzmain, the Spanish monk who founded the Dominican order (1172-1221). The Dominicans observed strict vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and in Mexico they protected the indigenous people from other colonists' excesses. This vow is difficult to understand when you see the church as nearly every square inch of the church's interior is decorated in 3-D relief, elaborate coloured and gilt designs swirl around a profusion of painted figures.


Church next to Zocalo in Oaxaca City


Back in Oaxaca City, the Zocalo

The entire church had a magically warm glow in the candlelight.


church in Oaxaca



onion skin decorations

We thought it was lovely, other tourists, primarily Mexican, also walking
through the churches as we were on the Thursday evening before Good
Friday. We later found out that it is a Semana Santa custom to visit
seven churches on the Thursday. It is no wonder the churches were
decorated in such a glorious fashion.


Semana Santa decorations


Semana Santa street procession


Semana Santa street procession



Oaxaca church


Semana Santa street procession


Semana Santa street procession

In our self-directed tour of Churches, we also visited the Basilica de La Soledad. This Church was in the poorer section of town. However, it also was breath-taking. It seems that people come from all over the world every year because someone saw a vision at this site and consequently built the church there. Beside this church there were many vendors selling various kinds of food and the area seemed to be a very social gathering place, like the Zocalo.


worlds largest tree 'el Tule'


The evening was complete with a full moon overlooking our evening journey.

Hike

While on our four-day hike we experienced elevations ranging from 2200m to over 3200m, various landscapes with canyons, caves, crags, waterfalls and panoramic lookouts.

Map of Pueblos Mancommunados area and our hike

The villages themselves were simple, but picturesque places with unique local history or culture.


Picture of our guides, Mother and 10-year daughter



The road on the beginning of our hike from Cuajimoloyas to Latuvi - 20km.


During our hike we were accompanied by local guides of Zapotec origin, who spoke Spanish, but not English. However they were knowledgeable about the plants, wildlife and ecology of these sierras. We managed to communicate with hand gestures and some Spanish.


Scenery along the hike

While hiking, we experienced many different ecosystems, from lowland deciduous forest to cloud forest in one day. Luckily for us, we are well-versed in the art of layering clothes to be comfortable.



Scenery on the way to Latuvi

Our first day was an extremely hot day. The heat makes the walk much more gruelling. Luckily, we were hiking on forest paths most of the way. Thankfully, our second day was cloudy at times with a spit of drops of rain.

Scenery along the hike

But, the sun did eventually come out as did the warm weather again.


Beautiful flowers on trail


Rose bushes along the trail


Our third day was somewhat cooler initially, but became warmer again. This was bearable as we were walking in the forest shade often.


Lookout scene during hike and point at which guides were changed.


Our forth day was very warm again. It was a difficult hike in terms of elevation changes happening very quickly. We were also in a hurry to make certain that we caught the bus in Cuiajimoloyas as we suspected it was the only bus to Oaxaca that day.


Guide and Gerald as we begin our hike to LaNeveria, 12km.

In the villages we stayed in cabanas. They are made of mud-brick and wood, with tile floors, fireplaces and hot-water bathrooms. They are built especially for the tourists. This is how the villages make a lot of their money.

View from Cabana (place we stayed) in Latuvi

In the evening, at a time we would ask, someone would come and make a fire in our ´chimney´to take the mountain chill out of our cabana. This was also helpful for drying the clothes we had washed from our hike of the day. We could not believe how dirty we got.


MaryIris and Gerald on hike


MaryIris climbing waterfall


While staying in the villages for the evening there was little choice regarding dinner plans, i.e., one “restaurant“ or dinner at a local family“s home. There was little dinner selection, i.e., soup, bread and or a fresh trout dinner complete with lettuce and radishes and avocado. These dinners cost approximately $3.00 to $4.00.

We now know enough Spanish to get what we want for breakfast and they were wonderful, as no one spoke English in the places we ate. We were able to order, avocado, eggs, tortillas and refried beans complete with black coffee and coffee with milk. In the villages coffee is served with sugar already added in a bowl.

Enjoying the beach in Puerto Escondido and the relaxed atmosphere, we
hated to leave. However, we needed to get back to Oaxaca to begin our
four-day hike in the Peublos Mancomunados area.

Given the previous trecherous bus ride of 6.5 hours, we decided to take an
plane from Puerto Escondido back to Oaxaca City. It was a very small
eight-sitter plane, taking us a half hour to get to Oaxaca.

Arriving in Oaxaca City, we found a hotel for the night and stored most of
our luggage, keeping only enough for a daypack that we would be carrying
during our four-day hike in the Sierra Norte.

The Pueblos Mancommunados (Commonwealth of Villages) are eight remote
Zapotech villages in the thicky forested highlands north of the Valle de
Tlacolula. For centuries, in a unique form of cooperation the villages have
pooled the natural resources of their 290-sq-km territory, which includes
extensive pine and oak forests, sharing the profits from forestry and
other enterprises. Today seven of the villages also cooperate in an
ectotourism program program that offers more than 100km of scenic trails.
Elevations range from 2200m to over 3200m.

The pueblos mancomunados, or joint villages, are run like, for all intensive purposes, a cooperative. All the land is owned communally by the whole village and is allocated to individuals to work, with the proceeds being shared by everyone. When a young person comes of age, they are given a year to decide whether they wish to become part of the commune or want to leave. Some do leave, with the USA and Mexico City being the main destinations. If they decide to stay, they are allocated land, but also have to give one year in three to the community. Jobs are also divided up between the villages, with individuals being elected to particular roles. These include running the tourist facilities or running the village shop. Smaller jobs, liking cleaning the cabins or being a guide, are also divided up, but you may find that your guide may also have another job, such as police chief! The villages also organize business, like timber extraction or running trout farms, which you are likely to see on your treks. Everyone has a stake in the system and in making it work, particularly the tourist business. For this reason, being among these people is a delight, as they are very open and friendly, making it a particularly relaxing place to spend time.


I had forgotten to take my silk underwear for this experience. Preparing
for the trip, I found a pair of long, black tights with sparkle stones up
the sides. It was not an easy thing to find in the 30-degree climate in
Oaxaca. They cost $9.00. It was an interesting store with much activity.

Spending the night in Oaxaca, storing our luggages in two hotels, we left
the next morning Sunday, April 5th, walking to the Second-Class bus
station in the dark 6.30 a.m. We had lost an hour´s sleep due to a time
change. The Second-Class Bus Station was very busy in the morning, with
some people drinking beer at 7.00 a.m. The bathroom in the Bus Station had
a barrel outside from which to take a pail of water to flush the toilet
and wash your hands. Any additional luggage people taking the bus had was
placed on the roof of the bus. The bus left at 8.00 a.m., taking two hours
to reach our destination of Cuajimoloyas. We immediately noticed that it
was much cooler here than in Oaxaca City. We wondered if we had brought
enough clothes to wear, given our small daypacks.


Rose bushes along the trail



Patio and view outside our cabana in La Neveria




Scene from hike from La Neveria to Benito Juarez, 8km.



Scene from hike from La Neveria to Benito Juarez, 8km.


Picture of fireplace in Cabana in Benito Juarez



Monument of Benito Juarez in town square.



Gerald with Guide, Alonzo on way to Cuajimoloyas, 8km.



Gerald eating grasshoppers in Oaxaca City



Courtyard of Hotel Pasada in Oaxaca City



picture 55

Oxaca to Puerto Escondido

Consequently, we decided to go to Puerto Escondido and then return to go
on our hike and then stay in Oaxaca for the Easter festivities.

The next morning we took an early bus to Puerto Escondido, Express
Service. The Express Service is a 16-seat van that goes directly over the
mountains. It is the shortest amount of time to get to P.E. However, we
had been warned by our friend not to take this route. Well, he was right.
The six-hour bus ride could have made us seasick with its continual side
to side motion interrupted by speed bumps every so often that would lift
you to the ceiling of the bus almost. The bus driver did give us a
20-minute break for a bathroom and lunch break in a village in the
mountains. You can guess that the bathroom and ´restaurant´facilities
were not the best. However, we did finally arrive in Puerto Escondido and
the search was on for a place to stay.


Road to Peurto Escondido from window of worse 6.5 hour bus ride ever


Road to Peurto Escondido from window of worse 6.5 hour bus ride ever



Arriving in Puerto Escondido we must have been shell-shocked by the bus experience and overwhelmed with again the difference in temperature, as it was very hot and humid, given the accommodation we decided to stay in. We can only tell you that the area and the grounds were lovely, as was the pool. However, we did not appreciate the student-housing look at the end of April and the small lizard climbing the wall and ceiling in our room in the middle of the night. We didn´t mind the Spanish music blaring from the bar on the other side of the room. We decided that night that we were going to be looking for another place the next morning.

We do have to say that one of the very nice things about this accommodation were the restaurants, and grocery store around the corner. We had a delicious Aztec Soup and stuffed green pepper Mexican style. It was a wonderful evening out. Then we went to the local grocery store where internet and two large screen t.v.´s were playing. When we began on the internet the outside cafe was fairly empty. As we worked on the internet a soccer game began between Mexico and Honduras.

As we inputted information on the computer we could hear the noise behind us grow louder and louder. When we turned around the patio was full of soccer fans wildly cheering their teams on. We had to leave it was much too noisy to continue. The grocery store assured us that after the game, the place would again be very, very, quiet.

The next morning we headed to Playa Zicatela which is the main Puerto Escondido beach. Playa Zicatela is the long stretch of beach located on the east side of Puerto Escondido.


Scene of beach in Playa Zicatela beach in Peurto Escondido

It is the main surfing area for Puerto Escondido, attracting surfers from all over the world, and is the site of annual surfing competitions in August and November.


Scene of Playa Zicatela beach in Peurto Escondido from balcony of room in Beuno Vista Hotel


The principal surfing season runs April through November when ground swells in the 6-15 foot (2-5 meter) range break into hollow tubes. For expert surfers only. Not for swimmers.


Warning flag of dangerous beach, no swimming, due to significant waves and undertow.


The November competition is associated with Puerto Escondido's Fiesta de Noviembre. The Mexpipe and World Masters Championships are held in August.


Scene of Playa Zicatela beach in Peurto Escondido from balcony of room in Beuno Vista Hotel



We were pleasantly surprised to encounter a beach with enticing cafes, restaurants and waves of the legendary Mexican Pipeline, which tests experienced surfers from far and wide. The waves are said to reach the height of 12 metres. The beach was truly beautiful. The waves were amazing to watch.

In the Playa Zicatela we found the Hotel Buena Vista. It is set on the main street above and is reached by a steep flight of steps up from Calle del Morro (street). From our breezy balcony high up on the top floor we could sit watch and listen to the waves during the afternoon sun and while falling asleep in the night.