Vagabond and Beyond: Oaxacan highlands to Pacific sunsets

Oaxaca City is like a larger version of San Cristobal, pretty cool colonial town with loads to do. We stayed in Casa GiGi a B&B that is like your grannies house. She even woke us up when the savage breakfast was on the table in her homely (plates on the wall from places she had been) dinning room. The second night we happened to be there was the night that La Carrera Panamericana 2011, Mexican Road Race, was passing through. It's like the Gumball rally that you might have heard of that goes through some European countries. It created a class atmosphere for our first night there along with the setting up of decorations for Dia de Los Muertos.

Loads of trips to do around Oaxaca so we decided to do most of them as we would be taking it easy at our next stop of Puerto Escondido. We signed up for a full day trip that took us to some ruins, a tree (you'll see why!), a Mezcal distillery, a traditional textile village and a petrified waterfall. Close to Oaxaca is the massive El Tule tree in Santa Maria del Tule which has a circumference of over 160 feet and is over 2000 years old making it one of the oldest living things on the planet and the largest tree in the world by circumference. In the photo below you can see how it completely dwarfs the large church beside it. Craftily we didn't have to pay the entrance fee as Sarah found a way into the church grounds opposite the side the tour buses drop you off from. A good stop off on the way to the textile village of Teotitlan where we saw how they make the traditional rugs and textiles. Most interesting stuff was how they get the colours (for the trademark red colour of the Zapatec people they use the cocoon of an insect that lives in a cactus leaf). After a few demonstrations they were on to the selling to the tourists!! Prices were a bit crazy and a jumper I was looking to get was 4 times cheaper in a village we later visited in Mitla. Next up was the Mezcal distillery to learn about the infamous hard drink, comes in loads of different flavours and strengths so we had to try at least half of them out! After you drink the stronger versions you take an orange slice and dip it in this orange powder which is made from the agave worm that you find in the bottom of some Mezcal bottles. Some were pretty nice but we refrained ourselves from buying an entire bottle and stuck to the free samples! Odd enough having a few shots before next going on to the Zapatec ruins of Mitla. Ruins were nice, detail of most the buildings have lasted well over the last 2,000 years but they were small and hard to find impressive after the several great ruins we have seen so far.

Last place on a long day of tours was the Hierve El Agua (Spanish for "the water boils") which is a set of natural rock formations that look like waterfalls. It wasn't till I got there did I realise that they weren't actual waterfalls because all I had seen were some photos! To get there we had to go through two tolls as two towns claim ownership of the Hierve El Agua so both want the financial benefit of them. One of the towns is about 30 mins from them so they're just in on the scam. Apparently the dispute has been going on a while and the site is closed down sometimes due to arguments between the two communities. Hierve El Agua; "These formations are created by fresh water springs, whose water is over saturated with calcium carbonate and other minerals. As the water scurries over the cliffs, the excess minerals are deposited, much in the same manner that stalactites are formed in caves. One of the cliffs contains two large pools for swimming as well as a number of small natural pools. "One of the pools is very near the edge of the cliff which from below makes it look like you are standing on a waterfall. Well worth the trip out here and the two tolls; check out the pictures below, great views of the valley below.

Booked our night bus to Puerto Escondido to enjoy the beach and sun so we decided to go to the ruins of Monte Alban that day. Really didn't want to go out to more ruins but after finding out that they are ranked among the best in Mexico (and highly recommended by Amy!) and with no plans till our night bus later on we had no excuse. Finally got the haircut as well, walked in to a place and pointed at a photo and hoped for the best. Turned out pretty well seeing as all I did was point at a photo-the barber was very meticulous and spent over half an hour perfecting it. We stayed a bit out from the centre of town and after booking the bus to Monte Alban I decided to run back for the camera that we forgot to bring while Sarah waited with her book in the Zocalo. After sprinting for about half an hour in the blistering sun and catching a crappy bus back into the centre we had 2 minutes to catch our bus. Just had enough time to tell Sarah we need to sprint it to catch the bus (she had no watch so didn't realise how late we were). Lost Sarah after the first turn and after going back I had no idea where she was. Thought it best to go to the bus stop and hope she could find it. I got there with no sign of Sarah and bus was just leaving and when I was trying to explain to the bus guy that I was waiting for someone that I had no idea where they were (in my terrible Spanish) Sarah popped up.

After all that drama, we were finally on the way to the ruins on top of a mountain overlooking Oaxaca City. At the end of it all it was one of our favourite ruins with great views of the valley below and nice relaxing setting (no traders around wrecking our heads!!) where you could chill out and lie out on the grass. The place is famous for stone carvings of tortured chiefs of other states (keeping in line with happy stories from around the ancient Mayan world). At some of the ruins across the road from the main site there was a group of people dressed in white hooded robes performing some ceremony. Seemed very cult like and we went over (Sarah wanted to join them but I convinced her to sit nearby) after seeing the main ruins and it was just odd. People in a circle holding spears while a cult like leader dressed in yellow with dreads and a beard(a shaman perhaps?) walking around people with incense, playing drums and other stuff. More Sarah's thing I'd have to say! : )

Night bus to Puerto Escondido was the worst bus trip we have ever been on. The roads are shit! Plain and simple. And the bus sucked too, people standing the whole way and knocking into our seats. The bus just kept turning and turning making any sleep impossible. People were also sleeping below in the cargo holds, was an odd journey and not one I want to do again. Apparently that 8/9 hour journey will become a 2 hour one when they finally build a highway between the two cities. However, apparently the corrupt Mayor in Escondido has spent most of the money on a lavish 5 star hotel with none of the highway built and now funds are low so it might take about 20 years to build it as all they have done is the planning stage. Ah corruption and embezzlement, we must be in a Central American country...

Our place in Puerto, Sunset Point, is a beautiful place with the most chilled out owner you could hope for (think Jeff Bridges as The Dude in The Big Lebowski), a massive pool, great hang out area/outdoor kitchen and 5 minutes to the beach. The weather was sunny every day and about 30 degrees. Exactly what we wanted and our plan for the week; get up late and roll from our bed to the lounger poolside and enjoy the Escondido life. Cooked for ourselves most of time, you would think this wasn't being lazy but we didn't want to trek down to the restaurants along the beach. Some of the Aussie guys cooked some Mahi-Mahi on the BBQ they caught that day, tried some and it was bleedin' delish! We ventured a couple of times down to the beach to watch the surfers and a couple of sunsets. Waves were massive and all the surfers seemed to be class. Sunset over the Pacific looked amazing with the giant waves, rock points and people surfing. We also met up with Sarah's cousin who she hasn't seen since she was about two. He's staying in Puerto for a few months and who could blame him (we know we'll be back some day). Not much else to report from Puerto Escondido except there was a bit of a party atmosphere as all the Aussies staying there would do was eat, drink and surf. We had a pretty good Halloween party on the beach for our last night but we'll put the photos from that on my next blog as it will be about Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos). So next up is a night bus back to San Cristobal to celebrate Dia de los Muertos.