Saturday, January 9, 2016

New Explorations

My tag line for Oaxaca is that you would have to work hard to be bored in this city. Between the "usual" 287 festivals in the state, all of which usually at least include a parade, a mass, and a carnival with rides, food and shopping, and the different music, art, photography, dance or theatre events in the city, being bored in Oaxaca is an exercise in futility. Walk out your door, at the most a few blocks, and there will be a little restaurant with some good food to try, or a guitar player setting up for an evening set where you can have a coffee or a cocktail and people watch and listen for hours. No one pressures you to move along if you have finished your beer, no one brings you the bill without being asked. Ever. Anywhere.

I should caveat that I live right in the city, El Centro. Buses and Gas de Oaxaca trucks and water guys shouting, "AGUA! SUPER AGUA!" pretty much from 7 a.m. onwards. My house backs onto a lounge where folks go and sing the night away and have a great time, and there is what I think might be a puppy mill at the corner. But...

Adventure abounds. Yesterday we went out to test out a new hike, to a town I had been wanting to check out for a while - Lachatao. It was a solid 2 hour drive, and then we had to take pictures of the pretty church while we waited for our guide.


Our guide arrived, a young 13 year old boy named David. Not sure where the "regular" guides were, but this kid was pretty funny. I think he said a total of 10 things while we walked for three hours, but he could walk, and knew the trail. I think he checked his phone 20 times, though. Ralph asked him if he was chatting to his novia (girlfriend) but he said no, just a buddy.

It was unfortunately an out and back hike, versus a circuit, but it was pretty. The moss on the trees was really quite pretty, and made the shady part of the walks very special.

Ralph asks what the moss was doing in the trees.
Hanging out.. I think...

The hike was about 8 kilometers, and the trail led down to the river. It was a nice trail, certainly lots of up and down, great views, lots of shady places to catch your breath and lots of flat spots to be able to just enjoy a walk in the woods. We stopped by the river for a break, Ralph fell in the river, and we declined the offer to go see "the figure of the virgin in the rock". 

(Side note: Remember years ago, there was this article about the face of Jesus appearing on the slice of toast? It must have happened to a Mexican. I think I am going to start counting how many times in my life as an immigrant here I am encouraged to see the face or figure of the Virgin in a rock/tree/bush/etc.)


At the end of the hike, we had an opportunity to don the cutest little helmets in order to explore the old Cinco SeƱores mine. Very cool. Not bored. Even a little bit.

John, David (guide), Laura, Ralph and Tanya.

1 comment:

alisong said...

You need to take pictures of those virgins in the trees/rocks/encheladas. You could write a book ;)