Diary of 3 Weeks in Mexico

10pm Wednesday
June 27th

Well its been about 36 hours in the United States... I made it home safely yesterday afternoon. The flights were a breeze: no delays, no lost luggage, the parents came to pick me up (relatively) on time...

It feels a little strange to be home... a little like the month of June was a dream that never happened as you so easily fall into routine at home. But even it it was a dream, it was a good one.

Tomorrow is my first day of the real world... I start my new job at 9am tomorrow morning... and being so, this is my last entry.

Thank you all so much for reading. You have no idea how much it meant to me to share this experience with each of you, and to recieve your emails and comments and updates on your lives.

See you soon,
Julie

June 26th 6:15am
Tuesday

My last days in Mexico flew by~ of course vacation days always do. I’ve just boarded my first plane bound for home, the exact route I took to get here, but in reverse: Houston, Cleveland, Syracuse. I’ll be in the states before nine and home with my parents for the night around 5pm.

We arrived back at the hostel at about 10 the other night and stayed up for awhile emailing family and talking with our hostel friends. We’ve stayed in this same hostel 7 or 8 nights now and have gotten to know the owner and staff and other familiar faces. Exhausted from the weekend we fell into bed about midnight and we slept in yesterday morning… our last day in Mexico was overall quite relaxing. We had brunch with our friend Becky who walked us to her favorite café- a fifties style place with a lot on the menu and great prices.

We chatted for more than an hour and were the only women in the restaurant the whole time. Men came in and out~ either settling by themselves at one large table reading a newspaper and asking for a shoe shine, or in a small bunches gathering in the back to play dominoes or chess. It was a really interesting little bubble- a small slice of a different lifestyle we got to peek into.

After lunch I decided to spend the afternoon at the lake – Lake Chapala is the largest lake in Mexico and small towns border the water’s northern edge, just less than an hour south of Guadalajara. I chose to hop off the bus in Ajijic – a town that could be described as quintisential, but wealthy Mexico. The old streets are narrow and slope downward from the rolling mountains to the lake. The townspeople walk wherever they’re going and there’s only one traffic light in the whole town. The streets leading down to the lake are filled with beautiful shops and fine dining restaurants… and the houses are beautiful.

For such a small town there were a lot of real estate agencies and American couples- and I noticed this place to be a town for retired couples, offering a warm, friendly, easily maneuverable town, with one of everything, other English speakers, a lake and very American-friendly people. It was quite an enjoyable little day trip~ and the bus dropped me back in Guadalajara before 7.

Kristen and I had dinner at our favorite plaza – at the Fenix bar- our most frequented café in the plaza with the church- our last Mexican mean and the first in a few days that hasn’t made my stomach feel sick. It seems the change in diet had begun to upset my insides… but that’s alright. I still enjoyed most of what I tried, and am glad I did at least try.

We spent the night with our hostel friends, having a drink, packing, calling home, and arranging last minute details for the morning. Kristen’s still in bed and has a few more hours until her flight leaves, so we said goodbye quickly at 430 as my cab waited outside.

Looking back, the month of June has passed so quickly, though it feels like so long ago when we began our adventure arriving and meeting in the airport. So much we’ve seen, accomplished, enjoyed, we crammed so much into these 22 days. Yet it’s been incredibly relaxing allowing plenty of time for 5 books worth of reading, lots of writing, some movies and a few mornings sleeping in or days resting on the beach. A bit of a variety of everything Mexico offers, together with Kristen and the people we met along the way… this has made the month an incredible experience. I am going to also be so grateful for this journal. I’ve spent hours deciding how to best describe things and trying to mention everything for I feel that only by recording my experiences can I take some of what I’ve seen home with me.

Coming to Mexico, I didn’t know exactly what I was getting into, recalling my first journal entries, I was so nervous and unsure. This trip and Mexico itself has surpassed all my expectations. It seems while, yes, Mexico is poor in parts, very agricultural, and sometimes behind the times – it’s often by choice. Life is simpler, people are happy, super friendly, accepting, have pride in their country, and are super family orientated. Many Americans have tainted perceptions of what Mexico is~ I can tell you what it is not: its not a country that everyone wants to leave and risk their lives crossing the US border, people aren’t all poor dirty and vengeful toward Americans. The landscapes can be breathtaking and being here can teach you priceless information about your own life. I’m quite sad to leave today.

I thought coming to Mexico would let me cross a country/place of the life list. I found instead I want to explore it further ~ one day visiting the Yuketan and Cozumel, possibly a trip to Mazatlan and Baja’s La Paz, and hopefully one day returning to Guanajuato.

I’ve got a lot of traveling to do.

June 24th
Sunday, 5:45pm

Sometimes I feel like I don´t know where to start with these journal entries- when too much time has passed, crammed with too many things to share- it´s so hard to make a decision- and then to remember to write each of things I want to remember forever.

With that being said, it serving no purpose but to delay my decisions further, I´ll begin again with just how much Ive loved this beautiful city. We just got back on a bus and I was so sad to say goodbye- this is the first place in Mexico where I really think I could have stayed forever- and really feel the need to return to. It´s such a charming place, with fun friendly people, great restaurants and bars, and so many things to see and do.

We went out early(ish) yesterday morning to hop a bus to the mummy museum- apparently this town, known for and wealthy because of mining, in the early 1900´s discovered a cemetary of about 150 not decomposed, but rather mumified bodies. Surprised scientists have decided this mumification is due in part to a high concentration of mineral in the soil. Anyway, now almost 100 of these mummified bodies, excavated in the early 1900´s are on display, each with their own story, in a newly redone museum on the city´s westside. Being the Mexicans are so infatuated with celebrating the dead (ex. El Dia de Los Muertos) this museum, though morbid and grotesque, is culturally fascinating.

We then hopped a second bus to the Ex-hacienda de San Gabriel... This hacienda spanning 17 acres- is the most beautiful estate Ive ever seen. As you stroll through the gardens, past glorious sculptures, fountains, plazas and delicate buildings, around each corner you reach another magnificently beautiful surprise awaits. The buildings making up the hacienda are equally as gorgeous- now housing a museum that showcases what life was like for the hacienda´s owners displaying rooms filled with luxuries antiques and feeling like a palace. Part of the hacienda that was the community kitchen and some living space has also been converted into an artisan shop with some of the most beautifully painted pottery I´ve ever seen.

We walked back to the downtown are from the hacienda, leisurely strolling through parks, and past beautiful aquiducts and artisans plazas. One of the parks was playing host to a dog show and attack dog demonstration by the local police. We walked through the cages of the beautifully primped and proper dogs, as well as the puppies for sale, stopping to pet a few of our favorites.

After a brief rest we met up with a friend we´d met earlier in the trip, in Puerto Vallarta, Fernando for dinner in our favorite plaza. Fernando only speaks spanish so it was so good to challenge myself with complicated discussion topics in Spanish. After dinner we walked east a few blocks past the University and Basilica and discovered the most magical theatre and the Jardin Union (the city´s main plaza and gardens though there are a great bunch of quaint plazas throughout the city) as well as the Catholic Temple. Suggesting a trip to the Monument of Pipila, we boarded a little trolly to take us up a steep hill to an overlook of the gorge. From there all the gardens, university grounds and beautiful churches could be seen and scattered amongst the colorful buildings- all set with a backdrop of rolling green mountains and big puffy clouds.

The monument behind us, set on the highest point on the hill is an ode to a man named Pipila...famous in all eyes in Guanajuato. The monument is huge- about 30 meters high, it was built in 1939 and commemorates Pipila, the miner who torched the Alhondiga´s front door and opened the way for a riotous masacre of the Spanish during the war of independence. Like the Statue of Liberty, Pipila also holds a torch in his stone hand, and the Guanajuatians also explain it as a symbol of freedom.

We then decided to go for a drink (or 2) at a really cute bar playing live Mexican music... or more truly live music in Spanish. The second floor bar overlooked Calle Juarez, the city´s main street and proved the perfect spot for people watching. At about 9:30 we left to shower and get ready for a night out. We found a bar crowded with students offering all mixed drinks with tequila for only 1 peso before 11:30 - 1 peso is not even 10 cents in American dollars... and we got two drinks in before the deal ended. We left to find some dancing and instead found a break dancing competition at an underground bar with the feel of a cave. We bar hopped a few more times, often not even ordering a drink, but playing some foosball and observing the atmosphere. We ended up dancing for awhile at the same bar we had started at, but it had become extremely crowded and we didnt stay long.

Church bells and fireworks woke us up this morning as the Mexican Catholics are celebrating ´El Dia de San Juan´ in honor of St. John and like the Spaniards, everyone named after that saint celebrates the day as if it´s their own birthday.

Curious to go to a Mexican mass, as we´ve observed catholicsm as such an intregal part of Mexican familial culture, Fernando offered to go with me to church this morning. At 10am, we passed a few of the grand churches halfway through masses and packed full of people. After asking around, we discovered El Templo de Compania- also filled with people but had a mass that was just beginning (or at least close enough). The Temple was one of the most magnificent churches Ive yet seen and has quite a story- as it was originally built as a Jesuit Temple and college in the 1700´s, but was shut down in 1785 when the Jesuits were expelled from Spanish colonial America. The building later sparked the founding of the University and now serves as yet another of the 6 main catholic churches in the city- and all are packed full offering a stack of masses at each. The old school, once part of the Jesuit Temple, now houses a museum of art. Anyway, mass was absolutely beautiful with the powerful organ and the blended choir voices resonating through the grand stone-columned and brightly but simply decorated inside.

We met up with Kristen for breakfast back in our favorite plaza before a long stroll through all parts of town left to be explored. We ended our walk with a search for El Callejon de los Besos- a tiny, steep, winding alley with brightly colored and tiny buildings serving as a barrier on each side of the street, leaving room for just two people to walk through side by side. There we met little 8-year-old Augustine who proceeded to tell us about the legend that makes the street so famous- the one with the father angry at his daughter´s choice for a lover... but then explained that now the church is good luck and kissing someone in different ways on the third step of the street brings different kinds of good luck to the kissing couple... the best luck comes though when kissing a Mexican man of course.. Augustine got kisses from both Kristen and I, what a lucky little guy.

We spent the afternoon in the Jardin Union at a cafe broadcasting the big USA vs. Mexico soccer game on the patio. The game was very exciting and the crowd continuously grew and intensified throughout the 90 minutes of play time. With USA actually pulling out the 2-1 victory, Fernando as well as all the Mexicans in the place were clearly upset with mine and Kristen´s presence... so we paid our bill and left quickly.

Saying goodbye to Fernando and this awesome city was such a sad moment. I really had the most fantastic of weekends. I did notice posted fliers in the bus station though looking for english teachers for a private school in town.. that also pays for the teacher to take classes at the University... so who knows? Maybe I´ll be back sometime soon.

June 23 8:30am
Saturday

Do you ever just LOVE something instantly? With me instant love comes with things like kittens and babies... with them its an easy and instant decision to love. It takes me quite awhile for most other things... I think about and observe, people, places, new foods, etc. There are instant attractions I would say, but not normally do I proclaim love so instantly.

From the moment our bus drove into this city of Guanajuato yesterday afternoon, I´ve loved it, hands down, sold...best stop yet. We´d heard about Guanajuato through a few friendly Mexican recommendations, looked it up in our books and went for it, even though we knew most tourists dont visit here. Its definitly been a great decision, as if you cant already tell by my enthusiasm.

Guanajuato is in the exact middle of Mexico and is in one of the smallest provinces- serving as its capitol. It´s set in a gorge, brightly colored homes crawling up the steep hillsides, enormous churches, markets, plazas and gardens in the valley. The largest and most well known of all the Mexican Universities is here- and it is a beautiful place- offering the city a very young, energetic and academic feel. The streets are all stone and very narrow, and most people walk wherever they need to go. Though a fairly large city, it has a very intimate feel. To be more practical and provide for modern times, Guanajuato underwent its own version of Boston´s Big Dig, creating an intricate tunnel system underneath the city... unlike many other modern Mexican cities who have sacrificed beauty and age knocking down whole blocks of ancient buildings to expand the city streets.

Guanajuato is known for the legends and stories it carries... legends of a father beheading his own daughter for dating a forbidden lover on a small side street in the middle of town; tales of Hidalgo´s conquests beginning here and then the finality of his end, his head hanging from the side of the grain factory for all to see. Tales of mummies and uprisings, and romantic dances well into the night. This city- so filled with culture and fables has become a world heritage site and has provided people like Diego Rivera a home and a source for artistic inspiration.

We got into the city at around 4 yesterday and then realized it was both graduation weekend and the beginning of summer studies at the university- meaning hotel rooms were sparse and rates were raised. After a walk of aggrivation we found a bit of a tour guide .. a random hotel worker... who helped us find an open room at a brand new and very nice hostel on a side street right in the heart of the city. We´re very excited about it too for a few reasons.. 1) for the first time in about a week we have hot water for showers in our own private bathroom and 2) telivision in our own private bedroom...the downside being a small party of ants has joined us at some point throughout the night.

After settling and refreshing, we made our way out to explore the neighborhood a bir more, going down into the central market, and up the western hill a little way to see the Alhondiga de Granaditas- where Hidalgo´s head was hung along with 3 other Mexican wartime leaders, on hooks from each of the corners of the building, by the newly victorious Spaniards hoping to send a harsh message to any potential uprisers. We then walked through the Diego Rivera museum set in his own birth home. The four-story home was beautiful; the first floor housed some original furniture and history of the family and the remaining 3 floors a few pieces from each of his aspects of artistic talent- from impressionist pieces, to cubist work, religious photography, and school sketches. It was a really sweet museum- the house and display areas make it feel cozy and inviting, also giving you the sense that you are seeing more than what there really is.

We then sat down for what we thought would be a quick dinner in the Plaza de San Fernando- where we found really cheap and super great food and drinks... and then at about 7pm, the dancing began. All these couples took thier spot on the plaza´s main open square and performed traditional and formal Mexican dances. We ordered another drink after dinner and moved closer to watch both the dancers and the crowd congregating to see them. We stayed until almost 9 and then leisurely walked back to the hostel... first stopping at an internet cafe and then to pick up dessert.

We learned this city becomes even more lively on a Friday night after listening to the music from the discos and the students shouting from the streets as the sounds mixed together and drifted into our window late into the night. But tonight we plan to go out and enjoy the fun for real- to a disco for the first time since we´ve been here. That´s a little unbelievable, even to us, but we´ve just not felt entirely comfortable in some places going out just the two of us, or have just been so exhausted most nights after long days of sight seeing, we´ve been completely satisfied with sharing some conversation and maybe a few drinks in the plaza.

Im so excited to further explore this city and to discover and experience more of its charm and rediculous legends today. I am so glad we´ve come.

Thursday
June 21 6:20pm

I love the way the earth looks from the sky. I really think I could fly for days and days at about 10,000 feet and be completely content and entertained watching the world below me. Once you fly into and above the clouds though, most of the entertainment slips away as now looking out your window: everything is white, puffy and the same for as far as your eyes can see. We´re at about 30,000 feet now and there are some breaks in the clouds allowing every now and again a little glimpse of the world below. We took off from Oaxaca on time tonight about a half hour ago- so we´re already almost halfway through the flight as we plan to arrive in Guadalajara again at just about seven.

We had a very pleasant last day in Oaxaca. After coming home yesterday, we spent the night inside our cozy little bed and breakfast, taking full advantage of all its amenities. We watched ¨Raising Arizona¨- potentially the most rediculous movie I´ve ever seen and don´t recommend it- in the Casa´s library, napped, read, showered, and then went to a late cena in the dining room with the other guests. We were joined for the first time tonight by the Casa`s owners- Jane and Thornton- a well travelled, energetic and enthusiastic pair of about 65, and a new guest, Jenny- a very wealthy woman in her early 30´s who translates private films and is currently contracted to work on a project for the History Channel. Together with another couple from Oregon, taking Spanish lessons here and planning to stay until mid-July, we had quite a lively conversation. Being that we´re all coming from different points in our lives and there for different reasons, we each brought unique perspectives to share and talked of family, travelling, immigration, healthcare and just most everything. The conversation lasted almost two hours- until the mosquitoes started biting so badly we couldn´t stand it anymore.

Casa Colonial offered a great place for us to stay, much different from any place we´ve stayed so far and really enriched our time and experience in Oaxaca.

This morning we once again headed out of the city- making a little trip to a market in the pueblo called Zaachila. We took a collectivo- meaning, you walk to a place where a bunch of taxis are parked waiting for passengers. They´re each marked with a destination and you find the bunch of taxis going to where you´re headed, and pile in with strangers until the taxi is full. Wveryone pays the same minimal amount (today a 25 minute taxi ride cost us each less than a dollar) and I believe its the smartest organized transportation Ive seen in any city, let alone in Mexico. It´s easy, convenient, and affordable for all parties- plus it cuts down on things like gas consumption and pollution because it´s like carpooling.

Anyway, on any given day of the week, one of the local villages holds an open market, and Zaachila´s, hosted every Thursday - is one of the biggest, so we decided to check it out this morning. It was a whole different experience than I expected.

People everywhere, shouting spanish, bartering- we just walked through watching the chaos. The market features goods of all sorts- some people sell fruits and vegetables, others baked goods and breads; nuts, berries and other items to dye wool; movies and cds; kitchen equipment, clothing, you name it and it´s there. And the people would come say, selling bushels of corn and then trade their corn for yarn or something. It was good stuff. The market filled the main plaza and spilled into the surrounding side streets.

Just down one of these side streets, past the city center and around the corner, is the weekly animal market which was even more amazing to me. At first it made me really sad to see people dragging goats and pigs and chickens into the market, because I know the people barterring to take them home, weren´t going to let them live long. But then the process became more interesting to me, and though my heart remained heavy for those cows and roosters, I became intensly interested in the way the real market-goers looked at these animals; the women picking up live chickens by their feet, poking their sides and then putting the ones they liked- squaking and wings flapping into tote bags they carried on their shoulders. Groups of men gathered around the big-ticket oxen watching the way the oxen responded to being yoked and the calls from their owners and then bidding on the work animals... like some sort of animal auction.

When I couldn´t stand to see the baby piglets and bunnies any longer, I made Kristen leave, but all day Ive been kind of wishing I had purchased all the bunnies or something and let them free on a hillside- and my grandparents were all farmers. I just dont have the heart for it.

We walked behind the church of Zaachila and up a hill to some unexcavated ruins- part of these ruins easily visible and explorable, but the village ran out of money to continue excavation and is hoping some wealthy archeologists take up the job that will then draw more tourists to their village.

We took the same kind of taxi back to Oaxaca and talked of our plans for the rest of the vacation- Kristen and I had discussed for awhile the option of splitting up this weekend, her staying in Guadalajara and me going onto one more city solo. She then warmed up to the idea of going for maybe one night and now is in for the whole thing... one more weekend away. For awhile we were just so unsure about it, so many ideas up in the air and getting frustrated with each other, but somehow it just all worked out and we leave for Guanajuato tomorrow morning. We looked into buses and hotels this afternoon before one last lunch with our friends at Casa Colonial. It was kind of sad to say goodbye to that place... truthfully though, the best part of the city was that casa.. though the surrounding communities also really make up for it.

We´re beginning our dissent back into Guadalajara now and Im beginning again to be able to peak through the clouds to the expanse of land below.

Wednesday
June 20 5pm

This part of Mexico is brimming with artistic talents-each little pueblo is known for a different kind of craft- wood carved animals, black clay pottery, woven rugs. And when you´re born into that town, that´s what you do, by the age of eight, you join your family and carry on the artistic tradition. I´m glad my family doesn´t live here- I would have been screwed. I couldn´t even learn to play the piano at any basic level in a semester.

After comida yesterday- which was very good, and I´ve eaten every meal without asking for substitutes since (this is a big deal for me)....anyway, we went to this sweet little town called Arrazola. Arrazola is one of these artisan towns- known for wood carved, brightly colored animals. Every house and store on the four little streets of the town would invite us in, asking us to come and see what they offered or to watch how they distinctly make their product.

I have no idea why or how this town developed into what it is. I know only the different animals are meant to bring happiness and to decorate one´s home... but isnt that what all art is for? Each animal is symbolic to the Zapotecs who have made them, but no matter who and how many people we asked, we couldn´t quite figure out how this all got started and what colors or animals symbolized what. It was all quite puzzling. The answers were always... because my whole family lives here and has always done this... and aren´t they beautiful, what´s your favorite animal? Im sure we have it... I guess, making these animals is just life to the people of Arrazola and the history and symbolism don´t matter as much as carrying on the tradition.

We hopped house to house for about an hour walking up and down the sloping cobblestone streets and admiring all the work going on. Collectively we came home with a zoo- an elephant, a cat, a giraffe, a crab, and a porcupine, I believe... we only pray these delicately carved creatures safely make the journey home.

This morning we planned quite the expedition- or at least the hotel manager planned, we embarked. We hired a driver (Victor Sanchez) to take us out to Mitla, about 40 minutes southeast of the city, where the second largest set of Zapotec ruins in Oaxaca are located. These, though not as extravagent as Mont Albon, were just as astonishing. I´m sure when all the completed palaces of Mitla in all parts were still standing, they were breathtaking. Standing now and looking at the ruins, the design and decorations carved into the rocks and the detailed planning is astounding. More than just standing on top of the ruins, this site allowed us to crawl down underneath the pyramids and into the tombs, and through the doors of the palaces and into the sleeping chambers... it was a pretty surreal experience when you really think about it.

When Mitla fell and the Spaniards moved in, the newcomers proclaimed cultural, political and religious domination by looting the tomls and taking some stones of the palaces to build a very grand catholic church only maybe 50 meters away from the now archeological site. Both the church and the ruins were a great visit.

On our way back to Oaxaca from Mitla, we asked the driver to stop in four more places. First to Yagul, where there are some more ruins but a very small site in comparison. However the draw of Yagul is not the ruins, but the military fortress that sits high above the ancient city and requires a 20 minute almost vertical hike. Out of breath already, when you finally reach the top, the view is even more breathtaking. The valley is visible just beyond the ruins. There is also a small underground detainment area now for exploration, and then for the prisoners of the fortress.

We had a great time here, hiking up with a class of maybe fourth graders on a field trip, who were very rambunctious and silly and almost as interested in the ruins as they were at the sight of 2 American girls speaking both a foriegn language and their own tounge.

We stopped also in Teotitlan de la Valle, a village, like Arrazola known for artisanry- this time though weaving. We watched some demonstrations on how the beautiful Mexican rugs are made from scratch: from the pulling of the wool, making and dying of the yarn, all by hand and using colors from nature. Then we watched the women use the looms and create intricate designs for the rugs.

Some of the larger rugs can take a person up to a month to make... a smaller one say 11¨x17¨ about 5 days to weave. And they sell these smaller rugs... about 5 days of work, for about 30 dollars. We were both mesmorized and amazed. Americans have given up on these hand-made things years ago, and yet we are all still guilty of complaining about how difficult or tedious our work is.

We then visited quickly two small villages...one with a church from the 1500´s bombed and destroyed in part by wars and uprisings, but miraculously still survived and functions today. It has some of the most beautiful paintings Ive seen in a church and up a tightly curved set of stairs in the back of the church leading to the choir loft stands an ancient and legendary organ... still playable, unscathed and just beautiful.

Our last stop was to the center of Santa Maria de Tule, where just in front of the small church in the plaza stands the largest tree in the western hemisphere. It dates back to the times of Jesus Christ, with experts believing its been growing for more than 2000 years. Its enormous- its said no less than 25 people would have to stand with their arms extended to reach around the base of this tree.

The morning was obviously eventful and concluded with flan in the Zocolo or plaza back here in Oaxaca. Now I need a nap...

Tuesday 1:15pm
June 19th

Kristen and I have run into our first disagreement. We have one week left in Mexico from today and we´re not sure how to spend the remainder of our trip. There hasn´t been any fighting of course, or even hostility; we both just have entirely different ideas of what we´d like to finish our time here with, and since we´ve each posed our prospective itineraries yesterday afternoon, there´s just been a bit more silence between us- as we both think about how we may be able to make a comprimise- or at least I hope that´s what she´s thinking.

As I mentioned earlier, Oaxaca is a province/state in political unrest. We have now seen this with our own eyes as currently protesters are camping (peacefully) in the main square. As we walked through yesterday we were delighted to find such life in the Zocolo- there were so many people! But upon further examination we came across some large banners and signs, and we learned that all these people weren´t very happy people. The signs spoke of revolution and reform, but protested nothing specific. Nor could we notice any commonalities among the group members. We´ve also seen a lot of freshly painted graffiti threatening the assasination of the current governor and declaring that Oaxaca would be better off run by a dictator.

Add all this to the fact that with the exeption of a small corner on the city´s northern end, this city is very run down and overpopulated in the centro area; therefore I have no need to stay any longer then the scheduled Thursday.

We have seen some amazing places since our arrival- most just outside of the city. After talking to the hotel´s manager, we arranged an itinerary to keep us busy and give us a taste of a little bit of everything.

Yesterday morning we took a shuttle bus to Mont Albon, which is absolutely and rightfully so, the main tourist draw of the area and different than anything we have yet seen- in fact different than anything I´ve ever seen in my life. About 20 minutes from downtown, sitting high upon a mountain top and overlooking the Oaxaca valley from all sides, sit the partially excavated and restored remains of a magnificent Zapotec city. These remains date back to as old as 500BC and were built without the use of metals, wheels, or mules (or any other beast of burden I guess). The ruins are absolutely breathtaking- massive stone steps leading up to distinguished pyramids and palaces, and down into ball fields and ampitheatres. The monumental architecture and intricacy of the detais of the excavation are overwhelming. When you stand upon the highest of the pyramids at this site- you´d think you´d feel as if you´ve just conquered the world and now you´re looking down upon your victory, but instead it just makes you feel like a tiny speck in an enormous universe. These Zapotecs were way beyond their time and as a result, this incredible place flourished as the religious, political and urban center of the Zapotec nation for over 1200 years. Then for some reason- still unknown to even the greatest of archeologists- everyone vanished from Mont Albon, just up and left without explanation. The whole mountain was desolate for almost as long as it was prosperous, until its discovery in modern times.

We followed up this mind-blowing experience with a long walk through all parts of the southern half of town. Oaxaca is the chocolate capital of Mexico and per capita eats more chocalate yearly than any other region of the world. It also produces its fair share however... and it´s perfected a pretty good chocolate recipe, and Im not a chocolate girl. All along Calle Mina are tiny chocolate making shops where visitors can watch chocolates being mixed and made and sample all sorts of chocolate concoctions...so of course, we took our time around here, getting a good taste of a whole bunch of different recipes. We also hopped in and out of some markets and visited the Zocolo as Ive said before.

We ate dinner here at Casa Colonial - Mom would be proud, I tasted and gave a hearty try to everything, but in the end they made me some cheese quesadillas... my new diet staple. They served sweet onion soup, black bean soaked and baked bread and guavas picante. I tried, I really did. We're waiting for the lunch bell now, and I promise, I'll try again.

This morning we dashed off again after a quick breakfast here to the much more delightful northern part of the centro... where the streets are closed to traffic, pleasant vendors fill the plazas, and small brightly painted shops, hostels and cafes line most of the streets. As of now we have visited Oaxaca's: Cathedral, Basilica, and temple with Monestary turned museum. Kristen thinks each of these churches are gaudy overkill and were an unecessary waste of money. I could sit in any one of them all day marveling at the gorgeously exposed high-beams, baroque architecture, painted ceilings and extravagantly gold alters... and of course the faithful worshippers.

The city's monestary, has quite an interesting past and is built conjoined with the most ornate Catholic temple Ive ever seen (by the way, I have no idea why it's called a temple, it just is). The whole complex takes up about four city blocks and this is where we spent our morning. The old dominican monestary was at one point taken over by the Spanish army, and later served as a base for the mexican army, who lived amongst the monks... all before recently being restored in glorious fashion and now used for the Museum of Cultures of Oaxaca. We spent over two hours walking through here and listening to a do-it-yourself guided, english tour. While at times the voice on the other end of the earphone was a little long-winded, he offered so much information, we left feeling like Oaxacan experts. The 14-room museum flows through the periods from the earliest findings at Mont Albon, through indigenous revolutions with the arrival of the Spaniards, Christian conquests, and to the birth of modern times and the blending of the indigenous, Spanish and modern Mexican cultures. Not only were the exhibits astounding, the building is a sight for itself, with high red-bricked ceilings and long hallways opening with vast windows overlooking huge gardens. It was a fantastic place to visit.

We hopped in and out of a few artisan shops, winding our way down to MARO- a women's cooperative first established to allow a place for women to make and sell their own goods and now a staple of the city offering quality jewelry, clothing, decorative items and even alcohol at good prices.

This afternoon we're planning to head out of the city once again... and there's the lunch bell.

Monday 8:30am
June 18th

An early and wet morning here in Oaxaca. We flew in last night, finally arriving at about 9:30 into our hotel. Our flight was delayed 3 hours and it was the strangest delay Ive ever experienced.

We arrived back at our hostel in Guadalajara at about 8 Saturday night; showered, snacked, and chatted with some of the people we´d met the previous week... sharing our adventures and hearing theirs. A low key night once again, I woke up around 8 and read in the courtyard, awaiting the 9am breakfast and opening of the computer lab. It didnt happen. In fact, Kristen and I were the only ones up before 11:30. Granted not many people were staying that night, but it was a super quiet morning.

Venturing out for a quick walk, we noticed the City of Guadalajara (again the 2nd largest city in the nation) shuts down one of its main streets - Calle Vallarta- from the church and university plaza through Calle Federalismo and Parque de Revolucion... about 10 blocks. Every Sunday from 10am-2pm they shut it down for community bike riding, rollerblading and jogging. Street vendors are out and families come and fill the street after church. It was such a fun tradition to discover.

We got brunch from a favorite cafe near the church with the bells and Jesus and his friends and watched the parishoners come and go.

Arriving at the airport just before 2, we expected to hop on a 3:40 flight and be in Oaxaca at about 5. We were told our flight was delayed about 2 hours at check in and that we´d begin a really quick boarding at about 5. Kristen and I proceeded to shop, play cards, have some margaritas and read waiting at our gate. Nothing happened at 5- our flight wasnt listed on the TV screens and we couldnt find Avolar´s - our airline- attendants. Kristen and I took turns hunting down information. We finally found a nice man from airport authority, who checked the computer system and said we´d be bording at 6. There were no overhead announcements, no vouchers and even more surprisingly, not very many angry customers. There were a few complaints, but by the time we were ready to board at 6:15, everyone was calm.

Our flight had come into Guadalajara from Tijuana and we joined those already onboard who were originally delayed due to bad weather. We took off around 7 and landed safely an hour and 20 minutes later in the small Oaxaca airport.

Our hotel this time- booked by Kristens parents- is called Casa Colonial. Its a big old house just west of downtown. Its shaped in a square with the rooms around the perimeter and a lush courtyard with hammocks in the center. There are maybe 25 rooms here and they offer a lot to their guests- including 3 meals a day, laundry services (which is great because we´re really beginning to be dirty), a library, lots of lounge spaces, and some sporadic internet access (the internet cafe has one computer and one phone and is open in hour increments before each meal).

Our room is filled with antique furniture and the whole place has tons of artisan pieces all around: mexican painted potteries, bright colored animals, weavings, masks, etc. Its very safe, quaint and cozy.

The city here, the capital of the province is known for just the opposite. Oaxaca´s people have been protesting the local government a lot... especially in the past year. There have been teacher and taxi strikes as the city is mad that the governor pays more attention to the surrounding artisania villages than to the city workers. While we hear they dont have a problem with and will not bother tourists, we will still be our most cautious. We´re here to see the villages and the ruins anyway.

Breakfast time.

Saturday
June 16th 5pm

Once again I am writing from the bus- it´s a great place to write from actually. It´s quiet, the seats are comfortable and usually I´ve got a few hours to kill whenever Im on a bus.

Though it seems as though we´ve just arrived, we are now leaving Colima to head back to Guadalajara. We had quite an eventful 30 hours in this great little city though.

Colima is the capital of the province/state of the same name and therefore as a city, is known for business and government. The surrounding area however is known for many things... its agricultural exports of coconuts, limes and other fruits... for its amazing history, well preserved by archeologists, as well as for its natural beauty. It´s situated in a volcanic area with 2 main volcanoes just north of the city of Colima. One is still considered active and infact errupted for the last time in 2005.

Though the city is not normally a big tourist draw- Kristen and I put it on our itinerary for the different aspects it would potentially bring to our trip~ and we really squeezed so much out of it. We didn´t have high hopes going in, as so many of the Mexicans we´ve met have questioned this destination on our proposed itinerary. but we both really enjoyed ourselves and found it to be a fantastic stop. It was definitly what we were looking for- fantastic in a way we had not yet seen at the glorious beaches or the bustle of big city Guadalajara.

We got in yesterday, ready to hit the ground running and we wasted no time. Our bell boy (who was from Iowa and was immediatly talkative and helpful recognizing fellow Americans) hooked us up with this great tour guide/driver to help us get around. We went to two archeological sites first called El Chanel and La Camela... both left by indigenous people from about 1000AD, with some parts and artifacts from even a bit earlier. The sites were really well preserved and in some parts excavation was still continuing. We climbed on some riverstone pyramids, and walked across ancient soccer fields (or what was a game quite like soccer). The communites were amazing; constructed with such advanced ideas for irrigation and community support.

Because of the ruins and the artifacts that have been taken from them, Colima is known as the city of the dancing dogs. The indigenous people would send a guardian dog with every death to help the departed with their journey through the valley of death and into heaven. You see, they believed it didnt matter whether or not a person was a ´good´ person during their life, or believed in a God or whatever, their beliefs about death were: if you dont have a guide dog through the valley, you´ll stay there forever. Therefore many wooden and clay dogs have been dug up amonst the ruins. They are the artifact to have if you live in Colima and the little momento to buy if you´re a visitor... just to ensure your soul will eventually have a safe journey through the valley.

We followed up this expedition with a history lesson at the museum of culture in the downtown area. It was the greatest little museum because it gave us so much more insight into the city and its history than what we had just seen. I guess it enabled us to put all the pieces together and explained more the ´why´ when we had already seen the ´what.´ We then had lunch in the plaza and did some shopping on the side streets (where we of course each got a guardian dog of our own) and finished up with a stop in the cathedral, of course. By late afternoon, we were ready for some pool time. After navigating the crazy taxi/bus system of Colima, we finally made it back to the hotel- and were at that point so grateful for the hotel for setting us up with a driver earlier.

The helpful bellboy (Jose) was still on post actually when we returned and now joined by his friend Rambi. While Kristen worked out in our hotel´s gym (did I mention we got a super phenomenal deal at a great business hotel because we booked online the day before?) I chatted with the guys and Christian- the absolute sweetest receptionest- for suggestions for the following day.

Though not so much is in the city of Colima, theres a lot going on right outside of it and the hotel workers, who usually see only business people, were excited to share with tourists what their city offered. As the next day would be all of their days off, we created such a great itinerary, that they all decided to join us on our adventure. We called the driver again and set up the arrangements.

Kristen and I spent the rest of the evening at the pool, in the business center, and ordering appetizers at the restaurant, really and thoroughly enjoying our hotel. We went to bed after some really refreshing showers (as we really havent had a nice bathroom all to ourselves - we even got to blow dry our hair) and Mr. and Mrs. Smith on TV.

We awoke this morning to repack and meet our new friends. We had planned to go to the laguna maria and hike around the volcano this morning, until that is, the driver told us he´d taken some tourists to a higher vantage point the day before and the tourists were able to meet some of the indigenous people and had a really great time. Not really knowing what we were getting into, we enthusiastically agreed.

We did in fact have an awesome experience, just not what we had expected. The Volcan de Fuego is at the geographic center of where four indigenous people groups come together (spread into quadrants around the volcano). Visitors are able to hike the mountains, but only after getting a blessing from one of the indigenous groups. We went first by car to the midpoint of one of the bordering mountains, where ´la reina´ explained to us about the spirits of the mountains and how they cannot be disturbed. We were blamed for bringing the clouds, but just as she placed this blame, an eagle flew through the skies giving us the spirit´s blessing to pass. (Yes I am entirely serious, and the story continues) With the permitting of our passing, we were told a ¨shaman¨ of sorts would come with us as a guide.

This ¨shaman¨ was the strangest man and I just couldnt put him together. With Christian beliefs (he literally carries a Bible bound and kept in a wooden box hanging from his neck) and a Catholic upbringing- he also carried an intricately designed woden ¨spirit stick¨ of sorts to ward off evil spirits. He walked us up to a prarie through fields of wild cows and past ´the tree of life´ and while he performed his prayers and dances with the help of his apprentice, we were permitted to climb to the top of a near by hill to view the volcano in the distance. The views were breathtaking, though the volcano was hardly visible as a result of the clouds that we had brought with us.

The ¨shaman¨ then invited us onto his ¨holy rock¨ amongst what I called ¨the holy cows¨ in the middle of the field. Here he explained to us what he was carrying and what he believed. He asked if we´d had any visions on the mountains or recieved any messages from the spirits. Mmmmm no, sorry buddy. He then ensured we would be leaving the mountain exactly as we had found it, as to not upset the Gods and spirits.

While yes, this guy was a big weirdo, he was super interesting. This is really what he believes and what he´s dedicated his life to and I guess you have to respect him for that. This is a lifestyle Ive never encountered and it was a cool way to experience the mountains. Next time I may stick to the views from the lagoon though.

The driver then met us and took us to Comala- a tiny town just outside of Colima for lunch at a favorite place. On our way, we passed through the Zona Magica - which was really neat. It was maybe a 500 meter stretch of road where if you stop and put your car in neutral, you´ll begin to roll uphill. Its a bit of an optical illusion, but its super neat and the locals say its because of the forces of the volcano.

Comala, known for its tranquility, is also known for some great restaurants in the plaza and for a blended creamy and alcoholic drink they make in a few different flavors. Lunch was a super great opportunity for cultural discussion and my natural inquisitivity to be fulfilled. We ate at El Comaltan- a place in the plaza where you only order drinks and then they bring out plates of appetizers for you to try... like tapas in Spain. The food was super great and I enjoyed it immensly.

At this point we hopped in the car again and the driver dropped Kristen and I at the bus station for a 4:30 bus. We should be back in Guadalajara at about 7:30. We´ve been away from Guadalajara for over a week now, and its been such a great time. Tomorrow we begin the last leg of our trip.

June 15
Friday 930am

Today marks the official halfway point of our trip- 11 days in Mexico and 11 left. So much I´ve seen, enjoyed, learned and so much to come.

I´m on a bus again this morning- this time moving away from the beaches and coastline and heading inland a few hours to the mountains and volcanic city of Colima.

We got up early yesterday morning as well and made a quick jump a little further down the coast and into the city of Manzanillo. Kind of a pit stop for us as buses don´t go directly from little Barra to Colima. We figured we´d spend one more day at a beach town and cut our trip into halves to give us a little more time each day. The less time on a bus in one day, the better.

However, Manzanillo has proven to be a bit of a dissapointment. The city borders the ocean like a spread out, soft and curved ´w´ with the port and city center on the southern most points, a few grand houses and resorts on the central peninsula, and some rocky cliffs and mountains to the north with beautiful beaches spread in between.

The beaches though, were deserted. We were close to the only people there- and there was nothing to either see or do. We walked hours and miles, took buses and taxis to both ends and found no touristy spots. No shopping, no beachside restaurants, only a few run down hotels and the occasional side-of-the-road food stand... there were however, a large amount of abandoned buildings and quite a few mechanics shops.

It was sad- so much natural beauty but nowhere to enjoy it. The port was really dirty and the city heavily commercialized- smoke pouring from lines of tall smoke stacks into the skies. When following the main street from our own run-down beach hotel, we had to walk 6 blocks or about 15 minutes just to find a convenience store or a computer. I feel we did nothing yesterday but walk - looking for something, anything, people. We asked bus drivers and taxi drivers and shop owners for suggestions, but they couldnt give us much. They would point to the sandy beach and say enjoy... and in the end we did. But it was a bit of a dissapointment.

It was hard not to get frustrated... with the situation or each other. Kristen and I havent struggled being together at all, but yesterday was a test. We passed though and are still fine today... but there were a few short sentances with each other in deciding how to make a day out of nothing yesterday. She really had wished we´d stayed in Barra another day.

We questioned ourselves yesterday... maybe we had become jaded or unappreciative or spoiled. Maybe, but really I was sad for this city. It has the makings of something wonderful and looks as if it once was... If it can preserve anything of its past Im sure it again will be. It just wasnt so fun during our visit.

When the tide began to come in, and the jellyfish came out, I left the beach, cooled off quickly in the pool and we watched Charlie´s Angels in the hotel room.

We´re hoping our inland adventures today will renew our hope, as Im sure they will... otherwise these next 11 days arent going to be as great as the 1st. And if anyone´s looking to buy some cheap, prime oceanside property that will double in value the moment the Sheridan or some other such franchise and Walmart move into Manzanillo... I´d say it´d be a good bet. In fact I know in a few years a lot of the places we´ve been will be much more commercialized and much more expensive. It´s a good thing we´ve come when we have.