Oaxaca Part 2

Our adventures continued in Oaxaca- The next day my mom, Eric and I joined one of my friends from my program and her parents on a tour of sites in the surrounding countryside of Oaxaca. (My Dad decided to visit various local artists with an american friend and had a wonderful time getting to know some Mexican artists). Our first stop on the tour was another Zapotec archeological site called Mitla that was built around 1000 AD much later than Monte Alban (which was founded around 500 BC). This has to be one of my favorite mesoamerican sites in Mexico because the decorations of the palace were so incredible; each design was made of individual pieces of stones that were placed together like a puzzle and anthropologists believe this is what has helped the building survive despite earthquakes because the stones are able to shift. I love the repetitive patterns in the stone which make the site very artistically impressive. We then traveled though the mountains and pueblos to visit hierve de agua (boiling water) which is the site of petrified waterfalls! The funny thing is that 2 different villages claim it and so you have to pay 2 different villages (only about $1 each) to pass through). What happened is that there are 2 mineral springs on the top of the mountains that overtime have formed these massive waterfalls made of stone. It was beautiful and the view was incredible! After this we visited a place where people make Mezcal (the very strong alcohol that Oaxaca is famous for). The mezcal, like tequila, is made from the agave plant, which looks a little bit like aloe but it huge. They cook the middle part in a fire pit, let the fibers ferment and then use a distiller to create the potent stuff (which we got to try of course). After stopping to eat, we headed to a village that is famous for the amazing rugs they weave using fibers dyed with natural colors. My mom and I both enjoyed the demonstration a lot because we have woven before. I wanted to buy all the rugs, but they are too big to bring back in a suitcase. I told the man that I would return when I have my own house and an empty suitcase! We also visited a women who designs embroidered shirts, a beautiful church and our last stop was the widest tree in the world! A cypress tree that is 38 feet in diameter and more than 2,000 years old and it was absolutely amazing to see. Imagine if that tree could talk!! It was interesting to see how a tree could bring so many people and give so much to one village. The next day we rested after our long day, did some last minute shopping (we found lots of great gifts in Oaxaca) and I said goodbye to my family because I was about to head off on another adventure!