I returned to Oaxaca for a quick trip this weekend, but was able to do a little more exploring outside of the city. The trip coincided with a large demonstration about the privatization of oil in Mexico so the zocalo (main square) was filled with people camping out or sleeping on cardboard. Protestors had also taken over several of the tollbooths on the way down (free tolls) as well as surrounded the PEMEX facility just outside of the city.
Some random Oaxaca picts…..
Some random Oaxaca picts…..
Just went you think you’re seen everything to do with food in Mexico, you come across something new. In an offshoot of the Oaxacan food market where you find the normal food stalls is a really smoky and hot corridor (not very inviting when it’s already hot outside). There are a lot of stalls of people selling different cuts of meat and the way it works is that you walk around with a basket, pick your amount and type of meat, and then they cook it on a little grill for you. You can also order chilies and onions, which they will also grill for you, and then along with some tortillas, you find a seat and rip apart the veggies and meat with your hands. Would definitely recommend this for anyone going to Oaxaca, just make sure to grab a table that is not too close to the numerous grills.
pict: corridor ceiling
Saturday I went to a small town called Mitla, home to some ruins and the jumping off point for Hierve El Agua (boil the water). Hierve El Agua is a site located about 13 km outside of Mitla up another windy, dirt road that is where this odd set of formations is located. The water is not geothermal or hot, but appears to “boil” out of the ground, hence the name. Because the water has a very high calcium carbonate concentration, as it evaporates, over many years, it has left behind formations that look like waterfalls, but are actually calcium carbonate deposits. This is basically the same process that creates stalagmites in caves (like at the Grutas last weekend). The site was also used for very early irrigation and still has some of the original terraces used to direct the water (about 2,500 years ago).
There are also 2 pools where you can swim (and amazingly no one was there on Saturday) and because of the high calcium carbonate concentration, the water has a really turquoise color.
The next stop was the town and ruins of Mitla. While the ruins aren’t that far from the bus stop (probably a 3 km walk), it is much more fun to pay the 5 pesos and get to ride in one of the 3 wheeled taxis.
The ruins at Mitla had some really intricate designs constructed into them and several tombs that you can descend into. One section of the ruins now has a church built on top of it, but part of the rest of the ruins surround it.
