Right now I am in Mitla, a little town in Oaxaca state. It is famous for some Zapotec ruins that we plan to see tomorrow. We have been travelling aroundthe state for a few days now, and I love this place. Today we also went to Teotitlan, a tiny town that specializes in weaving and rug making. Almost everyone in town has a big loom in their house and makes and sells handwoven rugs and textiles. It is increcdible - gifts were bought, as well as three throw rugs for the boat. The prices were amazing! We only wished we had someplace to put even more rugs. There is only so much floor space on the boat.
Tonight, when we went to dinner, we got a ride in this tricycle-type thing - like a motorcycle with a little trailer on it. Since they are small and there were four of us, we took two of them. The restaurant was down some winding streets that we never could have located on our own. When they dropped us off, we made arrangements for them to come back and pick us up, which they did. One of the drivers wanted us to come to his home and meet his family! This is such a wonderful place - that would never happen in the US, and sadly, if it did, we would likely be suspicious. Here, that was the last thing that went through my mind.
We also went into a little church today that was located in Teotitlan. It was a catholic church, and when we entered, we were blown away by the scent of all the lilies that decorated it. I have been in a LOT of churches - I really like religious art - and most of them have been catholic. This one was not the most ornate, but there was something about it that really moved me. I broke out in tears for no reason whatsoever except that I really felt something in there. Mike later told me he felt the same. While we were in there, we noticed that the thick stone walls had Zapotec carvings on them. As we walked around the outside of the buildings, it became apparent that the church had been built on the same site as an old Zapotec temple. It was beautifully integrated into the church building itself, which was built in the early 1700s. The population here is mostly Zapotec. One of the wonderful things about Oaxaca is the heavy influence of the indigenous population. There are over 50 different ethnic groups in Oaxaca, and many of them speak their original languages. The art is incredible - weaving, carving, pottery - I can't begin to describe everything we have seen. The older women wear traditional dress. I am sure I will be back here. I really don't want to leave here. This is one of the best places I have ever been.
The other thing I have done while in Oaxaca state is to eat fried grasshoppers. They really are not bad, just sort of little crunchy fried things that taste like what they are seasoned with. If I had not been told they were grasshoppers (chalupines en espanol) I would not have known what they were. You can buy them in little packages (like peanuts) or in the markets there are women selling them from big piles on a table. You just indicate how much you want and they weigh them out into a little paper bag. I would eat more of them except for the fact that I know they are bugs and I just can't get my brain around that. Mike felt the same. Some of them were spicy with lots of chile, and some of them were kind of lemony and salty. Something for every taste! I suppose you could add them to salads to add some crunch - like croutons.
Anyway, I am pretty tired after all our rug shopping today. I really had to restrain myself not to buy more than I really had use for. These gorgeous throw rugs - hand woven, beautiful colors and incredible quality - were so inexpensive I felt bad not paying more. I have spent far more on sorry, cheap rugs that were not a fraction so beautiful. Additionally, we were buying them directly from the weavers and got to see how they do it. Each rug has a story, and that makes them more precious. We also stopped by a family run mezcal maker, and learned how they do that as well. When they make mezcal, they grind up maguey (or agave, a sort of cactus), squeeze the sweet juice out of it, and then ferment the juice, ending up with mezcal (similar to tequila for the uninitiated). In this place, they used a burro walking around and around in a circle pulling a big grinding stone to crush the plants. It was really interesting to see that! The crushed juice went into this copper boiling thing, which was located over a fireplace. After it cooked, it went into a big vat, and then into bottles. We had some right out of the vat. Too bad I don't like hard liquor! Everyone else seemed to like it, and Mike now has two different kinds - a dark kind and a light kind.
Tomorrow we see the Zapotec ruins here. We saw some today at a place called Dainzu - it was a small site, but the carvings were beautiful and well preserved, and you could climb down into what was originally a tomb of some kind. I will never fail to be awestruck when I see what people accomplished back then, using basically stone tools. I am sure there is a lesson there.
"I never thought freedom was cheap." Sonny Barger, former president of the Oakland Hell's Angels
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