Travel Bamboo - Oaxaca pt 1

Exploring the natural & historical beauty of Oaxaca

Happy New Year to you all!  Did you have a good time?  My NYE was at a pretty awful dinner organised by our Hotel just outside of Oaxaca central with the toughest steak I have  ever put in my mouth...however surrounded with family, banter and Mezcal (lot’s of it) the good outweighed the bleh.

If you haven’t read my previous post or follow me on Instagram you might have missed that I am in Mexico!  Currently writing this from the city of Queretaro after 5 days exploring the breathtaking beauty of the State of Oaxaca.  Many of you London folk will know how to pronounce this name...as it is the real place that inspired the well know food joint Wahaca!  Good old Tomasina Meyers knowing us Brits and our inability to pronounce exotic things properly.

Over the five days there I had seen some breathtaking views, eaten grasshoppers, took a selfie with the World’s largest tree, drank a bunch of locally made Mezcal and haggled my way to a cheaper pair of shoes with my bad Spanish.  Oh and sunburnt my face, that annoying thing which is the bane of my life right now.  Anyone have any tips for reduce the prickly feeling?

Oaxaca part one will take you through a traditional weaving workshop, mezcalaria, Zapotecan temple and the epic Hierve el Agua a calcified waterfall site.  So sit back and enjoy some snaps via my trusty smartphone and maybe google image search ‘Arbol de Tule’ the tree I mentioned above as I realised the photos from there are on my husband’s GoPro and I can’t be bothered to download them yet.  ​

Look out for Part 2 over the next couple of days too.

This view overlooks Oaxaca Centro filled with it’s many Mercados, Museos, Gastronomy and local and international tourists.  More of that in Part 2.

Oaxacan woven, dyed and designed traditional carpets and wall hangings from Bulmaro Perez Mendoza & family textiles,  Teotitlan del Valle.

All the yarns are dyed using pigments straight from nature.  Marigolds, Charcoal, Limestone and even fungi grown on catus/nopal leaves.  The man holding his hand up shows us how applying more alkaline or acid to ground passionfruit seeds can turn orange to purple or a dark purplish black.

Depending on the complexity of the design and size a carpet can take from a couple of days to make to up to 5 months.  ​There were so many we wanted to take home but had to resist!

Next stop Fabrica del Mezcal, El Rey de Matalán aka Mezcalaria aka Mezcal factory.

These different types of Agave are grown to make the different types of Mezcal.

Once harvested the leaves are burned then left in heaps of cool down and ferment.

The dried plants are then grounded down and left to ferment longer until the extraction process takes place.

Then the tasting began.  Bottles ranged in age, flavour, size ranging from less than a tenner to 100 quid or more.

The Mezcal claro was good, we bought some of the Joven for NYE and it really ‘hugged’ your insides.

Los borrachos.

Post Mezcal, and post a Mexican buffet we headed to the Zona Arqueológica de Mitla an archeological site of Zapoteca temples that was built over by the catholic church in the 1600s to show their dominance that they were now the Gods to be worshipped.  This zone shows remnants of both the original Zapoteca temple and tombs, with remnants of the church above.  It’s pretty sad if you think about it.

Great stone, intricate designs and some pretty small door ways.  Those Zapotecas were a tiny bunch.

Last and certainly not least is Hierve el agua a site of temperate pools and petrified waterfalls.  It’s hard to explain the science of it all but the natural beauty of it all was insanely breathtaking.  We came just as it was getting darker which gave some beautiful light across the water.

I am sorry but are you kidding me with this view?!  It didn't seem real, but it was!

Nature's playground.

Some people dipped into the water for a little swim which you are allowed to do and they have changing facilities on the side.

With some of the family :)

This site was a got to photo shoot spot for newly weds.  Congrats chicos!!

Though we had our cars we opted for our own private van and a driver taking us to each spot.  There were thirteen of us and I think we paid around £25 for the whole day pp.  It is worth it and you manage to see a lot in one day and sit comfortably from place to place.  We did ours with www.oaxacaexperts.com and they do joint group tours too if there are just a few of you.

Hasta por parte dos!