Oaxaca Family Adventure: Swimming In The Mountains

We hired an English speaking tour guide to drive us to a variety of locations east of Oaxaca city. On our way out we stopped briefly to look at a mural depicting the life and accomplishments of Benito Juarez, the first elected President of Mexico of 100% indigenous background. He was of Zapotec heritage from Oaxaca. The image of the masked face with clouds (bottom center) is the indigenous symbol for Oaxaca. The name "Oaxaca" came from the Aztec settlers who arrived in the mountains near the current urban valley. They named it Huaxyacac, the Nahuatl phrase for "among the huaje". Huajes referred to these native trees which are characteristic of having large seed pods. The conquering Spaniards could not pronounce Huaxyacac and like so many who passed through Ellis Island, the region received a new name, Oaxaca. The land that is now the city wasn't occupied until the Zapotecs moved in to keep an eye on those Aztecs in the hills.

We passed some petroglyphs which were exposed after rocks fell revealing a cave wall. Our guide thinks that it is a rain god. We drove onward to Mitla which was built around the 8th century by the Mixtecs, an indigenous group from the north, who built their temples as a connection to the afterlife. They, like the Zapotecs, considered death as significant as life. They believed that the religious leaders buried at this sacred site would become cloud people in the afterlife. Zapotecs now predominately inhabit the city which was built directly onto the old sites. Just as in so many places around the world new powers imposed their sacred sites on those of the predecessor. In this case Spanish churches trump Indigenous temples. Our guide recommended driving through the city rather than getting out. There is only one site which you can approach. This site has extraordinary and unique relief designs consisting of inlayed, cut stones absent of mortar. The designs signify lightning, water, the Zapotec diamond, and life and death. This is the only place in Mesoamerica where these designs exist. To really see all of the sites, our guide said we'd have to knock on doors because peoples' homes are built on top of everything.

The main productions of Mitla are woven cotton curtains and bedspreads. Our guide says that it sounds different in this town--the sound of the looms is different than the other ones. We caught some weavers in action, and I was surprised to see that they pull on a rope/pulley to move their beater bar forward and back. Yowza! I could watch them for hours. They were fast!

Leaving Mitla, we curved our way up and around the mountains. It was gorgeous, and I was completely impressed to see farmers plowing with their two bull system on the steepest of inclines--their burros loaded with their packs and their horses standing by awaiting their return home. Also clinging to the cliffs were small distilleries of mescal which is an alcoholic beverage similar to tequila but made from the maguey cactus instead of the agave cactus. The former is more green; the latter is more blue. Our guide said he takes his guests to one particular distillery not on the tourist circuit operated by a man who believes that cold brewing the juices is better for the flavor, and he only ages the brew for a short term in the wooden barrels preferring to age the cactus (11 years) in the ground and under the sun instead. We have yet to sample this strong, golden drink but Pat brought home a bottle tonight. Mostly you drink it straight, but they do make Margaritas with it.

Up and up we climbed weaving through small, poor but beautiful towns. We finally reached our destination at Hierve El Agua meaning "the water boils." It is here in the mountain peaks that mineral springs bubble up and over. They leave their mineral deposits along their way falling over the cliffs creating staggering stone waterfalls. Somewhere along the way, they damned up some areas so that there are pools for swimming. The kids were thrilled to be in water since they ask to swim daily, but I have to say there is nothing like going for a swim in the mountains. It was breathtakingly beautiful, sacred, and all of those magical things.

On our return to Oaxaca, we stopped at San Jeronimo Tlacochahuaya, a 16th century church with remarkably well preserved frescos which the Spaniards made the indigenous people paint. Our guide showed us how carved stones from indigenous temples had been placed into the churches walls and then plastered over. Like the fallen cave wall, the plaster fell away to reveal the indigenous carving now.

Finally we stopped at the Tule tree, a 2,000 plus year old tree that is the world's largest in circumference (138'-ish). The locals consider the tree sacred, for good reason, and there are many efforts to keep it living--irrigation system, lightening rod, and fence. We didn't pay to get a close look, but we were able to touch it as its cypress branches reached well over the fences to our fingertips. In Nahuatl, the tree variety is called ahuehuete meaning "old man of the water."