These past few days have been filled with tons of personal firsts- oh the thought of it all. Firstly, the bus from Puebla to Oaxaca City was beautiful...apparently 60% of the state of Oaxaca is made up of the Sierra Madres, something clearly evident while on the road. Have you ever seen clouds cast shadows upon distant mountains and wondered if it was the first time you ever noticed that? I have.
My first day here was spent visiting "Hierve al agua", the site of pretty impressive petrified waterfalls, ruins at Mitla, a Mezcal producer and the tree at Tule. Let me elaborate on Mezcal: it is made from the blue agave, as is Tequila, but its method of production is a bit more authentic. Tequila is made, known as "Tequila", in the state of Jalisco ONLY, and thus, the product made anywhere else cannot be called Tequila. And since the world demands an obscene amount of Tequila on a yearly basis, it is produced in factories, typically not 100% agave. Mezcal, on the other hand, is roasted in an outdoor "oven" and produced with far greater ease, creating a more flavorful drink. It is also customary to find a guisano de maguey (a worm from the maguey plant) at the bottom of a bottle of Mezcal- I am told it adds flavor.
It turns out that this worm from the maguey plant (family to agave) is commonly eaten here as well, among other things. So I was encouraged to try it, pickled in Mezcal. The woman at the Mezcal place scooped up a spoonful of them out of a bottle and held it out for me to try. I kept saying "I can't! I can't" or rather "No puedo!". I could barely reach out to pick up the damn thing, let alone put it in my mouth; my mind wouldn't let me get past the fact that I knew it to be a worm. But my company that day, a Mexican man, said something that struck a nerve. He said, "you can be stronger than your mind," something I am a firm believer of. So with that, I ate the worm, chewing as fast as humanly possible. I'd say it tasted like a spiceless chili.
What else do they eat here? Ant eggs are a delicacy. Chapulines (grasshoppers) and grillos (crickets) are typical snacks. I managed to try a grasshopper, fried in olive oil, salt, and lemon: that was tougher than I can describe...not as tough as the worm, but tough. I could see its eyes! It was crispy and salty really, nothing more. The thought kept going through my mind, 'this is no different than eating shrimp'. But it FEELS a hell of a lot different than shrimp! I guess it is all about what you are used to.
And about the tree at Tule: I hear that it is the biggest tree, width- wise, in the world (but sources vary on this and I am not sure what to believe). As a lover of natural phenomena, I feel as though natural objects of such size emit great energy; it was a peace inducing tree if I do say so myself.
More about Oaxaca: They make splendid mole negro y mole roja, and produce what is known to be among the best chocolate in Mexico. I was walking past the chocolate shops earlier today and thought to myself, 'this is like a dream!' I finally got the opportunity to taste raw roasted cocoa beans (no me gusta), chocolate without any sugar (no me gusta tampoco), and chocolate with cinnamon, vanilla, walnut, and almond flavors (me gusta mas). Their method of chocolate production is interesting, and higher concentrations of cocoa create a distinctly different taste than what I am used to. But it was a nice experience- I further love the fact that chocolate is an ingrediant in their mole!
There is something else about Oaxaca that I have totally left out. Oaxaca, of late, has been a place of civil disorder. The teachers here went on strike a few months back because their demands for more money were not met by the government. Thereafter, a radical group, known as the APPO (Asemblea Popular de los Pueblos de Oaxaca), apparently took advantage of the teacher unrest and created havoc in the city. They set random cars on fire, put up barricades in front of major streets and highways and frankly, made a mess of things. As a result, the federal police have come in to take over the situation. Since the changing of the president, it is said that political tension has died down, that things are okay now. But I must admit, my first night here, when walking into the zocalo (the main square), it was a little frightening to see federal police with shields and weapons an' all EVERYWHERE. They currently block all four entraces to the zocalo. I had no idea. Also, in grafitti, APPO is written on every other building and street. It must have been absolutely CRAZY here!
Now, people are scarce, both locals and travelers. This is the quietest place I have been in all of Mexico...I understand, people are scared. Last night I noticed an area within the zocalo where plants of noche buena (the typical red Christmas plant) were placed by the hundreds with accompanying notes begging for peace in Oaxaca, for a place without violence. What a display. It's amazing you know, the ways in which people come together to positively express themselves...there is such love for Oaxaca. I know so many had their doubts about me coming out here, but I could not have been happier with my decision. I am safe, and now, so much more aware.
- Oaxaca City is 4500 feet above sea level and 17 degrees north of the equator (if it wasn't for the surrounding mountains serving as a source of refrigeration, it would be like an oven here).
- Many states in Mexico have cities with the same name as the state. For example, Oaxaca is a city and state, as is Guanajuato, Queretaro, Puebla, Tobasco, etc.
- a.C (antes Cristo) and d.C (despues Cristo) are equivalent to BC and AD respectively.
- December 12: Dia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (Day of our lady of Guadalupe). Yesterday, although I was not there to see it, was a huge celebratory day in Mexico D.F. Before I left, I saw the many streets outside Norma's home decorated for the upcoming festivities; Norma tells me everyone drinks, eats and dances in the streets (what could be better than that).
For my sister, from Coldplay's "Talk":
"Oh brother, I can't, I can't get through,
I've been trying hard to reach you cuz i dont know what to do.
Oh brother, I can't believe its true,
I'm so scared about the future and I want to talk to you...
Are you lost or incomplete.
Do you feel like a puzzle,
You can't find your missin piece.
Tell me how you feel.
Well I feel like they are talking in a language I don't speak,
And they're talkin' it to me...
Lets talk."
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