Hola! Seis Aguacates checking back in :) .
We have arrived back in Oaxaca and had a wonderful day of exploration of the city and its history! We left Sangtiago Suchilquitongo early this morning with a final taste of delicious lemon grass tea and pan dulce. After checking-in to our hotel, we hopped on a van to Monte Alban (famous Zapotec Archeological Site)! On our tour with Ivan (our guide for the day), he explained the history of the Zapotecs and the architecture of the site. Most people are familiar with the Aztec and Mayan civilizations in Mexico as a whole, however, there are many other civilizations that have existed throughout the country and continue to exist today, the Zapotecs, for example. The Zapotecs controlled most of Oaxaca City, as we know it today, from 500BC – 800AD. In their reign, they built a monumental center located on a mountain top that they leveled out to be flat for ease of construction of their monuments!! As said in The Lion King, “Everything the light touches, is our kingdom”; meaning from the site they could see beyond the valley to the surrounding mountain ranges encapsulating Oaxaca City. We were able to explore the grounds and climb to the tops of the momuments. Visiting the archeological site allowed us to experience the vastness of the valley and appreciate the labor and architecture provided by the Zapotecs over many centuries (check out the pictures below!).
Our next stop for the day, was the textile and natural coloring workshop in Teotitlan (a near by pueblo). We learned about the intricacy and design of the famous rugs and tapestries which uses the dyes distinctly found in the Oaxacan state of Mexico. A kind gentleman demonstrated the creation of the local dyes by using bugs found on cactus leafs. Looking at Hannah Ilan’s photo, there are three different colors. The bugs themselves produce a red color from absorbing the acid found within the cactus. The orange color is found by an application of lime juice and the purple color .is found by adding limestone powder to the bug spread. Furthermore, he demonstrated the creation of the wool thread and how the rugs are created through a peddle loom. Designs can take months to create, geometric designs being the easiest. With the invention of chemically formed dyes, some buisnesses have switched to the technology to produce more rugs for the public. Historically, all the rugs in Teotitlan are made by hand and still use the dyes of the land.
For lunch, we gathered at Ex-Hacienda Guadalupe, a collaborative space for artists from around the world and local artisans to design, write, and create. The ex-hacienda is run by Raul Cabra, and Richard’s brother Michael Sledge. Lunch was prepared for us by a professional cook as we enjoyed the serentity of the beautiful space. We were able to explore the grounds of the ex-hacienda and take-in the beautiful mountain range sitting in front of it (watching the rain storms must be majestic!!). It was truly a beautiful site to visit and escape into the Oaxacan countryside.
Through all of our adventures today, we now rest easy, with food in our bellies, for tomorrow’s exploration! Thanks for joining us on this wonderful journey!
Peace, love, café de olla,
- Hannah Myers y Team Mexico