Oaxaca Notes, November 2006
1) Sat., 11/4
'Not much time right now to recap the first 3 days here in Huatulco, on the southern Pacific coast of Mexico. Sister Mary and I met up with my college buddy, Wade, in Mexico City, before flying on here Wednesday.
1) Sat., 11/4
'Not much time right now to recap the first 3 days here in Huatulco, on the southern Pacific coast of Mexico. Sister Mary and I met up with my college buddy, Wade, in Mexico City, before flying on here Wednesday.
Stay tuned for a selection of pics from the 3 of us in coming days, including our boat ride along the coast with snorkeling stops yesterday and our van ride into the mountains today, to hike along a river with one waterfall after another, including swimming in pools and getting waterfall massages.
More details soon.
John
Trip photo hightlights: http://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/Oaxaca2006
2) 11/7
Tuesday night. One week since leaving home.The flights down were uneventful. In Mexico City, where Wade, my best friend from Berkeley in the mid-60s joined Mary and me, we were a little anxious, as the gate for departure to Huatulco wasn't announced until about 5 minutes before boarding time.Huatulco is a large area along the Southern Pacific coast slated to be the next big tourist destination in Mexico. There are some fancy hotels in one area, Tanglolunda, but even there a lot of jungle gives it a natural feel. We stayed in a nice small hotel in Crucecita, the business center for the area. After the first day of snorkeling (The pictures send in my first email), we spend most of Thursday boating along the coast and snorkeling. Wade was a trooper. Not only is he a self-described non-swimmer with a near drowning in years past, he may have suffered a mild stroke recently that has left the left side of his face somewhat paralyzed. Notwithstanding, he snorkeled several times and enjoyed it.Saturday we took a van up in to the Sierra Madre del Sur, hiked along the Copalita River--a series of waterfalls culminating in a couple of pools, complete with swinging rope and shoulder/back massages by waterfalls. The promised visit to a coffee farm didn't get included. We have hopes of doing that as we leave here.Sunday my camera stopped working. The friendly local camera store didn't have a repair person and did not give reason to hope there was any place in Huatulco that could fix the power button which lost it's spring. I had bought a Smart Media card there earlier, which is the outdated card my camera uses. They took it back and gave me 15% off on a little digital camera that I'm trying to get acquainted with. I'm trusting Mary to take pics and send them to me.After 4 nights in Huatulco we caught a cab to Puerto Angel, a previous haunt. The Rincon, perched above the crashing waves, is closed. We ended up at Puesta del Sol, a clean hotel on the hillside. But, after being spoiled by AC in Huatulco, along with roosters who fail to understand they are to wait until dawn to crow, along with a chorus of barking dogs, Mary and I didn't sleep so well. The other thing is going to bed much earlier than at home.But, we were up for another boat ride/snorkeling outing the next day. The best snorkeling spot turned out to be Estacahuite Beach, the spot where 2 years ago I immersed the electronic security key for our rental VW.We moved on yesterday to Zipolite, a lovely beach only a few km down the road. Wade liked the setting so well he decided to stay. He is meeting friends up the coast in Puerto Vallarta in a week or two and looks forward to a slow pace and work on his laptop. It was great to see him again after 40 years. We'll keep in touch better.Mary read in the travel guide about this hotel in Puerto Escondido, owned by Mr. Voss, a German. Our maternal grandfather was a Voss, with roots in Germany, so we decided to stay with our distant relative. 'Nice place, across from the surfing beach here. We`ve already met several interesting and friendly fellow guests. AC again! I expect to sleep better tonight. Should I check on election returns before bed?!Wade promises to put together a slide show of our best pics and send on to me. I hope to be able to include a link in my next email.John
3) 11/11
Greetings from the fresh mountain climate of the beautiful colonial city of Oaxaca. Some of you may know this has been a hotbed of protest for months, beginning with a teacher strike in May and widening into a call for the resignation of the state governor. A week ago federal troops arrived and re-took the center of the city, the zocalo. Protestors have reportedly retreated to a university campus. When we arrived today the streets were clogged with traffic and life seems for the most part normal. Less of us tourists. Lots of graffitti, most of it painted over.
Picking up from my last report: before I forget it, let me share the hot lead I got from Ian and Lisha, guests at Hotel Inez: buy property in Montenegro. They say it's one of the newest countries in the world, next to Bosnia and Croatia--east across the Adriatic Sea from Italy. I've heard from others that the dollar goes much further in European countries that have not yet become full members of the European Common Market and have the Euro for currency.
The AC at the Inez didn't work well. Neither Mary or I slept well and felt it wasn't worth the 500 pesos (exchange rate between 10 and almost 11 pesos to the dollar, depending on how/where dollars are converted). We had a recommendation from Eliana, whom we met in Oaxaca 2 years ago--the Mayflower Hotel/hostel in the city center of Puerto Escondido (PE). We spend the next 2 nights there. No AC, but breezes plus the fan was bearable. We met a few of the backpackers that were staying in the dorms.
We had a wonderful dinner of a whole red snapper our first night in PE. But, the next day we were both hit with a bug. Minne, the outspoken German who runs the Mayflower, concluded it was the complimentary tuna we also ate--restaurants here hate to throw old food out so they give it to guests. We got some relief going to massages and Temezcals--local variation of a sweat lodge. Very nice.
Friday morning we headed to a lovely beach just outside of PR for our last snorkeling of this trip. Waves were choppy and it was a ways out to the coral reef, where the colorful fish reside. Mary caught sight of a sting ray, quite close to her and had something of a panic (You'll recall it was a sting ray that did in that Aussie chap), which effected her use of her snorkel. It was a struggle to get back to the beach, where she decided to stay. I headed back out to the reef. Suddenly a huge wave sent me reeling and then pushed me toward the rocky shore. Rather than fight my way back in to deeper water, where another huge wave could find me, I decided to land on the rocks. Skin scrapped off two fingers was about the extent of the damage. We shall pay more head to ocean conditions when snorkeling in the future.
Weary of the heat and humidity of the coast, I talked Mary in to heading for the mountains a day before our reserved week begins here at Casa San Felipe. Yesterday we caught a van to Juquila, about 7-8000 feet up in the pine forests of the Sierra Madre del Sur. It's famous for it´s Virgin, believed to grant prayer requests. We happened on to a Mexican fireworks display. Today's van for the remainder of the winding and bumpy road in to Oaxaca was thankfully less crowded that the one yesterday, which left us thinking a 2nd class bus would have been an improvement.
Things are indeed improving. Our bouts with turista are passing. And we are back in the familiar, lovely Casa San Felipe (CSF). We were here two years ago. CSF is one of our timeshare exchange places, a converted colonial mansion.
You can go to the trouble of downloading all 169 pictures from our first 4 days in Huatulco from here: http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a300/wadehudson/
Or, you can wait for a selection of the best that Wade is still working on and will be forwarding to me. Alas, except for the first group of about a dozen sent earlier, my photos are not available during the trip. The new cheapy digital I bought is working, it seems, but the tiny screen previews aren't that great. But, Wade and Mary have some great pics. Mary has a digital underwater camera and she is learning to use it! Wade's photo-sharpening program helps too.
I found this one-monitor Internet spot around the corner form CSF. They turned the lights on for me. They're probably ready to turn them off again. So,
Hasta luego,
John
4) 11/19
“The week in Oaxaca (‘Wa-ha-ka’)”
Sunday morning, back home at my familiar keyboard, where I won’t keep hitting CAPS LOCK accidentally, as I did on most Mexican keyboards. Before it all fades in to memory, here’s a recap of our last week.
Sunday morning Mary and I caught a bus to the Sunday market at Tlacolula. I had remembered great photo opts there 3 years ago and we were not disappointed. ‘Big outdoor market, combination of food and crafts and whatever. We bought small (Read: hopefully to be packed in carryon luggage and get home without breaking) pottery pieces, some fruit and nuts. My new digital worked fairly well for shooting from the hip. Many Indians do not like having their pictures taken. If I can master the digital zoom, maybe I can get some good close ups.
While I had Mitla (a pre-Columbian ruin) and Hierve el Agua, a pretty natural area, on the Sunday To Do calendar, I felt like heading back to town after the market and Mary concurred. I don’t have the stamina of those younger backpacking days, but I arthritically cling to the illusion I still am one.
We had dinner on the zocalo with Sara Sunday night. Thorntree (http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/) is an online travel forum run by Lonely Planet travel guidebooks. It’s huge, with lots of contributors from all around the world. As a way to get tips on a place you are traveling, go to that country or region and enter a search word. I found Sara among the regular contributors to discussion of the current Oaxaca situation--the teacher/APPO (Popular Assembly of the Oaxacan People--http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/11/11/18328910.php) standoff with the government. Sara, an American living between Baja and Oaxaca for many years, continues to report on her love of the people and places, of her sense of personal safety in Oaxaca, in spite of the standoff and sporadic violence. As expected, Sara was a hoot. She is an artist and Mary decided to take a few lessons from Armando, Sara’s mentor at the Rooftop Studio.
Monday we re-visited the markets in Oaxaca, bought hand-woven clothing and mole, had lunch at the Hotel Chocolate. After Mary’s first art lesson, we had dinner at a local spot with Sara, Armando and his gal/fellow artist, Xochil. I spent some time meandering amongst the APPO supporters near Santo Domingo church, but didn’t end up engaging anyone in discussion.
Tuesday we spend some time looking for museums and exhibits. Some were closed due to the unrest. It’s still true—my experience in Latin America asking for directions—people tend to give an answer, even if they don’t have a clue. We got a workout following varied instructions on how to find an exhibit of photos of Dia de lost Muertos (Day of the Dead). In the afternoon we visited Las Cupulas (www.oaxaca-mio.com/lascupulas_eng.htm), another Raintree Vacation Club (RVC) timeshare north of Oaxaca in the San Felipe del Agua neighborhood. About 15 minutes travel time if traffic is light, which means a good half hour any time during the day, given Oaxaca’s clogged streets. Another lovely 9-room pension, companion to Casa San Felipe. Future visits may include an R & R at Las Cupulas after a few days at CSF, including hiking into the nearby hills.
Wednesday morning we had breakfast with Luis, RVC sales person—an update on member services. The concierge at CSF had asked if I would meet with RVC bigwigs, to express my satisfaction. With news reports of the unrest and our embassy recommending against travel to Oaxaca, RVC is contemplating closing down CSF and Las Cupulas until the tourist industry rebounds. ‘Turns out Luis wanted to meet with me in any case, to talk about RVC, as he heads a sales staff now housed in Oaxaca. I warned him I am not interested in buying more timeshare time, as we already have the two weeks in Whistler which give us tremendous trading power (our week at CSF used only 2 of our 26 annual “points”!). Luis was great, and made no effort to sell me more time. We talked about again developing a Huatulco RVC destination, as well as one on Cozumel, which had been under consideration a couple of years ago.
In the afternoon we caught a collective taxi to the market in Etla. Small compared to Tlacolula, but still colorful. I bought some red pottery from a nice vendor and took more photos. Mary has a trigger finger, fills up her digital camera cards quickly, so downloading to cds is a means of freeing up cards for more pics. We found a fancy photo shop in Oaxaca that downloaded to cd while we waited, complete with index cards showing tiny shots of all pics. I was encouraged that my new camera is taking better pictures than the little LCD screen suggests. It will take me a while to get around to loading the camera’s software in to my computer, but maybe I’ll send you some of my best shots in the near future. Wade and I had
Some crossed emails about our best from Huatulco, so in the first 20 are some shots I wouldn’t have included, but, as promised, here’s the selection of 40 from our first few days on the coast: http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a300/wadehudson/Mexico/Hualtulco%202006/Best/
Thursday morning we visited the pre-Columbian ruin of Yagul, on a hillside in the valley east of Oaxaca. Mary and I were the only visitors, yet another sign of the ailing tourist business. The fortress overlooking the small ruins provided wonderful views, including the lovely surrounding farmlands.
On to Teotitlan del Valle, a town famous for its weavers. Two years ago Mary and I had befriended a family there, promised to send copies of pictures we took, but we misplaced their address. So, our return, with the promised photos, was quite the hit. The cute little two year old is now four, still adorable. They brought out the mole, chocolate and mescal. We, of course, bought more rugs. ‘Also made new friends with another rug seller before we got out of town.
Friday, last day, Mary was not excited about another bus ride up winding roads in to the mountains. She had her last art class and final shopping while I caught a bus to Caujimoloyas, at 3100 meters (x 39.33/12 = 10,160 feet elevation), up in the cloud forest country of Pueblos Mancomunados, 8 Indian villages that own the land collectively. I was fortunate to get off the bus with Ruth, a biologist working with the Pueblos to promote ecotourism—hiking and mountain biking. I tagged along to a campsite development and hiked along a small stream for a couple of hours. The drizzle became serious rain just as I got back to the campsite, where hot tea and lunch was waiting. I bought a nice map for a return in the future--one or two nights, hiking with a guide to get deeper into the lovely Sierra Norte.
Back to town after scrambling for a ride due to a bus that was a no show, I expected Mary at CFS. Half an hour after dark, still no Mary, I began to worry. It seemed very unlikely that she was detained or couldn’t find her way back to CSF. Perhaps she was having trouble finding that xxl dark shirt for Paul… I failed to consider the Sara Factor. After art lesson, Sara accompanied Mary to the organic market and shopping, then drinks at the nice hotel…. Mary suggested calling CSF to tell me where they were…. Anyway, it ended well.
Yesterday was airports and flights. Close call in Dallas, where Mary’s bag was pulled aside and gone through. I rushed ahead to try and hold her plane to Portland. She made it with 5 minutes to spare. The 4-hour trip to Seattle was shortened by sitting next to a friendly young couple heading to the northwest for Thanksgiving. We talked about Newport and the Silvia Beach Hotel, ended up playing “2 Truths and a Lie” for awhile. Fun—even a couple can come up with lies about themselves that can stump each other!
My checked duffle bag not making the plane out of Dallas was not the desired final touch, but just now, as I’m writing this, the American Airlines van showed up at our door with the duffle bag!
Back to a stack of mail and lots of loose ends here at home. Maybe I’ll add a summing up in the near future, along with those promised photos.
John
November 29
‘Been back from Mexico a week and a half. ‘Seems longer. The other night, looking at the new digital camera, card full of Oaxaca pictures, I tried to figure out how to use the digital zoom to enlarge parts of pictures. ‘Found “Format” and clicked on it, to see if that would get me to the zoom feature. Nope. Without realizing it, I was in the “Erase” mode. I knew better than to hit “Erase All”. Well, “Format” does the same thing!! I’ve called a few camera places and I’m hoping the pictures can be retrieved. Chances are better, since I haven’t taken any new pictures on the card after erasing it.
IF I get them back, I’ll send along some of the best. Attached here are the best from the cd I had burned of pictures, beginning in Zipolite, on the beach, to the Sunday market at Tlacolula. A few captions (the pictures are not arranged sequentially—look for the corresponding #):
02—panorama of Zipolite beach
03—Wade observing a game of chess at Shambhala
18—a crane braving the surf at Puerto Escondido
28—Mary, waiting for the van taking us into the mountains
29—An exhausted Mary, still able to salute with a “V” after hours of curves and chuckholes, squished in to the middle seat of the stuffy van
41—buying souvenirs in Juquila, famous for it’s wish-granting Virgin, high in the mountains
66—the lovely, comfy Casa San Felipe
92—looking at me, NOT noticing my hip-held camera
99—cheese taster
112—the confessional
118—federales in the zocalo
For your future travel plans—be aware, beginning in a few weeks from now, you must have a passport to fly back in to the US from ANYWHERE:
Beginning January 23, 2007, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document. Source website: http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html
Finally, John’s infomercial: I have previously mentioned to some of you that I have lots of very nice vacation opportunities. I just found another too-good-to-pass-up deal that expands our already substantial annual inventory of timeshare weeks.
The parent company, Raintree Vacation Club (RVC), now has a good website. It gives a feel for the various resorts we can trade in to:
http://www.raintreevacationclub.com/GetClubResortNavScreen.event
Seasons (high, regular, low) and size of unit (studio to 3-bedroom) determine how many “points” we spend. Lucy and I may take our big retirement trip (Europe & East Africa) next May. If so, we will be looking for takers for one or both of the two 2-bedroom (each sleeping up to 6) condos at Jackson Hole that we reserved for 5/26 to 6/2. While their posted rack rate is $300/night during the slow spring season (really, early summer), $400 (per condo) will cover our costs for the whole week.
Our RVC membership is via ownership of timeshare weeks at Whistler. On finding that there are some steals on re-sales at Whistler, I thought of telling you of the deals to be had. But, I’ve learned it now costs $4000 to join RVC, on top of the price for the timeshare week, which makes it much less of a steal.
So, it makes more sense to be my guests. In addition to that dream getaway for yourself, you can send family, friends or business associates. Travel is not included. I don’t have special leads on low airfares. If you know someone who works for an airline they may have unused guest passes.
Low seasons vary by resort. Surf through the resorts on the website listed above. For destinations of interest, I can send you the different seasons and costs, per condo-size.
As our guests, you or those you send, will be treated as owners during a week’s stay, not subjected to time-consuming, high-pressured sales pitches, which is the case with introductory packages designed to persuade you to buy a timeshare.
And, don’t forget our Oregon Coast bluff cottage—www.lowryrentals.com
John
253-841-4948
2) 11/7
Tuesday night. One week since leaving home.The flights down were uneventful. In Mexico City, where Wade, my best friend from Berkeley in the mid-60s joined Mary and me, we were a little anxious, as the gate for departure to Huatulco wasn't announced until about 5 minutes before boarding time.Huatulco is a large area along the Southern Pacific coast slated to be the next big tourist destination in Mexico. There are some fancy hotels in one area, Tanglolunda, but even there a lot of jungle gives it a natural feel. We stayed in a nice small hotel in Crucecita, the business center for the area. After the first day of snorkeling (The pictures send in my first email), we spend most of Thursday boating along the coast and snorkeling. Wade was a trooper. Not only is he a self-described non-swimmer with a near drowning in years past, he may have suffered a mild stroke recently that has left the left side of his face somewhat paralyzed. Notwithstanding, he snorkeled several times and enjoyed it.Saturday we took a van up in to the Sierra Madre del Sur, hiked along the Copalita River--a series of waterfalls culminating in a couple of pools, complete with swinging rope and shoulder/back massages by waterfalls. The promised visit to a coffee farm didn't get included. We have hopes of doing that as we leave here.Sunday my camera stopped working. The friendly local camera store didn't have a repair person and did not give reason to hope there was any place in Huatulco that could fix the power button which lost it's spring. I had bought a Smart Media card there earlier, which is the outdated card my camera uses. They took it back and gave me 15% off on a little digital camera that I'm trying to get acquainted with. I'm trusting Mary to take pics and send them to me.After 4 nights in Huatulco we caught a cab to Puerto Angel, a previous haunt. The Rincon, perched above the crashing waves, is closed. We ended up at Puesta del Sol, a clean hotel on the hillside. But, after being spoiled by AC in Huatulco, along with roosters who fail to understand they are to wait until dawn to crow, along with a chorus of barking dogs, Mary and I didn't sleep so well. The other thing is going to bed much earlier than at home.But, we were up for another boat ride/snorkeling outing the next day. The best snorkeling spot turned out to be Estacahuite Beach, the spot where 2 years ago I immersed the electronic security key for our rental VW.We moved on yesterday to Zipolite, a lovely beach only a few km down the road. Wade liked the setting so well he decided to stay. He is meeting friends up the coast in Puerto Vallarta in a week or two and looks forward to a slow pace and work on his laptop. It was great to see him again after 40 years. We'll keep in touch better.Mary read in the travel guide about this hotel in Puerto Escondido, owned by Mr. Voss, a German. Our maternal grandfather was a Voss, with roots in Germany, so we decided to stay with our distant relative. 'Nice place, across from the surfing beach here. We`ve already met several interesting and friendly fellow guests. AC again! I expect to sleep better tonight. Should I check on election returns before bed?!Wade promises to put together a slide show of our best pics and send on to me. I hope to be able to include a link in my next email.John
3) 11/11
Greetings from the fresh mountain climate of the beautiful colonial city of Oaxaca. Some of you may know this has been a hotbed of protest for months, beginning with a teacher strike in May and widening into a call for the resignation of the state governor. A week ago federal troops arrived and re-took the center of the city, the zocalo. Protestors have reportedly retreated to a university campus. When we arrived today the streets were clogged with traffic and life seems for the most part normal. Less of us tourists. Lots of graffitti, most of it painted over.
Picking up from my last report: before I forget it, let me share the hot lead I got from Ian and Lisha, guests at Hotel Inez: buy property in Montenegro. They say it's one of the newest countries in the world, next to Bosnia and Croatia--east across the Adriatic Sea from Italy. I've heard from others that the dollar goes much further in European countries that have not yet become full members of the European Common Market and have the Euro for currency.
The AC at the Inez didn't work well. Neither Mary or I slept well and felt it wasn't worth the 500 pesos (exchange rate between 10 and almost 11 pesos to the dollar, depending on how/where dollars are converted). We had a recommendation from Eliana, whom we met in Oaxaca 2 years ago--the Mayflower Hotel/hostel in the city center of Puerto Escondido (PE). We spend the next 2 nights there. No AC, but breezes plus the fan was bearable. We met a few of the backpackers that were staying in the dorms.
We had a wonderful dinner of a whole red snapper our first night in PE. But, the next day we were both hit with a bug. Minne, the outspoken German who runs the Mayflower, concluded it was the complimentary tuna we also ate--restaurants here hate to throw old food out so they give it to guests. We got some relief going to massages and Temezcals--local variation of a sweat lodge. Very nice.
Friday morning we headed to a lovely beach just outside of PR for our last snorkeling of this trip. Waves were choppy and it was a ways out to the coral reef, where the colorful fish reside. Mary caught sight of a sting ray, quite close to her and had something of a panic (You'll recall it was a sting ray that did in that Aussie chap), which effected her use of her snorkel. It was a struggle to get back to the beach, where she decided to stay. I headed back out to the reef. Suddenly a huge wave sent me reeling and then pushed me toward the rocky shore. Rather than fight my way back in to deeper water, where another huge wave could find me, I decided to land on the rocks. Skin scrapped off two fingers was about the extent of the damage. We shall pay more head to ocean conditions when snorkeling in the future.
Weary of the heat and humidity of the coast, I talked Mary in to heading for the mountains a day before our reserved week begins here at Casa San Felipe. Yesterday we caught a van to Juquila, about 7-8000 feet up in the pine forests of the Sierra Madre del Sur. It's famous for it´s Virgin, believed to grant prayer requests. We happened on to a Mexican fireworks display. Today's van for the remainder of the winding and bumpy road in to Oaxaca was thankfully less crowded that the one yesterday, which left us thinking a 2nd class bus would have been an improvement.
Things are indeed improving. Our bouts with turista are passing. And we are back in the familiar, lovely Casa San Felipe (CSF). We were here two years ago. CSF is one of our timeshare exchange places, a converted colonial mansion.
You can go to the trouble of downloading all 169 pictures from our first 4 days in Huatulco from here: http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a300/wadehudson/
Or, you can wait for a selection of the best that Wade is still working on and will be forwarding to me. Alas, except for the first group of about a dozen sent earlier, my photos are not available during the trip. The new cheapy digital I bought is working, it seems, but the tiny screen previews aren't that great. But, Wade and Mary have some great pics. Mary has a digital underwater camera and she is learning to use it! Wade's photo-sharpening program helps too.
I found this one-monitor Internet spot around the corner form CSF. They turned the lights on for me. They're probably ready to turn them off again. So,
Hasta luego,
John
4) 11/19
“The week in Oaxaca (‘Wa-ha-ka’)”
Sunday morning, back home at my familiar keyboard, where I won’t keep hitting CAPS LOCK accidentally, as I did on most Mexican keyboards. Before it all fades in to memory, here’s a recap of our last week.
Sunday morning Mary and I caught a bus to the Sunday market at Tlacolula. I had remembered great photo opts there 3 years ago and we were not disappointed. ‘Big outdoor market, combination of food and crafts and whatever. We bought small (Read: hopefully to be packed in carryon luggage and get home without breaking) pottery pieces, some fruit and nuts. My new digital worked fairly well for shooting from the hip. Many Indians do not like having their pictures taken. If I can master the digital zoom, maybe I can get some good close ups.
While I had Mitla (a pre-Columbian ruin) and Hierve el Agua, a pretty natural area, on the Sunday To Do calendar, I felt like heading back to town after the market and Mary concurred. I don’t have the stamina of those younger backpacking days, but I arthritically cling to the illusion I still am one.
We had dinner on the zocalo with Sara Sunday night. Thorntree (http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/) is an online travel forum run by Lonely Planet travel guidebooks. It’s huge, with lots of contributors from all around the world. As a way to get tips on a place you are traveling, go to that country or region and enter a search word. I found Sara among the regular contributors to discussion of the current Oaxaca situation--the teacher/APPO (Popular Assembly of the Oaxacan People--http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/11/11/18328910.php) standoff with the government. Sara, an American living between Baja and Oaxaca for many years, continues to report on her love of the people and places, of her sense of personal safety in Oaxaca, in spite of the standoff and sporadic violence. As expected, Sara was a hoot. She is an artist and Mary decided to take a few lessons from Armando, Sara’s mentor at the Rooftop Studio.
Monday we re-visited the markets in Oaxaca, bought hand-woven clothing and mole, had lunch at the Hotel Chocolate. After Mary’s first art lesson, we had dinner at a local spot with Sara, Armando and his gal/fellow artist, Xochil. I spent some time meandering amongst the APPO supporters near Santo Domingo church, but didn’t end up engaging anyone in discussion.
Tuesday we spend some time looking for museums and exhibits. Some were closed due to the unrest. It’s still true—my experience in Latin America asking for directions—people tend to give an answer, even if they don’t have a clue. We got a workout following varied instructions on how to find an exhibit of photos of Dia de lost Muertos (Day of the Dead). In the afternoon we visited Las Cupulas (www.oaxaca-mio.com/lascupulas_eng.htm), another Raintree Vacation Club (RVC) timeshare north of Oaxaca in the San Felipe del Agua neighborhood. About 15 minutes travel time if traffic is light, which means a good half hour any time during the day, given Oaxaca’s clogged streets. Another lovely 9-room pension, companion to Casa San Felipe. Future visits may include an R & R at Las Cupulas after a few days at CSF, including hiking into the nearby hills.
Wednesday morning we had breakfast with Luis, RVC sales person—an update on member services. The concierge at CSF had asked if I would meet with RVC bigwigs, to express my satisfaction. With news reports of the unrest and our embassy recommending against travel to Oaxaca, RVC is contemplating closing down CSF and Las Cupulas until the tourist industry rebounds. ‘Turns out Luis wanted to meet with me in any case, to talk about RVC, as he heads a sales staff now housed in Oaxaca. I warned him I am not interested in buying more timeshare time, as we already have the two weeks in Whistler which give us tremendous trading power (our week at CSF used only 2 of our 26 annual “points”!). Luis was great, and made no effort to sell me more time. We talked about again developing a Huatulco RVC destination, as well as one on Cozumel, which had been under consideration a couple of years ago.
In the afternoon we caught a collective taxi to the market in Etla. Small compared to Tlacolula, but still colorful. I bought some red pottery from a nice vendor and took more photos. Mary has a trigger finger, fills up her digital camera cards quickly, so downloading to cds is a means of freeing up cards for more pics. We found a fancy photo shop in Oaxaca that downloaded to cd while we waited, complete with index cards showing tiny shots of all pics. I was encouraged that my new camera is taking better pictures than the little LCD screen suggests. It will take me a while to get around to loading the camera’s software in to my computer, but maybe I’ll send you some of my best shots in the near future. Wade and I had
Some crossed emails about our best from Huatulco, so in the first 20 are some shots I wouldn’t have included, but, as promised, here’s the selection of 40 from our first few days on the coast: http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a300/wadehudson/Mexico/Hualtulco%202006/Best/
Thursday morning we visited the pre-Columbian ruin of Yagul, on a hillside in the valley east of Oaxaca. Mary and I were the only visitors, yet another sign of the ailing tourist business. The fortress overlooking the small ruins provided wonderful views, including the lovely surrounding farmlands.
On to Teotitlan del Valle, a town famous for its weavers. Two years ago Mary and I had befriended a family there, promised to send copies of pictures we took, but we misplaced their address. So, our return, with the promised photos, was quite the hit. The cute little two year old is now four, still adorable. They brought out the mole, chocolate and mescal. We, of course, bought more rugs. ‘Also made new friends with another rug seller before we got out of town.
Friday, last day, Mary was not excited about another bus ride up winding roads in to the mountains. She had her last art class and final shopping while I caught a bus to Caujimoloyas, at 3100 meters (x 39.33/12 = 10,160 feet elevation), up in the cloud forest country of Pueblos Mancomunados, 8 Indian villages that own the land collectively. I was fortunate to get off the bus with Ruth, a biologist working with the Pueblos to promote ecotourism—hiking and mountain biking. I tagged along to a campsite development and hiked along a small stream for a couple of hours. The drizzle became serious rain just as I got back to the campsite, where hot tea and lunch was waiting. I bought a nice map for a return in the future--one or two nights, hiking with a guide to get deeper into the lovely Sierra Norte.
Back to town after scrambling for a ride due to a bus that was a no show, I expected Mary at CFS. Half an hour after dark, still no Mary, I began to worry. It seemed very unlikely that she was detained or couldn’t find her way back to CSF. Perhaps she was having trouble finding that xxl dark shirt for Paul… I failed to consider the Sara Factor. After art lesson, Sara accompanied Mary to the organic market and shopping, then drinks at the nice hotel…. Mary suggested calling CSF to tell me where they were…. Anyway, it ended well.
Yesterday was airports and flights. Close call in Dallas, where Mary’s bag was pulled aside and gone through. I rushed ahead to try and hold her plane to Portland. She made it with 5 minutes to spare. The 4-hour trip to Seattle was shortened by sitting next to a friendly young couple heading to the northwest for Thanksgiving. We talked about Newport and the Silvia Beach Hotel, ended up playing “2 Truths and a Lie” for awhile. Fun—even a couple can come up with lies about themselves that can stump each other!
My checked duffle bag not making the plane out of Dallas was not the desired final touch, but just now, as I’m writing this, the American Airlines van showed up at our door with the duffle bag!
Back to a stack of mail and lots of loose ends here at home. Maybe I’ll add a summing up in the near future, along with those promised photos.
John
November 29
‘Been back from Mexico a week and a half. ‘Seems longer. The other night, looking at the new digital camera, card full of Oaxaca pictures, I tried to figure out how to use the digital zoom to enlarge parts of pictures. ‘Found “Format” and clicked on it, to see if that would get me to the zoom feature. Nope. Without realizing it, I was in the “Erase” mode. I knew better than to hit “Erase All”. Well, “Format” does the same thing!! I’ve called a few camera places and I’m hoping the pictures can be retrieved. Chances are better, since I haven’t taken any new pictures on the card after erasing it.
IF I get them back, I’ll send along some of the best. Attached here are the best from the cd I had burned of pictures, beginning in Zipolite, on the beach, to the Sunday market at Tlacolula. A few captions (the pictures are not arranged sequentially—look for the corresponding #):
02—panorama of Zipolite beach
03—Wade observing a game of chess at Shambhala
18—a crane braving the surf at Puerto Escondido
28—Mary, waiting for the van taking us into the mountains
29—An exhausted Mary, still able to salute with a “V” after hours of curves and chuckholes, squished in to the middle seat of the stuffy van
41—buying souvenirs in Juquila, famous for it’s wish-granting Virgin, high in the mountains
66—the lovely, comfy Casa San Felipe
92—looking at me, NOT noticing my hip-held camera
99—cheese taster
112—the confessional
118—federales in the zocalo
For your future travel plans—be aware, beginning in a few weeks from now, you must have a passport to fly back in to the US from ANYWHERE:
Beginning January 23, 2007, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document. Source website: http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html
Finally, John’s infomercial: I have previously mentioned to some of you that I have lots of very nice vacation opportunities. I just found another too-good-to-pass-up deal that expands our already substantial annual inventory of timeshare weeks.
The parent company, Raintree Vacation Club (RVC), now has a good website. It gives a feel for the various resorts we can trade in to:
http://www.raintreevacationclub.com/GetClubResortNavScreen.event
Seasons (high, regular, low) and size of unit (studio to 3-bedroom) determine how many “points” we spend. Lucy and I may take our big retirement trip (Europe & East Africa) next May. If so, we will be looking for takers for one or both of the two 2-bedroom (each sleeping up to 6) condos at Jackson Hole that we reserved for 5/26 to 6/2. While their posted rack rate is $300/night during the slow spring season (really, early summer), $400 (per condo) will cover our costs for the whole week.
Our RVC membership is via ownership of timeshare weeks at Whistler. On finding that there are some steals on re-sales at Whistler, I thought of telling you of the deals to be had. But, I’ve learned it now costs $4000 to join RVC, on top of the price for the timeshare week, which makes it much less of a steal.
So, it makes more sense to be my guests. In addition to that dream getaway for yourself, you can send family, friends or business associates. Travel is not included. I don’t have special leads on low airfares. If you know someone who works for an airline they may have unused guest passes.
Low seasons vary by resort. Surf through the resorts on the website listed above. For destinations of interest, I can send you the different seasons and costs, per condo-size.
As our guests, you or those you send, will be treated as owners during a week’s stay, not subjected to time-consuming, high-pressured sales pitches, which is the case with introductory packages designed to persuade you to buy a timeshare.
And, don’t forget our Oregon Coast bluff cottage—www.lowryrentals.com
John
253-841-4948
