Chiapas

This Weekend I took a whirlwind tour through the southernmost state of Mexico, Chiapas! Chiapas is beautiful with an ever changing beautiful land scape, at time everything around me was inspiring shades of green, grass lands, jungles or golden fields of corn in red earth. it was all amazing the most beautiful I have ever been!

Chiapas is also the poorest state in Mexico. The majority of the people in Chiapas are rural farmers, many of the indigenous people are of Mayan descent. There are many pueblos without roads or accesses to cities in these pueblos the predominant language is Ch'ol ( a Mayan language) and many people do not speak Spanish.

Chiapas in home to the Zapatistias. The Zapatista Army of National Liberation is an armed revolutionary army that has declared war on the Mexican government. They are made up predominately of indigenous people. They initially rose up in response to the Mexican oppression of the indigenous and the signing of NAFTA. From what I understand, they believe that the Mexican government is run by drugs and corruption, this corruption is what oppresses the indigenous people. They believe the land in chiapas should first benefit the people of chiapas, they say the Mexican government is raping the land and the people.

I really don't know much about them but i find them interesting, i think when i get home i will pick up a book to learn more. One interesting thing i did find was the Zapatistias Women's Revolutionary Law

Women's Revolutionary Law

1. Women, regardless of their race, creed, color or political affiliation, have the right to participate in the revolutionary struggle in any way that their desire and capacity determine.
2. Women have the right to work and receive a just salary.
3. Women have the right to decide the number of children they have and care for.
4. Women have the right to participate in the matters of the community and have charge if they are free and democratically elected.
5. Women and their children have the right to Primary Attention in their health and nutrition.
6. Women have the right to education.
7. Women have the right to choose their partner and are not obliged to enter into marriage.
8. Women have the right to be free of violence from both relatives and strangers.

Soy Estados Unidian

Inauguration day was really inspirational. Not because of the election, or the ceremony. (in fact the there were many things I didn't like about ceremony I don´t want to get political here but if you are interested damali wrote and interesting blog about it http://damaliayo.com/pages/blog_LJ.htm )
Don´t get me wrong I love our new president but I was inspired by more then just the historic day.

I was inspired because in Oaxaca Mexico a group of more then 60 Americans crowded in to a restaurant to watch the inauguration. A diverse group of people gathered, some who voted for President Obama, some for Senator McCain, some for Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney and some not all.

Politics weren't on the table. we were all just there as Americans to watch our new president be sworn in. I was inspired by the camaraderie and respect for the day. When the President said "We will restore science to its rightful place" I got shivers and said thank you aloud while people cheered. Everyone was respectful, they placed there hands over their hearts during the The Star-Spangled Banner, and were quiet during the many prayers. ( which is a whole other topic )

I will never for get that day It was very powerful, I was in Mexico yet I had never felt more American.

Monte Alban

Luckily for me while my friends were of getting scared for life I went to Monte Alban.

Monte Albán was amazing it was the largest ruins site I had ever visited. I went with my friends Kevin, Olivia and Elizabeth it was fun to share a new experience with new friends.

Monte Albán is a large archaeological site just outside Oaxaca city. The Zapotec's began its construction around 500 BCE. It is believed to have been inhabited until 700 CE. The history of this site is complicated and confusing. What our guide told us was very different then what I over heard another guide telling a different group. Like most things of this era archaeologists argue over why it was founded, its and its exact significance and what dialy life was like.

One very interesting thing that is known is that the Zapotec's preformed brain surgery here and people lived after it. There have been a ton of skulls like this one found.

There is also a ball court here like the one in Yagul and Palanque. Our guide in insisted that the game was played with a rubber ball, but I heard another guide saying the game was played with stone (ouch)

The majority of Monte alban is partly reconstructed from original material, but there are some really interesting original walls with artwork.

When you look at the photos realize that the buildings were not in the stone, what you see are the foundations of the buildings. When you imagined giant adobe walls atop the foundations..wow what an incedable site!

Hierve de Agua

Hierve el Agua is a natural warm springs about 40 miles outside Oaxaca. And by warm springs I mean really freaking cold springs!

This is one of the most interesting sites I have ever seen it really looks like a waterfall but its hundreds of years calcium carbonate and magnesium deposits that have created a petrified waterfall and beautiful designs in the ground. Amazing!

Hierve el Agua means boiling water but the day we went the air was 80 and the water was 60 eek freezing but I swam and shivered for and hour! If you know me at all you know I can´t resist the water.

(If you are reading this out loud children please stop for the following part.)
My roommates went to Hierve el Agua the day after I. On the drive up, between two very small, very poor pueblos they saw a man hanging from a tree. They described the site in vivid detail, in their description I could feel the scar in their mind. Apparently the police were very apathetic about it. The next day on of our teachers who is from a near by Pueblo said that there has been a feud between the 2 towns for a while, and that assassinations were not unheard of....

no come comida rápida

At the beginning of my 3rd week in Oaxaca I got really sick, sicker then i had ever been in my whole life. All because I didn´t listen to my teacher Anne marie. ... I ate street food....with meat in it. i cant say anymore it takes me back to the 20 hours i spent vomiting.

My senora took me to the hospital, the doctor saw me quickly, it was affordable and my prescriptions worked right away.

So in short, fast food in Mexico can be deadly, but the doctors are great!

Tlacochahuaya

Thats right Tlacochahuaya. I dare you to pronounce it!

My 3rd and final stop on my second day in Oaxaca was Tlacochahuaya. This 16th century Church was constructed by indigenous people and decorated by the Spaniards. inside the Church is a mixture of catholic symbolism and natural elements. The Spanish thought that the indigenous people would accept the new religion if the church included natural imagery.

Sorry no flash in the church so my pics are very dark.

This church was very cool and kinda creepy. Upstairs was this elaborate 16th century pipe organ that was brought over from Spain and carried to Oaxaca on donkeys.

Upstairs there was also this strange door to nowhere

And by upstairs I mean, up the coolest, creepiest, steepest stairwell ever!

This is still an active Church that was all done up for Christmas, It was quite strange to be in such a historic in interesting place, and have it decorated with cardboard precious moments angels.

I didnt get alot of photos inside but i did get this very interesting statue of Jesus.

It also had a 400 year old sun dial that kept perfect time!
This big stump was once used to tie up criminals and leave them outside till the died.

It was a really amazing place!
On our way out of town we got a big bonus. Our van had to stop to let a heard of animal cross the road.

Teotitlán

On my second day in Oaxaca i also went to Teotitlan

Teotitlan is a Zapotec pueblo about 30 minutes outside of Oaxaca. Weaving in Teotitlan is more about family, tradition and connection with the natural world then it is about rugs. Personally I have never been a been fan of this particular type of art but after seeing the process i have a great respect for the artists.

The whole family participates is the process. Women soften, clean and spin the wool by hand into yarn, and traditionally, men do the weaving. (Though when i went all the women were weaving) Children learn the process from their parents, the help make the dyes and sometimes simple projects.

The entire process is 100% natural, they spin the wool clean it with a natural soap that is found in the woods. (my first thought when i saw it was Ah! i have to get some for Dianne and Nicki .... it was very cool even cooler than soap nuts!)

Teotitlan is famous for its brilliant red dye.

The natural dye is made from the cochinilla insect that lives on the cactus.

All the other colors are made by mixing the cochinilla with lime, baking soda, Marigold, indigo and other natural sources

The whole process was so interesting and intricate. I would NEVER have the patience for it. Some of the larger rugs can take up to six months to complete.