Oaxaca (day 3)

Today I ventured outside of Oaxaca City to explore other parts of the Oaxaca region. For less than 200 pesos I went on a full day tour with transport between five major attractions. We began with a visit to Tule, the widest tree in the world. The trunk looks like a forest in itself and the branches sprawl out in the most abstract of patterns. Very typical of Mexico, there"s a church right behind the tree. The next stop was Teotitlan where we visited a rug making workshop run by a zapatista cooperative (we were assured that this cooperative is not politically active). It was fascinating to see how the wool is spun into thread and learn about the different ingredients used for the dyes. Red, for example, is made using crushed insects that grow in the maguey plant (a cactus); blue is made from indigo; green from moss gather off the rocks; and yellow from marigold flowers. Considering the elaborate process of gathering ingredients, then dying and spinning the yarn, it"s understandable how a single run can take up to 7 months to complete. The third morning stop was to a Mezcal factory. Mezcal is the alcoholic beverage produced by small family enterprises throughout the region of Oaxaca. It is produced from fermented maguey leaves, and can age for as few as 6 months to up to 9 years. I found the pure mezcal to be rather strong, but the cremitas (sweet creams) were much more palatable. The afternoon continued with a visit to the ruins of Mitla, construction of either the zapotecas or the Aztecs. An interesting fact that I learned about Mitla: since ancient times people have brought offerings to the temple of Mitla when they want to ask a favor of the heavenly spirits. Namely they bring cacao seeds and flowers. The final stop of the tour was to Hierve el Agua, natural springs of bubbling water about 9,000 feet above sea level. We arrived just as the sun was setting. What a beautiful conclusion to the day to marvel at the natural springs with the austere mountain ridges of Oaxaca in the background!