Harrison’s Take on Our Trip to Oaxaca

Journal: Oaxaca

January 13, 2011

To start our day in the cold conditions, my sister and I watched the
1st Harry Potter movie. Later, we walked to the Iglesia (church) De  
Santo Domingo, viewed the gold ceilings and walls and then to the Zocolo, the town square. At the Zocolo, we went in the main church and saw all the sculptures and art work on the walls. Next, we had lunch and went to one of two museums. The first one taught us about the history of humans, our world and Mexico. The second one, teaches us about the three tribes (Zapotecs, Mixtecs and Aztecs) and Mexico's governors and presidents, Porforio Diaz and Benito Juarez, both born and raised in Oaxaca.

I do have to admit it was a long and tiring day but that didn't stop the fun.


January 14, 2011

This morning, I had pizza, left over from last night. Then, we drove in our rental car to Ocotlan and went to the market there. That was the busiest place I've ever been. I didn't like the market because people with chickens and turkeys kept walking into me. Next, all of us got back in the car and drove to a place where they make black pottery out of natural clay and Quartz. There, we saw someone make a pitcher and I bought a clay dog. We took the car to a restaurant called Café La Olla and had a sandwich there. Then we visited Benito Jarez's house.

My favorite part of today was visiting the pottery place and seeing
them make the pitcher.

January 15, 2011

Today is January 15th, 2011, and we had breakfast, two pieces of toast with peanut butter. Then, we watched "Despicable  Me", and we played some games while my parents were at the Oaxaca Market. Next, we went for a walk to visit some artisans, art galleries and have lunch at a delicious vegetarian restaurant. We walked to a mescale, a place where they sell and give tastes of mescal, which is alcohol from the agave plant, and played with their dogs (Tesla and Poopa).

The weirdest part of today was eating grasshoppers that were roasted in chile and lemon in the mescale.

January 16, 2011

This morning, all of us got in the car and drove to a coffee shop (with me as the navigator). Then, we drove to a wood carving place where we viewed around for four hours and ended up with a three headed dragon. Now, for the best part, somebody told us the directions for Monte Alban (we'll get to that in a moment) and they were to follow the river all the way down. She was correct when she said to go down into the river, which we drove IN to get there. The 'river' was a very bumpy and hilarious experience. When we got to Monte Alban, a ton of ruins near Oaxaca, we got out of the car laughing and went to pay our admission and started on our tour. In our tour we climbed a big pyramid, went in a small underground tunnel and an over ground tunnel.

The most hilarious part of the day was going to Monte Alban in THE river.

January 17, 2011
We started our day with my dad and I lighting some fire crackers that
were really a piece of junk (but when they did work, they were booming) and then went to a book store where we were looking to buy a book but they were too expensive. Today, again, we went to a place where they carve wood, except that this place I went to was excellent. They actually showed us how to carve, make natural paint, which had very vivid colors, how to fill in cracks in the wood and to paint the beautiful carvings. Later, I got a piece of wood out of the car and the people that showed us how to carve helped me carve a turtle. Then, we went to a weaving market where the people there, again, let me help them weave gorgeous table runners. On the way back, we went to the grocery store and two mescal places.

For sure, my favorite part of the day was getting to carve my own turtle.

January 18, 2011
My favorite part of the day today was going to the town of Mitla were we got to visit more ruins. There were two tombs that you got to go into and see the stone mosaics on the walls.

My favorite part of the whole trip, though, was getting to carve my own turtle out of wood and visiting the amazing ruins in Mitla and Monte Alban.

- Harrison, now back in Huatulco