I woke up early to run a nearby hill to see the sunrise. Sarah, Rachel, Hannah, and I ran past a giant outdoor auditorium covered by this white techo feo tent and to a mountain trail. It reminded me of Runyan Canyon in LA with its vista, the type of plants, and the steepness of the trail. When we started, only the twinkle of city lights cut through the darkness and slowly the sun emerged from the clouds. It was an incredibly impressive sight with mountains emerging above the clouds and the sky changing colors.
After breakfast and a shower, we headed to Promotores de Salud al Servicio del Pueblo. This is another organization for local healthcare providers to share information about traditional medicine practices. We learned about some local herbs and plants, saw the pharmacy were these medicines are available, and talked about cleansings. It is common practice to use herbs or saunas to cleanse the spirit. After the presentation, some of stayed to participate in a limpieza (cleansing). We all sat in a circle with our palms up and watched. A promotora came with herbs to perform the ceremony. One by one we moved our chair to the center of the circle. The woman rubbed our body with branches and leaves of the basil plant to wipe clean our bad energy. She started on your face then head and arms then down your back and legs. When you returned your chair to the circle, she placed the branches under your feet. During this time, I thought happy thoughts for each person. In the second portion, the woman used charcoal and coban (a tree-sap I think) to create a strong smelled smoke. We each entered the circle again she blew the smoke around our body. We then used our hands to wash ourselves in the smoke to symbolize a renewed energy. Lastly, we all stood and hit ourselves with fists to reenergize our bodies. Ultimately, the experience was very calming. It was soothing to think only positive thoughts about my new family.
In the afternoon, we took a bus to a middle-class neighborhood. At the local university Unitierra, there is an organization called RASA (Red Autonoma por la Soberania Alimentaria). Their mission is to allow people to choose the food they ate and know where the food they buy comes from. With the Free Trade Agreement and negotiations between the US and Mexico, most food purchased in supermarkets is not from Mexican farmers and comes subsidized from the US. There are also concerns about the US testing genetically engineered food in Mexico and other Central American countries. This raises a lot of questions about the quality of fruits and vegetables, how the land is treated, and how sustainable this process is. The people of RASA work to educate local Oxacena about growing their own food, especially in an urban setting. We visited the garden on the school’s roof, which is filled with tons of vegetables and herbs. They promote composting, recycling plastics as garden pots, and sharing information and seeds. My experience here inspired me to want to garden more and ask more questions about the food I eat. It is not just to say that you bought something at Trader Joes or a farmers market, but more to know who grew your food, how it was grown, and why it is better. This also promotes a community of people who share ideas and food. We also discussed water issues. In Oaxaca, water is not readily available and the local water is very high in chlorine and other metals. At RASA they utilize a dry outhouse to initiate the compost and use a bicycle to pump collected rain water from the lower level of the building to the water tank on the roof. They are working to make low energy solutions with all the high tech expenses. As we were summarizing our afternoon on the roof, a crazy rain started. We felt trapped under an awning and were completing drenched in the two minutes it took to descend the staircase to the bottom floor. Rather than return in the bus, we waited for several taxis. However, the rain created a high demand all around the city. I squeezed in the back with Diana, Rachel, and Hannah and Sarah sat up front. The streets were flooded and we drove through some “rivers.” We learned a common problem is for the sewers to get backed up in high rain and the streets will flood and the toilets stop running.
Our taxi was the first to arrive back at the hostel. We changed into dry comfy clothes immediately. The second taxi arrives some twenty minutes later. We waited nearly an hour for the remainder of our group to return. They ended up taking the bus because the taxis never returned for them. For our last night out, we dressed up. I realized dresses are much more functional in the rain than jeans. My legs dry much faster than pants. We initially wanted to eat dinner at the steak place but when we arrived they said the kitchen had already closed (at 830? what?) so we headed back toward the town center. As we passed the mezcalaria, we saw that it was open. Jefe, Logan, Sarita, and I stayed to do the tasting while the rest continued on for Tlayudas.
At the mezcalaria, we met the owner. He was a Oxacean man but also had a mezcal store in New York called Casa Mezcal and a friend had one in Antigua, Guatemala called Antigua. We began our lesson about how mezcal is made. There are several varieties of the agave plant but they grow predominately in high mountains with just the right amount of heat and humidity – Oaxaca. The agave plant can only be used once. After several months, a giant flower shoots into the air and then you know the plant is ready. You cut off the flower and peal away the leaves to the heart of the plant. You then cook the hearts in an earthen oven. You dig a hole in the ground, fill it with agave, and cover it with hot stones and leaves – just like barbacoa. The plant will absorb the smoky flavor. After it is cooked, the agave is smashed by a giant rock rolling over the top. This rock is pulled by a horse around in a circle. Lastly, the agave is distilled in a copper device or another device. The second of the two creates a richer smoky flavor. During this lesson, we sampled six different mezcal. One called Santo Domingo (named for its source) and comes from the most commonly cultivated species, one called Madre Ceviche (made from a rare species that cannot be cultivated), another from the common species called ____, two different blends between the common and the rare, and another from a third variety. In each the smoky intensity varied as did the after taste. Each of these is considered a “blanco” because it is drank within 6 months of production. The “reposado” is drank within 6-12 months. The “anejo” is drank up to 7 years after production. According to the owner, the reposado and anejo are not good mezcals because the flavor has been altered by the wood barrels they are stored in. In response to my question about the numerous flavored mezcals we found (coffee, strawberry, cream, mint, and some 40 others), these are just really bad mezcals whose flavor is covered by something else. Although I can appreciate the craft, I was not a fan of the smoky flavor in the blanco. I will say that the cappuccino flavor goes down very smoothly.
After our tasting, we met up with the group and ordered tlayudas. A tlayuda is essentially a giant tortilla filled with cheese, veggies, beans, and meat. It can be served open faced on folded in half. I, of course, had one with steak. I generally enjoyed it but these beans had the anis flavor as well. As a whole we then continued onto the Baracuda, emphasis on the Bar. There were a few guys playing live music with guitars and a piano. Mostly of the classic rock and alternative variety. The drinks were terrible but the ambiance with neat. We sang along to the music and decided we needed some dancing. At this point, five of us remained. We went just down the street to the Cantinita. Every time we passed it before, it seemed sleepy, but tonight is was popping. We were definitely among a different class of people here. I didn’t quite blend in in my sundress and sandals but it didn’t matter. The music was great! They had a live band playing Mexican popular music (some of which I recognized) and everyone was singing along. During their break, they played the same Latino pop we hear in Guatemala. I mostly stuck with Aeja and Sarita for the night. We danced with some new friends and we were generally approached by 3 Mexican guys the same time. I felt like the guys here were much more polite than in Guatemala and every single one was taller than me! Around 230am, we chicas were exhausted. We left the chicos with their new Mexican ladies and headed home. It was nice to feel safe walking home on a well-lit street instead of depending on the chicos to escort us in the dark.
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