Wednesday was our super tourist day. We woke up a bit earlier and walked to a bus. We spent the entire morning exploring Monte Alban, the ruins of the Zapoteca culture. They were built by hand around 300 BC and include many different buildings. We walked through the ruins, read the informational plaques, and climbed the steps of the temples. I wish we had a guide to explain all the details of the buildings but you could kind of predict the uses of each building. The most beautiful thing about this visit was the view of Oaxaca. Monte Alban is located on the mountain above the city and you can see grand vistas of the surrounding state. I think I took just as many pictures of the city as I did the ruins. If we are together in the future, you can spend as much time as you like scrolling through my pictures : ) Another interesting aspect of the ruins are the carvings. There are hieroglyphs on the sides of the buildings and many descanzas our block carvings of people being sacrificed. There were also stelas around the site, evidence of the Zapotecas used of astronomy and sky to predict time of year and time. In the museum on site, we saw artifacts and jewelry from the tombs. This trip reminded me of how much I enjoyed archeology as a child and my obsession with Egypt. Turns out Harim shares a similar interest – we are going to visit the pyramids together one day!
After trekking through the ruins, we walked back to the bus stop. Swarms of people emerged with jade, jewelry, and crafts. The group took a detour for a table of hats. We looked like tourists. A few girls bought these ridiculous hats with different colored bows. I am not a hat person so I resisted. However, I may need to get one before our epic free week adventure on a microbus. We have been discussing a need for travel outfits.
We had the afternoon free following lunch and I took the opportunity to continue my tourist ways. I borrowed a hat from Sarah and we all headed to the market. I bought a bag and some chocolate covered raisins. I looked at some leather sandals but decided against it. I returned to the hostel to read and nap before a night out.
Mezcal is a local speciality liquor derived from the agave plant. It is a different species than the agave used for tequila and is produced in a different way. We had plans to visit a special mezcal bar for a class and tasting after dinner. For dinner, we ate in two shifts at a restaurant specializing in tortas, Mexican sandwiches. The first shift ate dinner than was going to the mezcal tasting and the second shift ate dinner later. The plan was to meet up after and go to a bar together because not everyone wanted to go to the tasting. After a delicious torta with tosajo (grilled steak), we walked to the mezcalaria. To our dismay, the windows were open but the door was locked. The bar had unique hours and decided to wait at a bar across the street in hopes the owner would return. The nearby restaurants did not seem to know much about the bar or were eager to share their phones with us to call the owner. I drank some sangria and enjoyed the company of the group. Turns out sangria in Mexico is lemonade with vodka and red wine poured on top – delicious in some places and gross in others.
Regrettably, the man never showed up so we reunited with the group and headed to a club we saw on a flyer. The flyer advertised 10 peso drink specials and live salsa music. We arrived around 915pm and were told the music would start at 11pm. In the meantime, we sat around the high top tables and chatted. We celebrated another interview invite for Logan and there were lots of shots passed around. Part of the group headed home early and the rest of stayed to enjoy the live music. Unfortunately, we were all exhausted and the club never filled in. In total, some 12 people were in the bar. I danced a bit of salsa but the partner options were limited. After the mezcal started to get the better of a few people, we headed home. A forgettable walk home again in the rain.
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