news from down Mexico way

Dear Friends,
I am now in Chiapas after a few marvelous days in first Oaxaca and then Mazunte, which is on the southern Pacific beaches of Oaxaca.

In Oaxaca City, Karla and I drank splendid cafe and I ate lots of chocolate. The food there is exquisite and we had some fine meals with their specialty----mole´. Karla (my friend companera´)and I spent a day at an indigenous market in Ocotlan, near Oaxaca City, which was a feast of all the senses. Spices. Roasting meat. Tropical fruits. Coffee. Chocolate, with cinnamon. For myself, the oaxacan chocolate, coffee and food was muy delicioso! Also, we found a beautiful art exhibit of Rudolfo Morales´ work, which is characterized (as far as I can tell) by huge and boldly colorful murals of people and often dogs, his favorite.

The beach of course, for me, was a wonderful thing. To awaken to the rhythmic sound of the waves and the beauty of the blue green water and lush tropical surroundings did my soul good. In Mazunte there is a tortuga reserve----all kinds of sea and river turtles, many of them endangered. There is also a women´s cooperative which gathers essential oils from the people of the highlands and makes and sells all kinds of natural-organic cosmetics. It was begun by the Anita Roddick of the Body Shop years ago.

Unbelievably I found Lynn Eby in Oaxaca City and she was ready to head south, so she and I traveled together to Mazunte. We left Karla, my traveling companero, in Oaxaca City and took the bus ride from hell to Mazunte, the beachside town. Fortunately i had some herbs for nausea and motion sickness, and Lynn was kind enough to loan me a plastic bag and her neck pillow, just in case. As it was, I tried to keep my head very still and take a gasp of fresh air when it came to the back of the van, keeping the volcano in my stomach at bay.


In Mazunte, Lynn and I stayed at the Posada de Architecto. An architectural wonder -------a maze of huts with the fronds of a certain type of palm tree, lashed together for the roofs. Our first room was up on stilts, requiring one to climb a wooden ladder to and fro el bano. El bano, of course, is a rickety outdoor toilet and shower stall. It was tricky business in the middle of the night, but fortunately neither Lynn nor I fell into too deep of a sleep due to the chorus of barking dogs outside and up and down the beach all night long----and then the drums somewhere around 3am. Both of our beds looked like a guazy sarcophagus´with each of us enshrouded in mosquito netting. My particular bed was gently swinging from the ceiling, to imitate the waves or the ocean breezes, I guess-----the swinging motion added to the excitement of crawling down the ladder in the middle of the night.

The best part of the beach was waking up as the sun came around and sitting on the patio with my cappucino and journal. Muy lindo.

My stomach has held firm and my intestines have remained dependable. I have my apothecary of chinese herbs, with a backup of western medications and am being very careful of what i drink and eat.

Here in Chiapas I have begun my espanol clases. Today was my first day. Four hours of individual instruction and I still feel like a baby beginning to acquire language. The teachers are very kind here at Instituto Jovel. The Institute itself is located in a sunny beautiful garden setting with lots of windows and happy, smiling people. I enjoyed my first class, but by noon, I was finding it difficult to concentrate. Oy vay.
San Cristobal de Las Casas itself is in the higher elevations, about 4,000 ft. and foggy and very cold in the morning. There are no bugs and the days get very hot and sunny after the fog burns off. San Cristobal is known as the center of the Zapatista uprising, on behalf of the indigenous Mayan people, in the 1990´s. There are still murals and signs of revolution on the walls, as the struggle and solidarity continues. I have begun to find my way around now and it is actually a small town and quite simple. All streets lead to the zocolo (town square). The market is colorful and full of Mayan vendors of every imaginable textile. They are a beautiful people and I wish I could speak their language. But espanol will be my challenge, this time around.

I must go sit in the sun now and have an afternoon tea. The yerbabuena here is muy delicioso!

Abrazos,
Anita

Heading South...

Hello friends,
I'm off to Mexico tomorrow, on an early flight. I will be there until Nov. 30, studying espanol. To AMC'ers: daily I have been reading your reflections in the wonderful book Brenda put together. Thank you! They have been an inspiration and fun to start my days.

Here's the plan for my final month of sabbatical:

Nov. 5 Mexico City, Quaker Hospitality House, Phone # 011 55 52 5705 0521.
Nov. 6-8 Oaxaca City
Nov.9 bus travel to Chiapas
Nov. 10-28 San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas/Language school at www.institutojovel.com
Nov. 29 bus travel day and overnight in Mexico City/Quaker Hospitality House
Nov. 30 Back home to ABQ

At this point, I don't have any contact numbers except for the Quaker Hospitality house. A way to connect would be my blogsite and my webmail account.

I'll try to post something while I'm down south, but realize that my time and energy will be limited in trying to find internet cafes and send emails/blogs. You are in my prayers daily. Please keep my traveling companion, Karla and myself in your prayers for health and wellness, as well as Kenneth, my husband, holding the fort down in Albuquerque!
Love
Anita