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Oaxaca, Into the Mixe District of the Sierra Norte region – Drive and some highlights

Alvin Starkman MA, LL.B.

Ecotourism as we know it in the district of the Sierra Norte Ixtlán can never mixes because of its distance from the city of Oaxaca, among other factors. But the mixes many of the insignia, the travelers away from the urban life and see different and natural attractions. In terms of material culture, the district may be superior, in fact, want to win. Certainly the ride is best treated as a two-day excursion, has much to offer beginning just as you begin your ascent central valleys of Oaxaca.

What's in the shop, you should venture out of your own or a rental car for the 280-km walk (round trip), cave paintings, cascading springs; meals so fresh that roadside restaurants is no need for refrigeration, markets, by-products of the agave as pulque and mezcal, pottery in a style and color are often not Capital occurred, and wear on a daily basis women unique, regional dress.

The drive itself, without stops or detours, takes upwards of 3 hours, starting in Oaxaca and ending at the recommended final destination of Santa María Tlahuitoltepec. But it is the journey that holds much fascination of the.

Driving from Oaxaca to San Lorenzo Albarradas, located at the threshold of the mixes, takes about an hour and is by continuing along Highway 190 on Mitla accessible. The first view is of interest Xaagá, a small village whose main industry is loom-made cotton blankets, scarves and shirts and rebosos and blouses, all saled wholesale to middlemen or traders with stalls in Mitla, Tlacolula, El Tule, or Oaxaca. Xaagá is also known for its 3,000 – 10,000 years old Cave paintings. For 50-100 pesos you can hire a local guide you to them. The last few feet of the excursion is a difficult climb, so wear hiking shoes or running shoes. Even if you do not, the last leg of the drawings to be very close to you to photograph and easy. You can still use the unpaved road from Xaagá the bubbling springs and "waterfall" of mineral deposits in Hierve el Agua. Great for swimming, in a pooling of two reaches just over 6 '. If you do not start very early, it is recommended that you stop one of these two sites, perhaps saving the other for the return trip, the according to the time available. If it Hierve el Agua, it is best to take the alternative route by returning to Highway 190, especially in rainy season, and given the ongoing dispute (only an inconvenience) between two villages, each claiming the right to exact entrance fee from tourists.

Back on Highway 190, after about 10 minutes to San José del Paso on the left, another marginal community, whose residents eke out a humble existence manufacture cotton textiles Might happen. A few minutes later we encounter two picturesque mezcal "factories", directly on the highway from each other, much more rustic and traditional than the larger and more commercial establishments catering to tourists encountered on the way to Mitla. On balance, one of the two small facilities in full production will be with the ability to witness a few steps in the process, be it the agave baking in an in-ground oven, a mule grinding the cooked-product fermentation in wooden vats, or the wood-powered drip even with the purest of mezcal in a plastic or copper receiver.

If you miss the process, about 10 minutes Further along the highway, just before the San Lorenzo Albarradas Cut-off to the left you will come across more Fábrica de Mezcal, entitled this time with a combined restaurant Comedor El Tigre. No electricity and no refrigeration. Not needed. A very friendly family owns the place. Do not expect a menu, but the mother or the daughter-in-law rhymed off what a breakfast or lunch available. memelitas, quesadillas, huevos al comal, huevos con chorizo, chorizo asado, tasajo, Cecina, or a daily pot all safe. served with beans and salsa of course fresh before your eyes, and served in his Molcajete. Perhaps best of all is the ability to pick up a tortilla directly from the comal over an open fire.

About a kilometer up the road you see a sign directing you to the right to Hierve el Agua (the alternative route). The last 15 minutes drive to Hierve el Agua is on dirt road, but a new asphalt road is cut through the mountain range.

Until this point in the journey the vegetation, since the approach to Mitla, has mixed shrubs, cacti, and some crops, with Agave been dominant.

Back on the main road, gradually climbing to the next hour Ayutla, the first city of importance in the mixes. Vegetation changes quickly output from agave to pine and other conifers and buildings of brick, wood. Large bags of charcoal for sale pine pepper the roadside. Approaching Ayutla, on the left you will notice the first two or three ceramic shops. Stop by, make purchases or simply a mental note of Prices, as you stop by another further along and can always return to them on the return trip.

You will also begin to trout To see with large artificial tanks with a continuous flow of fresh water supplied from the sources above. These are not for fishing, but for the purchase take of fresh fish to take home or eat in a nearby restaurant. On this trip we spent the night in the Hotel Restaurant "Tek" on the left side, Restaurante El Epazote behind. "Tek" serves the best trout my wife has ever tasted, baked in a large aromatic leaves and sealed with foil, with a filling of melted Quesillo, tomato, chilli and other spices, served with chipotle mayonnaise. The hotel, which supposedly has to offer the best in the city was fundamental to the extreme, with a bathroom. Take your own sheets and pillowcases. For 200 pesos per night for a couple, but it was hard to complain. Dinner for two with a few shots of mezcal, a beer and a bottle of water was at 126 pesos.

This Saturday there were at the bare-back horse race Edge of the city, suitable in a valley with pools of fresh water for family swimming-flecked. The hotel hosts were kind enough to take us to the races. Unfortunately, the most important Attraction in the city, the cascading feathers, apparently in very picturesque, were inaccessible as a result of a dispute over water rights between this population and that the village up the road, Tamazulapan del Espiritu Santo. Sounds familiar, right?

Tamazulapan is about 15 minutes drive from Ayutla. Approaching the village, on the left for more terracotta ceramic output seen. The owner and her children are very sympathetic, and in fact offered to us to a nearby village, take out the ceramic is molded and fired. They also accompanied us on the market, showed us, and asked that we not miss pulque making festival for later that Sunday planned.

Here are finally seeing dressed in the heart of the mixes country and women in traditional clothes, consisting of a dark reboso the Head, white blouse in one of a variety of styles and embroidered with telltale seams, and either a long dark skirt with embroidery or white with palm leaf-around Wrap the strap over a red colored second volume is bound in embroidered cotton.

Until recently, there was no market day in Tamazulapan, the townsfolk Visitors Ayutla for its Sunday market. But now, as a result of the dispute has Tamazulapan own market on Sunday. While traditional blouses in the village can be purchased at a reasonable price be if bought from the women's cooperative, there is a better choice up the street in Santa María Tlahuitoltepec.

Tlahuitoltepec is about 35 to 40-minute drive from Tamazulapan, in the last 15 minutes or so on a dirt road, winding and dipping into the valley. Your market is Saturday. The native dress made up on ranches referred to quite close to the city. If you are interested to see the production ask this resident and point you in the right direction. Here, as in the other market towns, will you drink a fermented sugar cane and fresh pulque encounter. Curiously, Mezcal is not near, made at least not that we could find, nor pulque, the from a variety of different agave, which comes pulquero, a common drink is sold on the streets and market places. The reason is probably that the pulquero a colder climate than the espadín variety of agave, from which most mezcal is produced tolerated.

In one of the above three cities can you walk and villages in the countryside, meet the residents, and welcome. They are used not as it encountered foreigners like those of other districts of Sierra Norte, and many struggle with Spanish. You will find that the further you venture into the mixes, the low voice of the people has become strikingly more so than in the central Valleys of Oaxaca met.

The order of the landmarks outlined simply a function of the starting point in Oaxaca and arbitrary listing Stops in the order that is in every village or town first established. By all means you can design your own itinerary, consider market days when in the restaurant and stop for bedding down do special and especially on your interests, whether for craft shopping, hiking or simply meeting and perhaps Photographing the local folklore. No doubt we will again reach into the mixes, with stops at various locations, walking off the highway to the smallest hamlets and secure deeper into the district, finally arriving in Santiago Zacatepec.

About the Author

Alvin Starkman received his Masters in Social Anthropology in 1978. After teaching for a few years he attended Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, thereafter embarking upon a career as a litigator until 2004. Alvin now resides in Oaxaca, where he writes, leads small group tours to the villages, markets, ruins and other sites, is a consultant to film production companies, and operates Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast. ( http://www.oaxacadream.com ) .

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