Mitla, Mezcals and Hierve

Mitla, Mezcals and Hierve Oaxaca, Mexico

Oaxaca, Mexico I took a day-tour today. It’s the easiest way to see few of the must-see spots in one go — and be in a group for once. I was lucky to sit right next to a fellow independent traveller, Jan. He’s German and is taking a break from university Tule Tree This is our first stop. 30 minutes of just cruising around and of course photo-taking. It’s worth the stop to check out this 1500 year old tree. It’s the biggest (and probably oldest) tree in the world in terms of diameter. Weaving Workshop I think it’s just part of tours to have a stop at some factory or workshop of sorts. The one we visited included a demonstration from indigenous Mexicans. they learn to weave from the age of six. The wool comes from sheep in the mountains. The dyes come from plants and insects that thrive in cactus. When crushed, the insects produce a deep red color. Mixed with lemon, it turns organge. Mixed with limestone, it becomes blue. Dyes also come from plants, like pomegranate. Mezcal Factory Mezcal is an alcohol that comes from the agave plant similar to tequila. The difference is in the preparation. The mezcal is produced by smoking the agave ‘pine’ for three days, then squashed with a massive stone. The liquid goes through a distillery which then produces the mezcal. We all were given samples to taste, and the mezcal just went straight to my head! It’s veyr strong, with 40% alcohol. The 5 and 8 year old mezcals are easier to take. I also sampled nearly all the different crema de mezcal flavours: capuccino, mango, pistachio, etc. Mitla The place is 700 years old. It survived 2-3 earthquakes a day the whole time becuase of the way it was constructed. There no cement. Parts of the structure were held together by adobe clay, which had the added benefit of excellent insulation. Geometric patterns are created from stacking small sized bricks. This also mitigates effect of earthquakes. Buffet Lunch For $120, you get an excellent spread of traditionalMexican and Oaxacan dishes. I enjoyed the fried grashoppers veyr much, used it as topping for spaghetti. Hierve El Agua The culmination of our day trip is this ‘frozen waterfall’ . Took a dip at the two pools on top of the limestone waterfall. Water’s refreshing. There is water coming out of the ground and you’d think it’s hot, but it’s just plain cold water. The top of the ‘fall’ overlooks mountain ranges and a valley below. It’s a majestic and magical sight. End of the Day

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