Magical Green Macaws
After leaving the Tehuacan-Cuicatlan reserve, we headed south on the two-lane road to Oaxaca. While the toll-road would have been faster for sure, we tend to prefer the two-lane highways for their more leisurely pace, stopping along the way at whatever attractions we encounter. In this case, we were excited for the opportunity to witness a remarkable spectacle: the nightly arrival of rare green macaws at a narrow canyon hidden deep in the forest.
As we drove south past Cuicatlan, the desert gave way to a wetter and more verdant landscape. The mountains became cloaked in clouds and a broad blue river coursed its way through the valley floor.
About two hours south of Tehaucan we pulled into a restaurant/campground at San Jose de Chilar, where we had arranged for a guided hike to see the brilliant birds.
Thanks to conservation efforts, this endangered species is enjoying a bit of a surge in numbers in the area--in the last twenty years the local population has doubled from 80 to more than 160 individuals.
Although this population of macaws is isolated from other groups elsewhere in Mexico--a genetic "island" of sorts--the birds are able to survive, in spite of the obvious inbreeding that must occur.
The macaws mate for life and never stray far from their partner. They also fly in little groups of six, eight or a dozen at a time, and at this time of year the bulk of the population is clustered together, pairing up and mating. We were lucky to have arrived during the perfect season for viewing these magnificent creatures.
To see the macaws, our guide Armando led us up a steep, hot, six kilometer climb to a viewing blind situated deep in the hills.
Every night the birds descend from daytime feeding in the higher mountains to take refuge in a little canyon, where they can safely ride out the dark hours in little caves in the cliff.
We took our positions in the blind and waited silently for the spectacle to start.
Just as the light began to fade, I heard a distant squawk. The macaws were coming!
And suddenly, they were above us and all around us, looping, diving and performing other brilliant aerial maneuvers, their raucous screeching and squawking echoing off the chalky walls of the ravine. Alighting in trees at the edge of the cliff, they continued their musical chortling, as if joking and chiding with their comrades, replaying their favorite experiences of the day.
Then, just before dark completely obscured the canyon, the macaws, now silent, took flight once more, swooping as expertly as swifts into the small cirque, where they landed in a hush on the rocky cliff before clawing their way into the shelter of the little caves.
The experience of watching the macaws perform their aerial ballet was absolutely magical. These improbable birds, with their long tails and brilliant flashes of blue and green wings, seemed like a throwback to some prehistoric era.
Oaxaca City
From San Jose del Chilar we headed to Oaxaca City, and after a beautiful drive over the Sierra Norte we descended into a broad, open valley, fought our way through the choking traffic of the city, and found our way to the Overlander Oasis, a few miles south of town.
The Overlander Oasis is a nice little setup in El Tule, a small and quiet suburb of Oaxaca. Owned by two friendly and knowledgeable Canadians, the comfortable RV park gave us a chance to relax and recover from the drive, and to meet other members of our "tribe"--a couple from Britain, two Swiss, and two Germans--all long-term travelers on long-distance, overland journeys.
The Oasis was a short walk from the town center, which boast a beautiful, ancient cedar--supposedly with the largest girth in the world at 138 feet in circumference.
The magnificent tree is made more notable by being the only tree in the world which is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. I think the cedar would feel right at home in Tolkien's Mirkwood.
As you can imagine, the cedar of El Tule draws busloads of visitors from Oaxaca City, who otherwise would skip over this friendly, delightful little town.
With our truck safely parked at the Overlander Oasis, we took combi taxis the other way--back into Oaxaca--to explore the city's historical core and stroll along its broad, shop-lined pasaje peotanal.
Oaxaca City, also a UNESCO World Heritage site, has many beautiful cathedrals and temples from Mexico's rich colonial period, including the stately Santo Domingo.
The construction of the cathedral began in 1575 and took 200 years to complete. Its ornate, gilded interior features hundreds, if not thousands of carvings on the walls, ceiling, and altar--a shimmering monument to the wealth the Spaniards extracted from their new world colony.
Although we like touring the resplendent churches of the Spanish New World, I am more attracted to the less glitzy areas of Mexico's urban centers, which reflect the more honest realities of life on earth.
Monte Alban
Oaxaca is rich in both Colombian and pre-Colombian history. Before leaving this remarkable city, we visited the 2000 year old ruins at Monte Alban.
One of Mexico's most impressive archeological sites, Monte Alban's expanse hints at its thousand year dominance over all aspects of life in ancient Mesoamerica.
The site gave us a chance to perfect our pyramid climbing (and descending) technique.
We battled the hot sun while we toured the whole complex, thankful we could take occasional refuge from the heat by stepping inside the cool, dark interiors of ancient, stone-walled rooms, or descending steeply into open-to-the-public, underground tombs.
We particularly enjoyed the carvings of the many stelae glorifying the legacy of Monte Alban's long lost rulers.
Zapoteca
From El Tule we made an excursion south, visiting first the Zapoteca village of Teotitlan del Valle. The indigenous tribes of the region are famous for their weavings, producing blankets of such quality they're sought by buyers from all over the world.
We weren't in the market for weavings ourselves, though we certainly admired them in the many shops and stalls lining the streets.
A tour of the museum and the little church with its brilliantly colored interior gave us a deeper appreciation for the rich, local culture.
After an equally-brilliant lunch at a native-owned and themed restaurant, where we sampled rich, deeply flavored mole--a specialty dish for which Oaxaca, and Zapoteca in particular, are famous--we headed south to Mitla.
The second-most important Mesoamerican site in Oaxaca, Mitla gained prominence after the decline of Monte Alban, with its influence throughout the region strongest between 750AD and 1520AD.
Our stop in Mitla was considerably shorter than its 800-year history, though, as we were keen to move on to Hierve el Agua.
Hierve el Agua
Just south of Zapoteca, tucked up into a little valley in the foothills of the sierra, a small, calcium laden river has produced an elaborate travertine waterfall which spills down the side of the canyon. Crystallized, as if frozen in time, the river's calcified deposits have formed elaborate, interlaced pools, columnar walls, and interwoven, tumbling cascades.
Similar to the archeological sites of Oaxaca, Hierve el Agua draws its share of tourists, and during the day, hundreds of visitors clamber over the site and splash in the pools.
We camped overnight so we would have the site all to ourselves once the tourists went home, a strategy which paid off when we were treated to a brilliant sunset, an equally inspiring sunrise, and between the two--a rare sideways moon.
The Oaxacan Coast
Beach time! After all the time in the mountains, we were eager to dig our toes into some sand. So we aimed for Puerto Escondido, a famous surf spot on the coast.
To be honest, I'm not such a fan of surf towns, not just because neither of us surf, but because beneath the skin of their "laid back vibe" façade, one often finds a darker undercurrent of crime in beach towns, one perhaps brought on by the congregation of hundreds of destitute and often dishonorable young people intent on maximizing their party time at the expense of unsuspecting, moneyed tourists.
Perhaps this is an unfair indictment, but it is one we would experience for ourselves in the months to come--but that's a story for another day. For now, we just accepted the bad comes with the good. After the long descent to the coast we pulled into town, admiring the cobalt sea and sky.
Puerto Escondido's numerous accommodations range from the more upscale, touristy hotels at the north end of Zicatela beach to the laid back, funkiness of La Punta. We chose the latter, mindful of the numerous warnings to avoid walking the beach at night.
After a bit of deft maneuvering, we slotted our truck and camper between a couple coconut palms on the sand. Later, some tenters would join us, and by that time we were pretty well hemmed in.
The festival of the Virgin of Guadalupe was ongoing, and I think many of the visitors were there for the celebration. For our part, we spent our time relaxing in hammocks or lounge-chairing on the wide, sandy beach.
Of course, we also took advantage of the wonderful cafes and restaurants catering to the vacationing crowd.
After a couple nights at La Punta we were "chilled" to the bone, ready to move on to more a more remote and authentically Mexican town, Playa San Augustin. Here, on the edge of Huatulco National Park, we found one of the most beautiful bays and beaches we have ever seen.
We stayed at Don Taco's Overland Campamento, whose two Dutch owners make up half of the foreign expatriates in the entire town.
Playa San Augustin has over forty restaurants, most of which are owned by the fishermen who live in the village. Franz, the owner of Don Taco's, told us that the fishermen set up the restaurants so their wives can sell their catch directly to the tourists, who arrive daily on boating tours from the fancy resorts in Huatulco, just down the coast.
Our favorite restaurant was El Capi's. "Capi" was a frogman in the Mexican marines and his wife was a chef in Acapulco before they relocated to Oaxaca. Capi's wife does wonders with grilled huachinango!
Many of the restaurants also have cabanas to rent. Other than Don Taco's Campamento and the more down-market cabanas, Playa San Augustin has no other accommodations.
Oddly, the town seemed to have more bathrooms per capita than any beach town we have ever seen. Some were less attractive than others, to tell you the truth.
We spent four relaxing days at Don Taco's Overland Campamento. Mostly we would just walk the beach, hang out in the shade of the palapa, and swim in the warm, silky water of the bay.
One day we hired a lancha to take us snorkeling in some remote coves. Along the way we fished for tuna while dolphins played in the wake of the boat.
Actually, Franz fished while we watched. After an hour of plying the deeper water, he finally landed a small tuna, the only hook-up of the day.
The snorkeling was not much more rewarding. Although the water was clear and warm, the condition of the reef was disappointingly poor, and we saw only a few colorful fish, corals, and sea fans amidst what looked like a deserted wasteland. This affliction is common along the Pacific Coast, and we can only hope that a higher level of environmental protection can one day stem the spread of reef-killing pollution.
From its lush, mountainous highlands to its sparkling, sandy coast, Oaxaca is one of those special places that just seems to seep into your soul. As travelers, of course, we could only touch our lips to the surface of its cultural "cup of plenty". We took the sip we were given, and moved on.