I have lost track of the days, but I think this is about where we are. We loved San Augustinillo. The beach was great, and both boys adjusted to the waves fortunately. Even Hugo was body surfing by the end and not minding when waves went over his head for a moment. It was a nice beach, though there were small waves near shore, it was very shallow out a long way, with much larger waves very far from shore. The under tow was very mild. The crowd there was nice too, very low key and lots of families. No attitude, and everyone was friendly. There was good food too as there are a lot of European ex-pats living there. It’s a place we would definitely go back to one day.
Although we stopped taking Spanish lessons a while back, we continue to slowly improve, mostly through hearing the same things over and over. Every now and then we have an aha moment when we realize, “oh, that’s what that means!” Or, when we manage to get a fairly complicated thought out of our mouths more or less correctly in Spanish, and understand the response.
While in San Augustinillo we visited Playa Ventanilla lagoon. We took a small guided boat tour through the calm water and mangroves and spotted tons of wildlife: crocodiles, iguana, all kinds of birds—different kinds of egrets, heron. We even saw a boa constrictor. It was very cool. This trip has been great for all of us, but it’s been really neat to see Jasper in his element. He is just beside himself with all the new plants and animals he is seeing, and it’s neat to see that he can identify most things right when he sees them, from all his books about birds, amphibians, reptiles, butterflies, etc. He can spot things we don’t even notice, and constantly lets us know precisely what we’re seeing, a male iguana or a spider crab or a cattle egret. Hugo too has really done well on this trip. He’s been in a fearful phase, but he keeps conquering his fears—of boats, of waves, etc.
One evening we went back to Playa Ventanilla. It is the former site of a turtle slaughterhouse, but now the community is devoted to protecting the turtle population. They help the turtles on shore to lay eggs, then care for the babies before releasing them into the sea. We went one evening watch them be released. We all went to the beach, and a large container full of baby turtles was brought out. Jasper and Hugo were thrilled to learn that they could each hold one, and then let it go so it could find its way to the sea. All the baby turtles made it, and it was incredible to see such tiny little creatures crawl down the beach and swim into the big waves where they will hopefully grow to be very large turtles.
We are now in Puerto Escondido. It is known for surfing and there are huge waves here. It’s been fun to watch the surfers (they are amazing) and the kids are enjoying the hotel pool. Jasper learned to swim under water which is really neat, and Hugo is now trying to keep up and sticking his face in the water and kicking. We saw an enormous bright green lizard today, just walking by the pool area.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Day 27
What a difference a day (or two) can make. Hugo actually had a solid poop today (yay)!!!! Everyone felt well yesterday, our last day in Huatulco. Since we weren’t crazy about the crowded, seafood palapa-backed beaches, we came up with 2 different options. One was to take a boat to a beach that was backed by a lagoon that was supposed to have a lagoon, and the other was to take a cab to a trail and have a 10-minute walk to a beach that did not have all the palapas. Our first choice ended up not being an option because the marina was closed (due to stormy surf we think), so we went for option 2. This is where I get frustrated with travel books. The first part went okay, the cab driver knew just where we wanted to go and took us to a “trailhead” which was just where the guidebook said it would be. We went loaded with towels, sunscreen, water, “noodles” and a plastic bucket and shovel. We were surprised that the trail wasn’t marked, but Mexico isn’t Switzerland, or the US for that matter, so we ventured on. Our little trail came to an abrupt stop a few yards on when we came to a stream. It was very shallow and sandy-bottomed, so we waded up and down stream a bit to see where the trail continued on the other side. There was nothing. Since the woods was nice and cool, the stream clear and shallow, we decided to walk downstream to see if it would take us to the ocean. It was beautiful in there, and we were once again amazed by the variety of butterflies around here. Within 5 minutes we saw about 15 different kinds of butterflies: huge yellow ones, white ones with delicate black markings, black ones with red stripes, mostly orange ones, little white ones, and on and on. This has consistently been true our entire stay in Mexico, all kinds of butterflies everywhere.
It was a pretty walk so we kept going, and we also knew we could easily find our way back, although the entire time I couldn’t believe we were walking in a stream with no trail markers and I was sure we would not make it where we wanted to go. However, after about 20 minutes, we did indeed come to a beach, and we’re pretty sure it’s the one we were supposed to get to. It was deserted, and really beautiful. With (finally) 2 healthy kids and lots of supplies, we has a great day at the beach. We saw hermit crabs, more frigate birds, and pelicans. We really had a great day to make up for all the bad ones, and it was a good way to cap off the Huatulco portion of the trip.
Today we made our way to a beach town called San Augustinillo. Both Jim and I prefer this area so far. The beach (and the neighboring ones) is much longer, unlike the little crescents in Huatulco. We found the development in Huatulco and little characterless, and didn’t like the way the beaches were developed. Here, there are thatch-roofed cabanas a long the beach. There are palapa restaurants too, but they are a little further from the water and the staff doesn’t pester you to come eat there. They are also spread further apart from one another and each have their own individual character—and different menus which makes it more interesting. The overall feel around here is nice and relaxing, and there is a lot to see in this area—a turtle conservation and breeding center, wildlife refuges, and access to organic coffee farms that you can tour.
The surf is a little rougher here, though in the morning it is supposed to be calmer, and there is no pool, so we are hoping the kids will still enjoy it. Jasper loved body surfing today and wants to rent a boogie board, but Hugo is afraid of the waves.
We capped off the day with a brick oven pizza, gelato, and a couple cervezas at a thatch-roofed palapa on the beach.
It was a pretty walk so we kept going, and we also knew we could easily find our way back, although the entire time I couldn’t believe we were walking in a stream with no trail markers and I was sure we would not make it where we wanted to go. However, after about 20 minutes, we did indeed come to a beach, and we’re pretty sure it’s the one we were supposed to get to. It was deserted, and really beautiful. With (finally) 2 healthy kids and lots of supplies, we has a great day at the beach. We saw hermit crabs, more frigate birds, and pelicans. We really had a great day to make up for all the bad ones, and it was a good way to cap off the Huatulco portion of the trip.
Today we made our way to a beach town called San Augustinillo. Both Jim and I prefer this area so far. The beach (and the neighboring ones) is much longer, unlike the little crescents in Huatulco. We found the development in Huatulco and little characterless, and didn’t like the way the beaches were developed. Here, there are thatch-roofed cabanas a long the beach. There are palapa restaurants too, but they are a little further from the water and the staff doesn’t pester you to come eat there. They are also spread further apart from one another and each have their own individual character—and different menus which makes it more interesting. The overall feel around here is nice and relaxing, and there is a lot to see in this area—a turtle conservation and breeding center, wildlife refuges, and access to organic coffee farms that you can tour.
The surf is a little rougher here, though in the morning it is supposed to be calmer, and there is no pool, so we are hoping the kids will still enjoy it. Jasper loved body surfing today and wants to rent a boogie board, but Hugo is afraid of the waves.
We capped off the day with a brick oven pizza, gelato, and a couple cervezas at a thatch-roofed palapa on the beach.
Day 26
All I can say is that between my last post and this one, our time has been a bit challenging. The tummy trouble I complained of on the day of the trip to hierve el agua did not go away. By last Saturday I was in agony, and could not get out of bed that day. I was so uncomfortable, I could barely move. Unfortunately we were scheduled to leave Sunday for the coast, with a stop on the way in a town called San Jose del Pacifico. We were very eager to leave the city and see some nature and coastline, but I was worried about the actual trip. For me, it’s a bit of a blur. We did leave Sunday, and we did end up in lovely San Jose, perched on the edge of a high mountain (9,000 ft. I think). We stayed in a pretty cabin with a fireplace and hot water, and everything about the experience was nice except for how awful I felt and how extraordinarily windy the road was to get there, which did not help my nausea. The next day we made it to Huatulco, and showed up at our cute hotel. The staff is lovely, and the owner is French so I have been getting to speak French here. After struggling so much trying to learn Spanish, speaking French is such a welcome relief.
We headed to the beach Monday afternoon and were thrilled to see tons of large black crabs on the rocks, hermit crabs, the carnivorous ground cover that the boys learned about in the garden in Oaxaca and with which they could play for hours. We also saw enormous birds that at first we thought were so big that maybe they were albatross. They didn’t quite match the bird in the book though and finally Jasper said he thought they are magnificent frigate birds. After checking them out in the bird book, we think they are. There are a lot of them here and they are truly beautiful and amazing to see gliding overhead. Tuesday we headed to another beach. It was pretty and calm, great for kids to swim, but a bit crowded. The back of the beach was lined with seafood palapas and thankfully, bathrooms, because I wasn’t out of the woods yet. That was the day I started to feel a bit better though. We ate at one of the palapas and Jim’s “fish soup” was literally an entire fish, head, eyes and all, in a pool of broth. It was almost too much for me to bear given the delicate state of my stomach, but Jim said it was really good.
On Wednesday I felt better, but by then Hugo had developed a fever and diarrhea and Jasper had diarrhea and bad smells were making him throw up. Bad smells were things like car exhaust (which by now make Jim and I nauseous), but also, sadly, seafood and sea air, probably because one of his first rounds of vomiting took place at the beach next to a seafood palapa. We spent Wednesday, Thursday and Friday sequestered in our hotel room, nursing two boys too sick to eat, and getting to know a local doctor who happened to be eating in the hotel restaurant. Our hotel owners knew we’d all been sick and said that he’s the best doc in town and introduced me to him. He was really nice and helpful, and gave me a prescription right on the spot. The boys seemed worse the next day though, so I called him and he told us to bring the boys to him. Imagine our surprise when we showed up and found out that he’s a gynecologist! He offered for us to see the pediatrician, but also seemed so knowledgeable about local GI problems that we chose to stay with him. He prescribed several types of medication, all of which we went out and bought. He guaranteed that with this mix of meds, the boys would feel better in a couple days. I do have to mention that it took him about 20 minutes to type out the very thorough prescription on an old typewriter, and then he went over it with us 3 times to make sure we really, really understood.
We were relieved, but then realized that all the medications tasted absolutely disgusting. I tried two of them on Jasper, at different times, and he threw them both up. Hugo couldn’t bear them either and spit them out. Despite all that, they were willing to try a couple times, with similar results. They just couldn’t get them down. Fortunately though, today (Saturday), they both seem much, much better. No vomiting, less diarrhea, no fever. We actually had a fun day, going to the pool twice because the idea of sea air still makes Jasper nauseous (I really hope he gets over this soon). They also ate more today. I don’t think there is anything that can make a mother happier than seeing her children eat, especially after they’ve been sick.
Just a word about the nausea and aversions though. Very sadly, I identify feeling so terrible with the food that caused it, namely standard Oaxacan fare. Even as I write this the idea of eating a tortilla or refried beans can almost make me heave. And everywhere you go there are people making tortillas on the street, torilleria shops, and the smell of the tortillas mixes with the smell of car exhaust. Very luckily, our hotel and this town in general have some foreign food options, so we have gorged on spaghetti Bolognese, pizza and steak this week..
Hopefully we will actually get to see some local scenery tomorrow because we head to another area on the coast, San Augustinillo, on Monday.
It’s worth mentioning here that when I was still feeling terrible and the kids were both so sick we decided to just throw the towel in and go home early. Jim called the airline and found out that there are no frequent flyer seats left, so unless we wanted to buy new tickets we were stuck. We were feeling like prisoners, but now with everyone feeling better we are optimistic that there are more fun times to be had here before heading home.
We headed to the beach Monday afternoon and were thrilled to see tons of large black crabs on the rocks, hermit crabs, the carnivorous ground cover that the boys learned about in the garden in Oaxaca and with which they could play for hours. We also saw enormous birds that at first we thought were so big that maybe they were albatross. They didn’t quite match the bird in the book though and finally Jasper said he thought they are magnificent frigate birds. After checking them out in the bird book, we think they are. There are a lot of them here and they are truly beautiful and amazing to see gliding overhead. Tuesday we headed to another beach. It was pretty and calm, great for kids to swim, but a bit crowded. The back of the beach was lined with seafood palapas and thankfully, bathrooms, because I wasn’t out of the woods yet. That was the day I started to feel a bit better though. We ate at one of the palapas and Jim’s “fish soup” was literally an entire fish, head, eyes and all, in a pool of broth. It was almost too much for me to bear given the delicate state of my stomach, but Jim said it was really good.
On Wednesday I felt better, but by then Hugo had developed a fever and diarrhea and Jasper had diarrhea and bad smells were making him throw up. Bad smells were things like car exhaust (which by now make Jim and I nauseous), but also, sadly, seafood and sea air, probably because one of his first rounds of vomiting took place at the beach next to a seafood palapa. We spent Wednesday, Thursday and Friday sequestered in our hotel room, nursing two boys too sick to eat, and getting to know a local doctor who happened to be eating in the hotel restaurant. Our hotel owners knew we’d all been sick and said that he’s the best doc in town and introduced me to him. He was really nice and helpful, and gave me a prescription right on the spot. The boys seemed worse the next day though, so I called him and he told us to bring the boys to him. Imagine our surprise when we showed up and found out that he’s a gynecologist! He offered for us to see the pediatrician, but also seemed so knowledgeable about local GI problems that we chose to stay with him. He prescribed several types of medication, all of which we went out and bought. He guaranteed that with this mix of meds, the boys would feel better in a couple days. I do have to mention that it took him about 20 minutes to type out the very thorough prescription on an old typewriter, and then he went over it with us 3 times to make sure we really, really understood.
We were relieved, but then realized that all the medications tasted absolutely disgusting. I tried two of them on Jasper, at different times, and he threw them both up. Hugo couldn’t bear them either and spit them out. Despite all that, they were willing to try a couple times, with similar results. They just couldn’t get them down. Fortunately though, today (Saturday), they both seem much, much better. No vomiting, less diarrhea, no fever. We actually had a fun day, going to the pool twice because the idea of sea air still makes Jasper nauseous (I really hope he gets over this soon). They also ate more today. I don’t think there is anything that can make a mother happier than seeing her children eat, especially after they’ve been sick.
Just a word about the nausea and aversions though. Very sadly, I identify feeling so terrible with the food that caused it, namely standard Oaxacan fare. Even as I write this the idea of eating a tortilla or refried beans can almost make me heave. And everywhere you go there are people making tortillas on the street, torilleria shops, and the smell of the tortillas mixes with the smell of car exhaust. Very luckily, our hotel and this town in general have some foreign food options, so we have gorged on spaghetti Bolognese, pizza and steak this week..
Hopefully we will actually get to see some local scenery tomorrow because we head to another area on the coast, San Augustinillo, on Monday.
It’s worth mentioning here that when I was still feeling terrible and the kids were both so sick we decided to just throw the towel in and go home early. Jim called the airline and found out that there are no frequent flyer seats left, so unless we wanted to buy new tickets we were stuck. We were feeling like prisoners, but now with everyone feeling better we are optimistic that there are more fun times to be had here before heading home.
Day 18
It’s funny how much this trip reminds me of backpacking through southeast Asia, and that’s not at all what I expected. On that trip I tried to live on $10/day. I stayed in grubby places and took cheap forms of transportation. On this trip we have arranged to stay in nice places and spring for 1st class buses and the like. Nevertheless, it’s a challenging place to get around. Yesterday we wanted to head to hierve el agua. Our two guide books listed tour companies that would take us, and it sounded beautiful—natural springs that bubble out of the ground and leave mineral deposits in cool formations, including a “frozen waterfall.” Some of the spring water is dammed into pools for swimming. We asked our host family about it and they said it was really nice.
We headed to the tour company headquarters and bought our tickets. They promised us a 1.5 hour ride, 3 hours there, and 1.5 hours back. The ride turned out to be 2 hours long up some of the most terrifying mountain roads I’ve ever been on (and I didn’t realize it was even in the mountains). There was road, no shoulder, no guardrail, and a steep drop off. I was sitting on the side of the bus where I could see how close we were to the edge and had to change sides. Once I could contain my fear I could appreciate, somewhat, the extraordinary scenery of mountains and valleys. We passed lots of butterflies, donkeys and little villages. The ride was further complicated by my very unhappy stomach and I had to get Jim to ask the bus driver to make an unscheduled bathroom stop. Then the driver almost left without me until Jim told him not to. Once we arrived at the springs the road was closed to the bus. We were forced to pay more money to get to the site, and the way there was riding in the back of a covered pickup truck. They stuffed us in there with about 8 other people, and the back gate was left open because more people (Jim being one of them) had to stand on the back and hang on. I clutched the kids and held on a rail until my arm was stiff and sore. Once we finally made it the driver informed us we’d only have 1.5 hours at the site!!!
The site was beautiful though, we went in the pools and marveled at the limestone formations. The views were spectacular and it was really cool seeing the water bubble out of the ground. The kids loved it so much that we hated telling them that we couldn’t stay all that long. They cried when we had to leave.
The ride back was just as bad, and the driver stopped at a Mezcal fabrication tienda so we could all sample (and buy) mezcal. It was probably his brother, and this unscheduled stop was probably why we had such a short time at the springs. Jim tried the Mezcal but my stomach was still so unstable that I abstained.
Once back in Oaxaca I marched into a pharmacy and bought our second bottle of Pepto Bismol. That stuff is amazing. I chugged some right in the street and within a few minutes my stomach felt great. We serendipitously stumbled across one of the most wonderful restaurants I have ever been in in my life, called Bisnaga just like the amazing cactuses that grow here. I don’t know if it was because the food was so good, or because I was so happy that I could actually eat it—but it was such a welcome relief. Creative, inspired dishes, the best glass of wine I think I’ve ever had, and, best of all, they served the kids plain chicken and organic, disinfected carrots. We all ate like kings.
We headed to the tour company headquarters and bought our tickets. They promised us a 1.5 hour ride, 3 hours there, and 1.5 hours back. The ride turned out to be 2 hours long up some of the most terrifying mountain roads I’ve ever been on (and I didn’t realize it was even in the mountains). There was road, no shoulder, no guardrail, and a steep drop off. I was sitting on the side of the bus where I could see how close we were to the edge and had to change sides. Once I could contain my fear I could appreciate, somewhat, the extraordinary scenery of mountains and valleys. We passed lots of butterflies, donkeys and little villages. The ride was further complicated by my very unhappy stomach and I had to get Jim to ask the bus driver to make an unscheduled bathroom stop. Then the driver almost left without me until Jim told him not to. Once we arrived at the springs the road was closed to the bus. We were forced to pay more money to get to the site, and the way there was riding in the back of a covered pickup truck. They stuffed us in there with about 8 other people, and the back gate was left open because more people (Jim being one of them) had to stand on the back and hang on. I clutched the kids and held on a rail until my arm was stiff and sore. Once we finally made it the driver informed us we’d only have 1.5 hours at the site!!!
The site was beautiful though, we went in the pools and marveled at the limestone formations. The views were spectacular and it was really cool seeing the water bubble out of the ground. The kids loved it so much that we hated telling them that we couldn’t stay all that long. They cried when we had to leave.
The ride back was just as bad, and the driver stopped at a Mezcal fabrication tienda so we could all sample (and buy) mezcal. It was probably his brother, and this unscheduled stop was probably why we had such a short time at the springs. Jim tried the Mezcal but my stomach was still so unstable that I abstained.
Once back in Oaxaca I marched into a pharmacy and bought our second bottle of Pepto Bismol. That stuff is amazing. I chugged some right in the street and within a few minutes my stomach felt great. We serendipitously stumbled across one of the most wonderful restaurants I have ever been in in my life, called Bisnaga just like the amazing cactuses that grow here. I don’t know if it was because the food was so good, or because I was so happy that I could actually eat it—but it was such a welcome relief. Creative, inspired dishes, the best glass of wine I think I’ve ever had, and, best of all, they served the kids plain chicken and organic, disinfected carrots. We all ate like kings.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Day 15
After a couple weeks here exploring the city and surrounding areas, we are ready to move on to the coast. We have 3 more days in the area and plan to explore a town with natural springs that are filled with minerals and have apparently created some beautiful formations that look like frozen waterfalls. There are some more ancient Zapotec ruins we’d like to visit too.
Although Oaxaca has so much to offer it is a pretty gritty city, and the dirt and smog has started to wear on us. I didn’t quite expect how dirty and crumbling so much of the city would be, and I’ve truly never seen so much graffiti in my life. I think every building, fence and wall has been touched. We are staying in a town that is a few kilometers outside of the city and it’s been an interesting experience being here. This town is also covered with graffiti and many shops and buildings are large cement blocks with completely open fronts. At night there are metal doors that pull over the openings, but in the day every shop is completely open. At first we had no idea what to make of the town. On the one hand, there is graffiti everywhere, the sidewalks are broken and crumbling, there are stray dogs wandering around and the buildings are dull cement slabs. On the other hand, the town is bustling with every type of shop, during the day when the metal doors on the shops are up the graffiti is less visible, and the family we are staying with seems pretty affluent. We have no idea if it’s a poor, medium, or somewhat affluent town. Hot water both with our host family and at the first place we stayed is intermittent and we probably only have one hot shower for every four we take. Being here definitely reminds us just how clean and comfortable life is for us back home.
The last two days have been more challenging. Yesterday we needed to get organized, make travel arrangements and reservations, and run errands. Needless to say, that is all rather difficult with two young boys in tow. Yesterday’s big adventure was a trip to the hospital with Hugo. We were in an internet café, trying to bribe the boys with hot chocolate to give us a few minutes to look up hotel web sites and check email. Hugo got up from the table, tripped and fell. Have I mentioned that everything here is tile or cement? It’s like the boys are always playing in the bathroom, with hard surfaces everywhere. He split the skin on his right browbone open (just like Jasper’s cut on his chin two weeks ago, also on tile). There was blood everywhere and the cut was deep. The café staff was wonderful, running for ice and towels, and while I ran out to a pharmacy for band-aids and yet more iodine ointment (we now have 2 big bottles) another patron in the restaurant went to a shop next door and brought Jim a washcloth for Hugo because she said it was better than a paper towel. We cleaned the cut and tried to gauge just how bad it was. I get faint at the sight of blood and this cut was enough to make me nauseaous. We headed home and our host Salvador kindly brought us to the hospital. It was night time and Jasper chose to stay at the house and go to bed.
The hospital itself was a bit dingy and rundown looking, but the doctors were friendly, there was no wait, and the examining room itself was very clean. After a thorough cleansing and checking they determined that the wound was superficial and didn’t need stitches, so they sent us on our way. The whole visit cost us $20.
Jasper had apparently felt a little strange being in their home without us though, and locked the bedroom door before falling soundly asleep. When we returned from the hospital we couldn’t get in the room. We went in the yard and could peek in the room and could see Jasper in there, snoring away. Anyone who knows Jasper knows that he sleeps like a rock, and it took us 10 minutes of constant knocking on the door and yelling to wake him up.
Today, all patched and rested we headed to the town of Teotitlan which is famous for its woven rugs. It’s a cute town and the rugs and other handicrafts there were amazing, but going from workshop to boutique was an arduous ordeal for the boys. When they get bored they start picking on each other, and today was day two of boredom for them so the antagonism level was high. We had them run races in the streets which helped a bit.
Now we are back and Jim has a fever. He’s in bed and thankfully it didn’t rain today. They boys played in the backyard for hours playing soccer, pushing each other down a ramp in a little plastic car and playing Frisbee. Hopefully tomorrow’s activity will be more interesting for them, and Jim will feel better.
Although Oaxaca has so much to offer it is a pretty gritty city, and the dirt and smog has started to wear on us. I didn’t quite expect how dirty and crumbling so much of the city would be, and I’ve truly never seen so much graffiti in my life. I think every building, fence and wall has been touched. We are staying in a town that is a few kilometers outside of the city and it’s been an interesting experience being here. This town is also covered with graffiti and many shops and buildings are large cement blocks with completely open fronts. At night there are metal doors that pull over the openings, but in the day every shop is completely open. At first we had no idea what to make of the town. On the one hand, there is graffiti everywhere, the sidewalks are broken and crumbling, there are stray dogs wandering around and the buildings are dull cement slabs. On the other hand, the town is bustling with every type of shop, during the day when the metal doors on the shops are up the graffiti is less visible, and the family we are staying with seems pretty affluent. We have no idea if it’s a poor, medium, or somewhat affluent town. Hot water both with our host family and at the first place we stayed is intermittent and we probably only have one hot shower for every four we take. Being here definitely reminds us just how clean and comfortable life is for us back home.
The last two days have been more challenging. Yesterday we needed to get organized, make travel arrangements and reservations, and run errands. Needless to say, that is all rather difficult with two young boys in tow. Yesterday’s big adventure was a trip to the hospital with Hugo. We were in an internet café, trying to bribe the boys with hot chocolate to give us a few minutes to look up hotel web sites and check email. Hugo got up from the table, tripped and fell. Have I mentioned that everything here is tile or cement? It’s like the boys are always playing in the bathroom, with hard surfaces everywhere. He split the skin on his right browbone open (just like Jasper’s cut on his chin two weeks ago, also on tile). There was blood everywhere and the cut was deep. The café staff was wonderful, running for ice and towels, and while I ran out to a pharmacy for band-aids and yet more iodine ointment (we now have 2 big bottles) another patron in the restaurant went to a shop next door and brought Jim a washcloth for Hugo because she said it was better than a paper towel. We cleaned the cut and tried to gauge just how bad it was. I get faint at the sight of blood and this cut was enough to make me nauseaous. We headed home and our host Salvador kindly brought us to the hospital. It was night time and Jasper chose to stay at the house and go to bed.
The hospital itself was a bit dingy and rundown looking, but the doctors were friendly, there was no wait, and the examining room itself was very clean. After a thorough cleansing and checking they determined that the wound was superficial and didn’t need stitches, so they sent us on our way. The whole visit cost us $20.
Jasper had apparently felt a little strange being in their home without us though, and locked the bedroom door before falling soundly asleep. When we returned from the hospital we couldn’t get in the room. We went in the yard and could peek in the room and could see Jasper in there, snoring away. Anyone who knows Jasper knows that he sleeps like a rock, and it took us 10 minutes of constant knocking on the door and yelling to wake him up.
Today, all patched and rested we headed to the town of Teotitlan which is famous for its woven rugs. It’s a cute town and the rugs and other handicrafts there were amazing, but going from workshop to boutique was an arduous ordeal for the boys. When they get bored they start picking on each other, and today was day two of boredom for them so the antagonism level was high. We had them run races in the streets which helped a bit.
Now we are back and Jim has a fever. He’s in bed and thankfully it didn’t rain today. They boys played in the backyard for hours playing soccer, pushing each other down a ramp in a little plastic car and playing Frisbee. Hopefully tomorrow’s activity will be more interesting for them, and Jim will feel better.
Day 13
Today we went to Monte Alban which are Zapotec ruins dating from about 500BC. They are located on top of a mountain at elevation of 6,000 feet and the setting itself is amazing. There are dramatic views into valleys in every direction, and since we were so high up the sky seemed very close. The clouds, today anyway, seemed very foreboding, and seeing them over the ancient ruins of enormous stone temples made it possible to imagine the often violent society that once lived there, performing sacrifices and the like to their gods. The architecture was very heavy and angular, and matched the expanse and weight of the sky. It was a great place to spend a few hours, explore the old temple and building sites, wander through the grassy courtyards and admire yet more plants and unusual insects. Today’s highlights were bright yellow millipedes.
After we made it back down from the mountain and in to Oaxaca it started to rain. The usual plentiful cabs were scarce today and we were getting pretty wet by the time we found one that was available. The rain got heavier and heavier as we rode toward our host families’ home, and by the time we were in a few blocks of their home the water was about 10 inches deep in the road. We asked the driver if all the water was just from the rain and he said yes and that this happens when they have heavy rain. We had noticed the lack of storm drains before, but couldn’t believe how much water there was. When he pulled up in front of the house the water was a foot deep or so, and gushing through the streets like a river. We couldn’t believe it. The boys parked themselves by the front door and watched the water climb higher and higher up the tires of parked cars. They saw people wade through the streets, knee-deep in water and after a while they came running and told us, “there’s a donkey in the street!” Sure enough, there was a man walking knee-deep in water in the middle of the street looking like a just stepped out of an ad for coffee beans. He was pulling a donkey that was loaded down with blankets and leafy green vegetables. Our host, Azalea, came to the front door and sailed a paper boat down the street and the boys had Jim make more boats to sail.
After we made it back down from the mountain and in to Oaxaca it started to rain. The usual plentiful cabs were scarce today and we were getting pretty wet by the time we found one that was available. The rain got heavier and heavier as we rode toward our host families’ home, and by the time we were in a few blocks of their home the water was about 10 inches deep in the road. We asked the driver if all the water was just from the rain and he said yes and that this happens when they have heavy rain. We had noticed the lack of storm drains before, but couldn’t believe how much water there was. When he pulled up in front of the house the water was a foot deep or so, and gushing through the streets like a river. We couldn’t believe it. The boys parked themselves by the front door and watched the water climb higher and higher up the tires of parked cars. They saw people wade through the streets, knee-deep in water and after a while they came running and told us, “there’s a donkey in the street!” Sure enough, there was a man walking knee-deep in water in the middle of the street looking like a just stepped out of an ad for coffee beans. He was pulling a donkey that was loaded down with blankets and leafy green vegetables. Our host, Azalea, came to the front door and sailed a paper boat down the street and the boys had Jim make more boats to sail.
Day 12
We decided to stop taking language classes, at least for a while, last Friday. The kids were burning out and Jim and I couldn’t absorb all the new information we were learning. Hopefully we can practice what we learn and then take more classes toward the end of the trip. I think we may get more out of them that way too. This past weekend we got to spend more time with the host family, and chatting with them seems to be the best way to practice, just trying to find words and make conversation.
Since we stopped classes our days have certainly been action and adventure-packed. On Saturday we went to El Tule, which is claimed, not correctly, to be the largest tree in the world. That said, it is monstrous—45 feet wide and about 150 feet tall. It is hard to take it all in and as you walk around it, it sounds as if a forest-full of birds is living in it. The town there was cute too and we found an open market with food stalls. We are getting braver and tried the sorbet there—guanabana (we couldn’t resist the name) and lemon. They promised it was made with purified water. We had fresh fruit too, pomegranates and mangoes. I don’t know if it was the sorbet or not (the rest of the family is fine though) but I’m having more stomach issues and today has been the worst day.
After we returned “home” we saw an enormous bald eagle fly over the house and circle the back yard a few times. It was amazing.
Yesterday was a truly epic day. We went to the Sierra Norte mountains with our host family. The drive up was beautiful (though a little cramped with 8 of us stuffed in a little Nissan, more later about senses of space and safety standards here) and it was nice to get away from the smog and grit of the city. We stopped at a hillside restaurant for hot chocolate, bread, and jam made from local fruits called membrillos. The bathroom was located out back on top of a steep precipice. Other than being a little scary, it was a great spot to view the forest and their back patio was home to quite a few lizards. The boys loved it and it’s amazing to see their instinct to just grab the lizard, not worrying about whether it might bite. From the restaurant we headed to a river with big tire swings that swing out over the river. We hiked over a small bridge to a marshy area with small fish and tadpoles swimming. It was neat to see Jasper speak some Spanish too. He told our host, Salvador, there there were “bebe sapos” in the water and he told there daughter that there was a lizard that was “mas grande” than the other one.
The Sierra is beautiful, everywhere you look there are different colored butterflies, bromeliads, lizards, fruit trees, and we drove from pine forest to scrub areas and back to forest. The river was so interesting to Jasper that without thinking he just forded a stream to get a better look at the fish and a lizard. Then he fell in, almost undeterred, just popped back up and went back in to look for tadpoles. He spent the rest of the day soaking wet.
From that river we went to another. We hiked down a long trail through some of the most lush and varied forest I’ve ever seen. It’s amazing to see pine and cactus growing next to each other, and wildflowers everywhere. At the bottom of the trail we hiked up to a cave and went in. Then a man that works in the forest at a fishery at the bottom of the trail offered us a ride up to the top in his pickup truck. All 8 of us piled in with the kids and dads in the back of the pickup. They all loved it, though I got a few more gray hairs worrying that one of the boys would bounce out of the back. At the top of the trail, after a meal, we watched people flying through the forest on a zip line 40 feet above the ground. Our hosts’ daughters, Salime and Romina, went on a ride on the line together. After Jasper watched them he said, “I can’t do that, can I?” I said he could if he wanted to. After a few minutes of deliberation he said he wanted to do it. I couldn’t believe it as I watched him get suited up in a harness and attached to a big rope line with carribeaners. The next thing we knew he got a big push and was flying through the woods on the line. It was amazing to see and I wondered if he’d scream the whole time, but when he finished I have never seen such a big smile on his face. He was exhilarated and did it 3 times.
Hugo, watching his big brother, considered doing it, even getting suited up once and changing his mind, then saying he wanted to do it with me. We were suited up together and stood on the big block, waiting for our push, when he changed his mind. I have to say I was a little relieved as standing on the big block looking down and imaging flying over the forest floor with my 3-year old was a bit daunting.
The day was capped off with a drive back high up in the mountains. The views into the valley were breathtaking, and we could look down on the clouds. All day Hugo was saying he wanted to touch the clouds, and finally he got his chance. As we ascended we drove right into a cloud and continued to drive in and out of them for quite a while. Jasper kept sticking his hand out the window to feel them and marvel at how soft and wet the air felt.
Since we stopped classes our days have certainly been action and adventure-packed. On Saturday we went to El Tule, which is claimed, not correctly, to be the largest tree in the world. That said, it is monstrous—45 feet wide and about 150 feet tall. It is hard to take it all in and as you walk around it, it sounds as if a forest-full of birds is living in it. The town there was cute too and we found an open market with food stalls. We are getting braver and tried the sorbet there—guanabana (we couldn’t resist the name) and lemon. They promised it was made with purified water. We had fresh fruit too, pomegranates and mangoes. I don’t know if it was the sorbet or not (the rest of the family is fine though) but I’m having more stomach issues and today has been the worst day.
After we returned “home” we saw an enormous bald eagle fly over the house and circle the back yard a few times. It was amazing.
Yesterday was a truly epic day. We went to the Sierra Norte mountains with our host family. The drive up was beautiful (though a little cramped with 8 of us stuffed in a little Nissan, more later about senses of space and safety standards here) and it was nice to get away from the smog and grit of the city. We stopped at a hillside restaurant for hot chocolate, bread, and jam made from local fruits called membrillos. The bathroom was located out back on top of a steep precipice. Other than being a little scary, it was a great spot to view the forest and their back patio was home to quite a few lizards. The boys loved it and it’s amazing to see their instinct to just grab the lizard, not worrying about whether it might bite. From the restaurant we headed to a river with big tire swings that swing out over the river. We hiked over a small bridge to a marshy area with small fish and tadpoles swimming. It was neat to see Jasper speak some Spanish too. He told our host, Salvador, there there were “bebe sapos” in the water and he told there daughter that there was a lizard that was “mas grande” than the other one.
The Sierra is beautiful, everywhere you look there are different colored butterflies, bromeliads, lizards, fruit trees, and we drove from pine forest to scrub areas and back to forest. The river was so interesting to Jasper that without thinking he just forded a stream to get a better look at the fish and a lizard. Then he fell in, almost undeterred, just popped back up and went back in to look for tadpoles. He spent the rest of the day soaking wet.
From that river we went to another. We hiked down a long trail through some of the most lush and varied forest I’ve ever seen. It’s amazing to see pine and cactus growing next to each other, and wildflowers everywhere. At the bottom of the trail we hiked up to a cave and went in. Then a man that works in the forest at a fishery at the bottom of the trail offered us a ride up to the top in his pickup truck. All 8 of us piled in with the kids and dads in the back of the pickup. They all loved it, though I got a few more gray hairs worrying that one of the boys would bounce out of the back. At the top of the trail, after a meal, we watched people flying through the forest on a zip line 40 feet above the ground. Our hosts’ daughters, Salime and Romina, went on a ride on the line together. After Jasper watched them he said, “I can’t do that, can I?” I said he could if he wanted to. After a few minutes of deliberation he said he wanted to do it. I couldn’t believe it as I watched him get suited up in a harness and attached to a big rope line with carribeaners. The next thing we knew he got a big push and was flying through the woods on the line. It was amazing to see and I wondered if he’d scream the whole time, but when he finished I have never seen such a big smile on his face. He was exhilarated and did it 3 times.
Hugo, watching his big brother, considered doing it, even getting suited up once and changing his mind, then saying he wanted to do it with me. We were suited up together and stood on the big block, waiting for our push, when he changed his mind. I have to say I was a little relieved as standing on the big block looking down and imaging flying over the forest floor with my 3-year old was a bit daunting.
The day was capped off with a drive back high up in the mountains. The views into the valley were breathtaking, and we could look down on the clouds. All day Hugo was saying he wanted to touch the clouds, and finally he got his chance. As we ascended we drove right into a cloud and continued to drive in and out of them for quite a while. Jasper kept sticking his hand out the window to feel them and marvel at how soft and wet the air felt.
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