Race Day and Monte Albán

This morning my family and I woke up early to participate in a race. It was a 5K around the main square of the city. It was a lot of fun, free, and I earned a shirt! Afterwords my group and I went on an all day tour of Monte Albán and some surround pueblos. 

Sunblock warriors! 

Tour guide with the Albán tree

Monte Albán is located just outside the city and is the ruins of a Zapotec and Mixteca culture. The name for the site is Spanish: Monte for mountain and Albán meaning white. There are trees that cover the hill called Trompillos and in the Spring white flowers bloom on them.

Over looking the complex

 Monte Albán is spread across four mountains. The Zapotecs were the first to live in the region and actually spent 50 years flattening the tops of the mountains by removing the dirt. They built their temples on the top of the mountains. This was also the place that the elites lived. The lower classes built their houses carved into the sides of the mountains.

A Zapotec sundial 

Wood carvings

After Monte Albán we went to two pueblos. The pueblos are home to artisan families. Oaxaca is known for its wood carvings, black pottery, and woven rugs. At the pueblos entire families work together to produce the final product. The first pueblo focused on wood carvings. The wood used is taken from the Trompillo trees. The trees are classified as either male or female depending on their size. When first cut the wood is very soft and easy for the carvers to work with but hardens with time. Once harden the painters follow the lines of the wood to finish the product.

An old Dominican church we passed on the way to the next pueblo. There were two quinceañeras occurring while we were there.  

There are a lot of tremors in the area. One, several decades ago, caused half the pillars and the ceiling to collapse.

We stopped for lunch at this 'all-you-can-eat' restaurant. They serve food that is traditional all over Qaxaca. 

Soupa de Qaxaca

This soup is a Qaxacan specialty. It has corn, squash, green beans, spinach, and tastes rica!

Barro negro

The final place we went to specialized in black pottery. Traditionally chunks of rock were allowed to soak in water for a month. After becoming soft they were formed into the desired shapes with a hand wheel. There were then placed in a helm for 17 hours. These pots were then used to carry and store water. Today, the pots are more ornamental. A few decades ago a technique used to make these pots appear shiny was developed here.