An Awesome Weekend

After what seemed like a very long week, the weekend finally came.  Even though I have been here only a little longer than a week, it seems like I have been here a month.  As a celebration for finishing the first week of classes, we played Spanish Pictionary during our hour of conversation at the end of class on Friday.  It was very difficult to guess the names of actions, phrases, and things in Spanish, but our team had a secret weapon: our teacher Abraham (pronounced abraaaam).  It can be debated that our team cheated a bit by having a native Oaxacan on our team, but it surprisingly ended up being a very close game.  Instead of Salsa class that day, we had scavenger hunt (Juego de pistas), around the city.  The purpose of the game was to familiarize ourselves with the city and where useful stores and places can be found.  It was fun, but we were all exhausted afterwards because of all the walking.  With all of the trips home and around the city, I think I walked 5-6 hours.

Because of the home stay situation, going to a house with the group is not recommended.  Therefore, hanging out happens around town at restaurants, cafes, bars, discotecas, etc…  Friday night our group walked around town to explore and found that Oaxaca has a very vibrant night life.  The lack of youth in the day is made up in the night. Crowds of people go to hang out in the bars, clubs, and in the streets. This was a completely new concept as Palmer and Parkland have close to nothing in this area.  When we go out as a group at night, we stick out like a sore thumb as a gaggle of girls and one guy.  We are the definition of gringo, except that we can speak the language more or less.  Being the only guy in the group places me in a strange position.  I feel responsible to look after all the girls, especially during the night.  I guess that’s the way it’s going to be. 

On Saturday, the group gathered at the ICO for our first excursion to the ancient Mixteca City of Monte Alban.  What a sight!  The Valley of Oaxaca used to have a thriving population of Mixtecas, with the central city of Monte Alban.  It was crazy to think that the city was built before the time of Christ!  This city was probably used for religious purposes based on the pyramids and inscriptions.  From its position on the top of a great hill, the ancient Mixteca people of Monte Alban would be able to see any threat coming from any side.  This city even had a playing field of a ball game similar to the game in “El Dorado,” once used to resolve conflicts instead of going to war.  We all took way too many pictures and had a great time. 

Following the trip to Monte Alban, we drove to a small town at the base of Monte Alban, famous for the making of painted wooden animals called Alebrijes.  Although these animals are found all over Oaxaca, this pueblo is where they are made in the traditional method with simple tools and a certain wood.  It was amazing to see the creativity and patience that goes into making them.  In addition, this craftsman made specialty animals not found anywhere else in the world, such as a dog over 9 feet tall and a peacock with about 40 different painted feathers made of wood. 

The day ended with a huge meal at a traditional Oaxacan restaurant.  I ate coloradito mole with chicken and rice, which was delicious.  Oaxaca is famous for its mole, which is very hard to describe.  If you want to know more about mole, just google it.  After eating way too much, the group drove back to the ICO where everyone went to their houses to siesta.  Overall, this was the start of a great weekend.