I have been home for a week and a half - but I want to finish writing about the trip to Mexico. When I travel, I carry a Palm Handheld and a keyboard for it. Most evenings, I set it up on the bed and type about what happened that day. Later, at an internet shop, I use the notes to write the blog.

On 1/22 - Danielle and I found the 2nd class bus station by going toward the Mercado Centro de Abastos and noticing a small space between booths - here was the unmarked main entrance to the bus station. We got on the bus heading to Teotitlan de Valle. While walking up the steps I looked down and saw feet protruding from under the bus. The hood was up - it appeared the bus was being made serviceable. First there was traffic gridlock in Oaxaca and finally after breathing what seemed like pure carbon monoxide, we were in the countryside, dotted with cactuses. A woman got on, carring a 2 year old boy, and kissed the bus driver. Soon the bus driver was holding the boy on his lap while driving. After about an hour, we turned toward a mountain range to the east and arrived at Teotitlan de Valle.

This town makes its living by weaving wool into rugs and cotton items such as bedspreads. They have revived natural dyeing methods including cochineal dye for reds. I bought a woven purse and Danielle bought a bedspread. We heard a band coming up the street and followed it. There was a small procession of people of all ages.Traditionally women wear their hair in braids with cloth braided into it, sometimes tied up on their heads. People are quite short. The band and procession moved into the church and a mass started. In the meantime, fireworks were exploding outside the church.

We later learned this was for the baptism of children. The church was decorated with real and artificial flowers and candles were burning by each pew. A stone from an ancient Zapotec temple was embedded into the wall of the church from the 16th century. The Zapotec gods of corn and wind are also built into the church ornaments.

The next day, Danielle and I once again went to the second class bus station, this time to go to Tlacolula for its Sunday market and then on to Mitla to explore the ancient ruins there. It was a great market! Tehre were endless fruits and vegetables, breats (we bough a delicious dark bread laced iwth chocolate), meats (live and dead), fabrics, rugs, tools, clothes - all spsread out in the streets around the church. We had a tortilla smeared with black beans cooked on a hot tortilla cooker with melted Oaxaca cheese and hot sauce. We sat in front of the church and ate it while firewords exploded in honor of something.

We got on the bus and continued to Mitla. There was a major festival going on with continuous basketball games with running loudspeaker commentary. Rides and arcades were set up. We found a hotel nnear the bumper cars, with rooms up a concrete stairway which seemed unsupported except for its attachment to the 2nd floor balcony. There was a large room with peeling paint, no hot water, but a lovely view of the full moon and trees out the window, and a view of mountains out the door. In the night, we went out to watch the basketball game and it was cold and windy. Danielle wrapped herself in a woolen blanket and I wore my bedspread. All the lights and rides blew the town fuse and the hotel went dark so we were walked to our room and given a large candle. In the morning, I ate huefos mexicana and we were greeted by a large friendly dog who walked toward us on the roof next to the second floor room. It then laid down on the awning and gazed at us fondly - one ear up and one down.

This was my last day in Oaxaca and so I chose where and what to have for dinner - Aztec soup and hot chocolate. Now back in Seattle, I took a workshop last weekend on intercultural exchange through digital storytelling:

http://www.bridgesweb.org/

You can see my photos of Mexico (for each place there is a link at the top of the page)
http://homepage.mac.com/cathyfarrar/Mexico_2004-5/PhotoAlbum121.html

Thanks for your messages and encouragement during this excellent adventure.