Francia Oaxaca

It's a cool wet morning, just like home. I get the bike out of the ballroom and head off fully suited into the mountains. I manage to get onto the free roads again, I must be getting the hang of it.<br> Once again there are whisps of white clouds drifting above and below, and really high black ones dropping on me! This is probably the best road so far (Mex 190) to Santa Domingo Tehauntepec, really good surface well generally ...

Day 4 and 5<br><br> <br><br>The last couple of days have been fairly low-key.  Lots of shopping.  Lots of local markets and crafts, and lots of eating.  I got a great salad last night from a restaurant that (surprisingly enough) fed mostly Caucasian tourists.  It was the biggest collection I'd seen thus-far, as the marketplaces are definitely dominated by Oaxacans.  <br><br> <br><br>I made several purchases yesterday, including some warm throw-over ...

... Zipolitega huvasti j2tta viis Jade ja Jorge kiire otsus ka oma teekonda Guatemala poole j2tkata...kellel samuti illegaalseks muutumise oht v6i kellel lihtsalt maastiku muutust vaja... j2rgmised kahe p2eva jagu aega mooduvad maanteid kulutades ja poidlakuuti puudes, omades omajagu p2ikesekuumust, kuivusest kipitavat kurku ja kripeldavat n2lga...tunde oodates ning tunde r2ndavas "camionetas" veetes, samm j2llegi kuhugi l2hemale... esimene 66 v66rsil viis meid rahulikult ...

Another night on the bus another early start another part of Mexico. We had arrived at the bus station of Tonalá at around 5 in the morning. The bus had not been that bad to be fair as we had paid for the upgrade and were put in the Gran Lujo (great luxury) seats of the bus that gave us well more leg room, free drinks and a better view of the tv which this time knocked out a Spanish rom com treat with the ever lovely paz vega. So as we arrived it was almost a shame ...

... pink, trummih6iked hilis6htusel v2ljakul...m6nus on j2lle ja j2lle samu asju samas kohas teha.. diarrhea on siin samasugune n2htus nagu k6ha-nohu Eestis.. v2hemalt on see esimesi pakkumisi kui terviset6rke ule kurta. kuigi v6iks arvata, et bakter, mis seda koletut pea k6iki mittemehhiklasi tabavat riket seedesusteemis p6hjustab on k6ikidel mehhilastel sunnist saati emapiimaga kaasa antud, kui siiski vist mitte... kurdavad nad siin isegi ...

... a political place and in an anti corruption protest a couple of years ago 18 people were killed. In the evening in the main square there is a protest and speakers are making anti-government speeches. On the edge of the podium there are numerous banners painted with different images of protest and resistance and several images of the latter day Zapatistas, there are perhaps 120 ...

... other tourists i took some photos from far back. After a while the the men were handed tequila shots which they drank like water and the celebrations continued in the streets. From San Cristobal de Las Casas i got the bus to Oaxaca. There is a beautiful central plaza here which is always busy. The streets are busy with people, market stalls, and women selling chocolate grasshoppers. I spent a few days here and ate out by the plaza, people ...

On to Puerto Arista, a relative metropolis, plenty of shops, some of them even open! Out of high season seaside towns tend to only fully open at weekends when the city dwelling Mexican hordes descend. Found a nice little place near a smelly lagoon and not far from the beach, but sadly, as often happens in Mexico, the workers started banging around at 6am - because it´s really hot later, they start work early but with no concern for their sleeping clients.

Had to get a bus to Tonala and from there a collectivo to Boca and from there a boat to the sandbar of San Martin. It was already dusk and it is sometimes hard to get enough people to fill a colectivo taxi, so I was cramming this woman´s luggage in the boot then I got crammed into the front seat with her for the scary 20Km trip. It was dusk, no street lights, unmarked topes, tri/cyclists without lights, stray cattle ...

... around, I couldn´t help but wonder how many tourists confine their visits to the squares and the few streets dedicated to high-end shops. It seems a shame as there is so much authentic life to see. <br><br>The day after I arrived, I caught a bus to Tlacolula (lock-OH-lou-la) for the Sunday market. If you haven´t noticed already, I am a market-a-holic. And I´ve decided that if the social work thing doesn´t pan out, I´ll be a buyer for free trade/ sustainable commerce ...