Return to Oaxaca

12.13.24

I arose at 6 to have things ready for an early departure from Tlahui. Also, I often start to have some eye trouble by that time and if I don’t get up I may have a scratched eye and blurred vision, not good for photography or driving. At 7 I thought I’d walk down to the central square to see if any of the coffee vendors was there. . But, sadly, everyone was resting up from a week of partying. They deserve a rest.

I found Ernesto at 8 and we thought about trying to get breakfast down at the central square, but then thought it would be better to stop by the Jimenez family home to be able to properly say good bye. It’s really important in this community to say good byes properly and take time for them.

We hiked down the steep cement and sometimes rocky and muddy pathWe to the family home. I recalled how difficult that walk was the first day with worries of slipping and falling, but now today I felt like we were jumping along like mountain goats — ha!.

We found family members preparing to walk to another “comisonado’s” house ( the person who signed up to provide food and entertainment this day). We walked up and down extremely steep paths.

We arrived at the familiar home where there were a couplehundred people eating at long tables.

While waiting to get in, we are offered small beers and mezcal. Mezcal here is a ceremonial drink and given in very small amounts, maybe 1 ounce. Of course there are people who abuse it and it’s hard to walk without having a drunk guy approach you. But generally I never felt any effects from my little plastic sip.

While waiting, the fireworks went off on the street a few feet from us. They were deafening!

There were more people waiting than could be accomodated inside so new tables were set up in the street.

A full meal of chicken, tortillas and various drinks arrive. It’s not the North American idea of a quick breakfast and out the door.

As we sit eating, we hear the brass band from CEPAC playinig and then dance performers start up!

Finally the meal draws to a close and Ernesto and I are waiting to make our final good byes. We walk with the family up the hill towards the central square, toward both their home and our hotel.

As we walk up the last steep pathway to the market area, Tajëëw grabs my hand and struck up a conversation.

We went our separate ways when the path to the Jimenez turned down the mountain and Ernesto and I proceeded to the hotel, grabbed our bags and checked out.

Part of me was frustrated not to get the early start that is part of my habit, but the other thought was how much I have to learn from the slower indigenous ways of taking time for connection and departures.

We jumped in out tiny Nissan March and headed down the heavily rutted road through a series of Mixe towns. A giant truck was trying to wind through the narrow curving streets jammed with cars. It was not going well and we worried that the semi trailer would get completely stuck.

Finally we got to the main highway, filled the gas tank in Tlacolula and continued toward Oaxaca. The arrival was not smooth. we had to take a number of poor roads and get on croweded ring roads. Our Google directions were wrong because they directed us to go against a one-way street. Finally we got to the little car rental place near the airport. The office was kind enough to offer to give us a ride to the airport where we could hopefully get a taxi to our homes.

When we got to the airport, we both needed cash. There are no ATMs in Tlahui and we were both near the bottom of money left for a taxi. Both ATMs in the airport were out of service, so we went out hoping to have enough for a taxi. But there were no taxis. We were informed that that there were no taxis. They had been outlawed. NO TAXIS!?

Someone offered to have his brother, a taxi driver, come to pick us up, but I was not comfotable with this. Would he be legitamate? I’ve had bad experiences with this sort of thing in the past with informal transport arangements. So we went back into the airport and got a group transport into the city. it was now 5 pm.

My cell phone internet had not been working for days, so I could not text the friend I was staying with. The van dropped me off near my friend, David’s house, and I rapped on the door at the street number he had sent me. There was no answer. I was standing in the street uncertain of where to go, how to get in.

Then David appeared walking down the street! He just happened to be out walking and recalled to me that the street changes names there and continues with a new numbering system futher up the hill , and when saw his entry gate I remembered the street art at his place. I was so glad to make it “home” where he was providing me with my own comfortable room and bathroom. I immediately took a showered and shaved. The clothes I’d not changed for 5 days were put in my dirty laundry bag.

Freshly showered and shaved, I felt like new man, and we headed off for a delicious supper after getting some cash at an ATM.

We’re coming to the end of this trip. All that is left is resting and picking up a few gifts. I wanted to end this section of Red Tandem blog with a video from Alicec Jta Fatee, who you may recognize from the family photos.