This article is from the November 1999 The Mexico File
newsletter.
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Poking Around Pueblos
By Geri Anderson
The city of Oaxaca in
southern Mexico is unique among Mexican cities for many reasons, the biggest
of which is the dozens of small villages in the nearby countryside. Some of
these pueblos are well‑known for their handicrafts and are tourist
destinations. Other lesser‑known ones may have hidden surprises if you
take time to explore. Oaxacan resident and writer, Geri Anderson, reports on a
recent day trip.
Morning clouds hover
lazily over the city as we finish our coffee in a z�calo cafe. It�s
as if the clouds, like my friend and me, aren�t in any hurry to move on. As
we saunter the several blocks to the collectivo (shared taxi) stands,
the city yawns and stretches. A few vendors are meticuously arranging products
on their sidewalk stands � trinkets, fruit, and clothing. But the indoor
merchants haven�t yet rolled up the squeaky steel doors of their shops.
It�s another laid back morning in the city of Oaxaca.
At least once a week, I
venture into the countryside, where the air is fresher, and where ploughed
rows of fertile soil stretch as
far as the eye can see. With summer rains, the dirt will burst into alfalfa
green, chile red and corn silk silver. Today, we are going to Vista Hermosa, a
small barrio in the village of San Augustin Etla. It�s at the end of the
roughly paved road, as far and as high as a car can go in this direction,
probably about 1,000 feet above the city.
There are a couple of
passengers in the collectivo when we arrive, so we get in and wait for
others. As soon as there are seven people (two are babies) in the
five‑passenger car, we head out. The fare is five pesos (about 50 cents
US) for the 20 minute trip. Often, we have no idea what we�ll find when we
visit the pueblos. Sometimes, we chance upon a painter who invites us into his
one‑room home/studio. Or, perhaps a weaver or carver will beckon us into
his front yard workshop. However, today, in Vista Hermosa our goal is to find
The Taller de Arte Papel Oaxaca, a paper factory recently founded by
Mexico�s foremost artist, Francisco Toledo. By the end of the day, we will
have discovered much more than the fascinating factory where locals are
experimenting with paper‑making processes. But we don�t know that yet.
Vista Hermosa has only a
couple of streets, so we easily locate the taller housed in a refurbished
hydroelectric plant that once provided Oaxaca�s electricity. The
stately stucco and brick building overlooks a valley of rolling hills and
unexcavated ruins. We are the only visitors and for a few minutes we watch as
young men stir vats full of murky gray pulp. They explain that they use native
bark, plants, flowers, cotton, hemp, silk, linen, berries and even bits of
shiny mica � all renewable resources. The sludgy substance will be drained,
pressed, and dried on framed screens into textured sheets of paper in subtle
hues of pink, beige, yellow and
white. Artists buy this paper for painting and drawing.
Photographers are
experimenting with printing processes. I buy several blank page journals,
which to me, are works of art in themselves.
The clerk at the taller
explains a bit of the area�s history, in Spanish of course. Between the two
of us, we figured out that on the hill above us there�s an abandoned textile
mill (for sale). It was built in the early 1900's by the English and
operational until ten years ago. Avid photographers, we walk around the fenced
in buildings of crumbling adobe. Cacti sprout from the roofs. Beams termited
and rotting hang from arched entrances. Twisted wrought iron and broken
stained glass beckon us closer. We MUST see the inside of this
modern‑day ruin. After several hours of inquiries and waiting, we find
the man with the
The mill closed a decade
ago, the story goes, because financiers planned to turn the complex into a
hotel/learning center, but the deal fell through. So did parts of the roof and
walls of the owner�s
residence. But the main
structure is intact, its dark innards spooky with filtered light. Rusted
machinery and bales of decaying cotton hint of busier times. By now, el sol
has chased the clouds away, and the adjacent church steeple glistens in the
mid‑afternoon light. Great photo ops. We click away.
To pass time while waiting
for the man with the key, we followed a sign to the Vista Hermosa Baleanario.
Baleanarios are public swimming pools. Last year, when some friends invited me
to join them for a day at a baleanario, I refused. I don�t go to public
swimming pools in the States, certainly not in Mexico. But this day, with hours
to while away, we walked along a narrow, dusty road and almost missed the
entrance, barely marked. We paid the 25 peso entrance fee, expecting to find, at
the most, a
If You Go
Your first stop should be
one of the tourist offices in the city, where you can get a map of the villages.
There are several means of transportation. My favorite is to take a colectivo
taxi and return by either second class bus or colectivo, whichever comes
along first. The taxi stands (sitios) are located on the Periferico
(the perimeter highway) near the Abastos market in the southwest section of the
city, about 10 blocks from the z�calo. There are two colectivo
areas, on the north and south ends of the market. Each sitio is marked
with a sign and the destination is
also painted on the vehicles. Drivers having a slow day may offer to take you to
where you�re going even if it�s not their route. Not a good idea. They may
not know the way, and will probably charge you even more than they quote. The colectivos
have a set
To take a second class bus,
go to the terminal (at the north end of the market). Bus fare is about half as
much as taxi fare, which is usually under one dollar U.S. You can also take a
private taxi (ask the price first) or hire a car and driver through your hotel
or a travel agency � usually $8 an hour.
Precautions:
In the bus terminal and market area, hang on to your valuables tightly. The
villages are safe. If some of the people seem unfriendly, it�s because
they�re shy. In the more tourist‑oriented towns, you may be approached
by aggressive vendors, but less so than in the city.
Villaging is best done with
a �I don�t care what happens� mindset. This is understandably difficult
for vacationers with limited time and a long list of �must sees,� but not
having a tight time schedule and being open to new happenings will enhance your
experience. Head out no later than 10 a.m., thus assuring that you�ll return
to the city in the afternoon. Don�t worry, you�ll get back. At least I
always have.
�Geri Anderson 1999