Trip to Oaxaca

In July we went on a trip to Oaxaca. Our friends Chuchi, Malena, Andrea, Alondra and their extended family had invited us to join them. We were around 80 people all together.

Day One
We got on the bus at 9am, Monday morning.


We drove all day and all night.
In the middle of the night we stopped in Oaxaca City to buy flowers for the Virgin. Isaiah got two dozen roses.

Day Two - Virgin of Juquila
This is known as the second holiest place in Mexico, after the Basillica in Mexico City where the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego. As I understand, the Virgin of Juquila appeared to some young people who were tending their animals (goats?) and told them to build a church for her. They constructed a chapel for her. Soon after that, the chapel and surrounding town burned down. Juquila's icon did NOT burn, just had some smoke damage. This is why her icons show her with dark skin and black hair. This was a miracle. The people decided to build her a larger church in nearby town and took the icon there when the church was finished. Evidently this was not okay with the virgin, who returned to the original chapel sight. Three times the people took her icon back to the church, and three times she returned to the chapel. In the end, she stayed at the church. She as know as a miraculous virgin. People bring their hopes and wishes to her, tell her what they will do for her if she will help them. And we heard story after story of how what she has done.

Getting off the bus, everyone making sure they had their flowers for the virgin.


Processing through the streets to the church.



The Virgin of Juquila


The site where the Virgin first appeared.








Special mud used to create your desire/wish.


Here Clara is spreading the mud on Jose - the mud has special power. At the time, Jose was thinking about heading to the states. The last year has been hard for him.



Waiting at the end of the day to get back on the bus.


Day Three - at the beach
We had an awesome time at the beach. In the water and sand all day. Great food. Very relaxing. We swam further out and did some snorkeling. Here is an end-of-the-day waiting to get on the bus picture.


Day Four - tour of a Mezcal factory
I thought of my brother and sister-in-law .....we went to a mezcal factory and did a bit of tasting. (Mezcal is an ancient beverage made from cactus.)







Then back on the bus, heading to the next stop. (Did I mention that we traveled at night, every night?)



We stopped in Tule to see the world's largest tree, between 2000 and 3000 years old.



And the last stop of the day was Monte Alban - which, according to the guidebook is one of the most impressive ancient sites to be found in Mexico. Monte Alban means "white mountain". Monte Alban was first occupied around 500BC, probably by Zapotecs. It likely had early cultural connections with the Olmecs to the northeast.






We did a lot of waiting on this trip. Being such a large group and all. But there was always something to do, a race to be won (Martin with his compadres Pepe and Chuchi raced, so did Malena and I, and then a bunch of the kids), another joke to tell, another prank (Tony tied Martin's shoelaces together while he was sleeping. When Martin woke up and tried to walk, he did a dramatic somersault), another snack....Never a dull moment.



And of course we got caught in an afternoon rain shower.

And when we got home around 9am Friday morning, people were waiting to greet us with confetti. We processed through the street and ended the trip with a mass and pozole to eat.