It was my recurring nightmare (about having to go back to school to resit my A levels)come true. A 4 page exam paper in a foreign language. First page was alright but as I progressed it got harder and harder and I was guessing more and more. By the time I had finished it I was shaking. Then, after 3 cups of coffee to steady my nerves, came the oral! The nice man (who was v impressed at my casual use of the word 'consuegra' : Dulce) then declared us finished and put me in Intermediate 1!!!!!
I was so pleased with myself. All those hours spent at my PC had paid off.
We then had an orientation class and met all the other students registering this week. About 8 of us. There was a lady from Chicago sitting me and we arranged to meet up later to go explore the town.
Got caught in the rain and got absolutely soaked. But not as wet as the wedding party who came out of the main church to do their procession around the town accompanied by a brass band complete with euphonium. There were some indigenous ladies outside the church doing a roaring trade in blue plastic capes at 10 pesos (50p) which looked slightly at odds with the very expensive wedding outfits/shoes on the ladies and the men's tuxedos.
Met Belinda again this morning and we went on a, as it turned out, private tour (cos there were only the 2 of us)to a Mezcal still: spirit like tequila made from the maguey cactus by hand. Earliest I have ever drunk hard liquor - they had an 8 year old which was just like a good brandy. Then on to a weaving family's premises and a demonstration of carding and spinning wool and colouring it using natural dyes before weaving it into the most amazing traditional Zapotec rugs. Isaac's father is so famous at his craft that he has been mentioned in quite a few books on master craftsman, including Oliver Sachs' diary of Oaxaca. Next the market (largest in Latin America according to our guide)at Tlacolula which was amazing. Full of colour and smells and sounds and the fabulous costumes of the different indigenous people both selling and buying. As I think I have said before: the state of Oaxaca is the most ethnically complex of all the states of Mexico. Bought some lovely flowers and textiles. Then on to the Zapotec archeological site at Mitla which is unique as it is the only one to have stone mosaics. Dates from the 13th century a.d. three centuries before the Spanish conquest. Then finally to 'El Tule' - officially the largest tree in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records. A Montezuma Cypress with a trunk diameter of 11 metres it's at least 1500 years old.
Enough culture already.
Pics tomorrow.
x
It was probably the coffee making you shake! The market sounds amazing,looking forward too seeing the photos.Sounds like my sort of place.Enjoy :)
ReplyDeleteOh it most definately was. You couldn't have done it in a half hour! You would also have enjoyed the rug place. I told Isaac all about you. You would maybe have been able to give him some tips!x
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