Last Journal

In three weeks, we visited the Colonial city of Oaxaca, many villages in the Valley of Oaxaca, and villages in the Sierra Norte and La Canada regions. Among the numerous dramatic variations were:

Terrain/ecosystems/climate

Ethnic groups

Population density

Livelihood (urban jobs, handicrafts, agricultural, hunting and gathering, fishing, tourism, mixed)

Social stratification and wealth/poverty

Importance of family and community

Layers of history evident in remaining architecture

Civic buildings and public spaces (town halls, churches, zocalos, markets)

Evidence of the importance of religion in daily life (where was this not apparent?)

Materials used for building construction, tools, objects

Rhythm of life

Art, dance, music

Please write a long journal entry in which you compare and contrast the many places we visited, considering the variations listed above as well as others you might think of that are important. Remember the theme of our course is Oaxaca, a Sense of Place.
Woah...

Well, the first stop we arrived at was Oaxaca, the city. The city was just that. A city. This place was more confusing than any other place we went because I could never really tell who was a native and who was a tourist. The street vendedores don't count since they obviously had to be people who lived there. It was cool to experience a Mexican city because I had never seen one before. My conception of what a Mexican city looked like was totally wrong prior to this trip.

When we got up to the mountain areas, there was a drastic change in landscape and people. The first set of mountains we visited, it was easy to notice a huge change of pace. People moved slower, and a bit more passionately or deliberately. El pueblo magico just felt like I was in a land of make-believe for a day. It was so slow. So peaceful. And so pleasant. This side of the mountain was lush with greenery. I noticed the different types of rocks that made up that mountain. I didn't do any research on what its called or anything, but many part of the mountain is made up of very flat, brittle and layered rock.

The last set of mountains we went to had a drastic change in landscape from both the Oaxaca city and the other set of mountains. It was dry as could be. For miles and miles I could see green, tall cacti and everywhere I turned there was a bush of thorns. The people also seemed a bit different. I mean, at least in the city we were in, it felt more populated and more "industrialized". I guess that is to say, it felt like more people had jobs as store owners or what have you while on the other mountains, we saw more artists and traditional workers (remember that mushroom carver?). And to be honest, I liked the other mountain better. I enjoyed the interesting landscape of the La Canada area (and I am going to miss that delicious cactus fruit...), the other mountains where Capulalpam was was just more fun! And freeing. I felt like I could do anything there and I really, really loved their environmentally conscious society -- something I didn't see as much in the city or the other mountains. Also, I didn't as much religious symbols on the dry mountains. I certainly saw some on the green mountains and they were in the city of oaxaca, as well when we went into churches. Some people's houses we went had paintings or figures of the "sun and the moon" in their home. Dance, however, was present at every place we went to. From people celebrating in the zocolo, to traditional dance class in the green mountains, to the presentation of child dancers on the dry mountains.

One thing I'd like to mention is half the time we were in Oaxaca, I didn't really know where we were. I didn't know if we were south, east, west, north or what. So I can't provide so many details or draw conclusions about regions and give an opinion. But I can say that there are major differences in Oaxaca, depending on where we went. Also, its not as if we lived in certain places for a long time so I'm very biased by what we got to see and do in each place.

I feel like artistic expression in general is very prominent all over Oaxaca. IN the city, people are selling their crafts and you just cannot escape mexican music. It seems to me most of the state makes art a part of its life. Sure, in Texas we listen to music and such, but being in Mexico was the first time I'd wake up, walk outside, and hear mexican music flooding the town as if it were a morning wake up call. It also seems like Oaxacans are very proud to be Oaxacans. Mayors were thrilled to have us visit their towns. People are proud of the produce and crafts and religion.