Hola,
RANT ALERT!
So I am in Oaxaca!! A beautiful, colonial city in the South of Mexico.
I feel like that sounds really Exotic aka South of NZ or South of France.
It was a mission to get here, especailly because early last week it was looking like it would be impossible to get here.
As I posted a picture of previously, one of the two main bridges collapsed.. and people were
questioning the other because the remains of the destroyed one hit the remaining on the way down.
Also because of excessive rains last week there were multiple landslides. Between this, and a few more bridges dropping, they had to close the roads to and from Vallarta, meaning that the buses stopped and people couldn{t get in or out. They were only planning to open the roads again this morning, but luckily for me they opened up again on Friday night.
Although the last week was the most enjoyable so far in PV, I wanted out! I guess like a child I do what I{m told I can{t.
On Thursday I managed to load my photos off my cards for the first time in about a month, so I spent Saturday morning/arvo taking photos around the place of things that Isaw everyday, but would like to be able to show others. One of these stops included wanting to see Elizabeth Taylor{s house. I don{t really know why, but I googled it and it was on websites as an Attraction and lots of comments about how great it was.
Great it isn{t. It has been bulldozed! I don{t really know why because - people stayed at it (was a B&B) for the novelty of staying in Elizabeth{s house. Now, they are building a large mansion- hotl on the site but... it is no longer the same 50s house. It is a house circa 2010/2011 that just happens to be on the same site. .
Anyways, there is something cool that is still there. Richard Burton didn{t actually live in th house with her, he lived in a different house across the road and there was, and still is, a bridge connecting them! I thought this was ridick/awesome/stupid all in one. It looks like the new owners are turning Casa Burton into the lobby etc and the rooms are going to be across the bridge.
Wow, that was boring!
Anyways, on Friday night I went to the House of my Teacher Claudia, who lives with the Academic Head or something.. don{t know what his job is really, but he is a nice guy, Edgar.
So, I asked Claudia about her family the other day (because she is the only teacher who doesn{t talk about it lots) and she{s like [Yo tengo 2 hijas- Frida y Valentina* (I have 2 daughters, Frida and Valentina* and I{m all [But they are Edgar{s daughters?. Turns out they are married. 7 weeks later i discover.
Anyways, their house is bonita, traditionally Mexicana, upstairs on the main street, across from the town square. When we went they were having a beauty paegant in the square, because they need a girl wave in the paegent this week (Did I mention it is the Independence day on Thursday, a big one this year because it is the 200th year... I{m excited to buy Mexicana novelty jewels and crap).
Anways, I thought we were just going to farewell a student, but I should{ve known better because Mexicans can{t have small gatherings. Claudia had made a huge buffet, bought copias ammounts of pastries and made the special Mexican hot chocolate.. which I should know the name of. It was stupendous.
I am having trouble spelling, because the whole Spanish learning thing is getting my head confused! Apologies....
Oaxaca Mission! So. I woke early to depart the apartment I was living in and prepare for the long journey (which I had mass butterflies for because the biggest disaster days in my life have been when I have travelled... usually alone (because emy mum doesn{t pack for me and I don{t have my dad - traveller extrodiar (ejemplo of a word I know longer know how to spell)...and I don{t have Guy to boss me around, and I don{t have Paul to piss me off).
Anyways, I turned on the Tv, and what was starting at about 7am in the morning? The September 11 memorial. I can{t turn away from these types of broadcasts without huge guilt so as I packed and cleaned for 3 1/2 hous I listed to thousands of names being read out of the victims... ah those get me, especially because after each group one of the people who read out is a relative of the one of the people and it wsa sooo. sad. Especially the children.. I have never been bawling and crying at the same time.
Moving on, I know I am bad at actually writing about Mexico on this, and so I apologise.
Right, so I caught the bus at the bottom of the hill .. very difficult with a heavy bag, because all the pavement is VERY uneven (i have previously written about how pavement seems to be the responsibility of the house or business behind it) and the road is VERY cobblestonish (word Property of M.Williams, Trademarked). Anyways, It was sweltering hot, which made me unhappy, knowing that I was going to wear the same clothes for 2 days. On with it - the nice busdriver lifted my suitcase on and I slipped around in the aisle for a bit before a seat was availabe.. my audience of drivers were very entertained.
I got off at a stop that was supposedñy [NEAR[ the bus station, but again I found myself falling for the mexican [near[ and was hiking BESIDE the highway with a suitcase, yet again. I say yet again because of the worst 2 days I have ever had, where I lugged a bag ON the highway in Brisbane (Note: People kept stopping offering help.. including cops who said [I{ve only seen this on The Castle[ I was suprised with the Australians! Usually so brash...) the other time being on the new Auckland airport highway (where NZers, my own people, beeped at me and one yelled and pulled the fingers... Aucklanders, aye. It{s not like I wanted to be lost with 30 mins to my fight).
Anyways, the bus station was beautiful... for a bus station. And had it not been for me splitting my ankle open on my suitcase it would{ve been a great visit!
I couldn{t believe how easy it was, you buy a ticket.. only having to type in your name and passing the money, then you go through the gate, one man takes your bag and gives you a ticket, one lady gives you a food bag with water and your choice of fizzy can. The bus really was as great as people say. Defs better then a plane because the leg room is 3x as big and there isn{t the fear of falling out of the sky (or I can{t sleep when by the wall because I think my pressure will push the wall off... it could happen?). The chair does lean far back and there is a good leg rest.. I was a bit crumpled though because of my size... I think I was about half a foot too big.
We had a few stops along the way becausethere were still some landslides that they were cleaning up as we tried to pass through.. but it was a realitively quick 13 hour ride.. I managed to sleep. I was watching [My life in Ruins[ which I was actually enjoying to my suprise, but they cut the tv{s out with about 15 mins to go! I think I know what happened though, typical hollywood.
Mexico City ... wow. Well, technically I didnñt get into the city but I was in the north, and entering and leaving - I have never seen so many houses in my life! 100s of 1000s. Unfortunately most aren{t painted classic mexicana styles with the amazing colours, but I guess paint is a luxury there.
I must go now, but tommorrow or the next day I will post another about my time so far in Oaxaca... Included will be some interesting foods, about the school here and my DEBUT as a Buskers assistant. I couldn{t believe it! I always try hard to get picked.. the one time I don{t try I get roped in.. the joys of being a foreigner...
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