Pueblas Mancomunados Trek - Days Four & Five - Troutfish, Tremors and Thunderstorms

Oh hi! Its day four of our trek and we woke up to find ourselves super snug and totally sleepy in our lovely hostel room. We both had totally mad dreams: I had built an enormous hexagonal green house in wood and glass to house my very own Maguey... complete with an opening roof to accommodate the flower. Nice. Wij dreamt that he was taking Britney Spears through various interconnected clubs in Guilford, and showing off with fireworks, that eventually exploded in close proximity. We had various other fully barking dreams that I wont bother to go into, for everyones sake!

It was another super bright and chilly morning so off we popped back to last nights restaurant for breakfast! Scrambled eggs, black beans and rice...get in! This was a great start.


We decided to pack up our stuff and have a walk around the rest of the village and out to the mini mountain. Everyone was busy with washing, planting, fetching water and farming. This lady was feeding the hens and turkeys.


As we walked out of the village we got another amazing view across the landscape and towards Benito Juarez, where we had walked from. (Walked in circles from... haha)


We could see Eagles spiralling up in the thermals. An amazing place to be a bird! We chilled out here for a while, ate some mango's whilst being watched by some ginger goats. Random.


Oh hi! Pinky faces.


After taking in the view and thinking how amazing it all was (much pinching of oneself was done) we headed back into the village and decided to get a guide to take us the three and a half mile walk to another campsite so that we could delay going back to Oaxaca and enjoy the forests some more.

Israel was our guide, and very cheerful too. He spoke some English and had happily learnt this from volunteering as a guide. He was very proud of the village and we laughed at how totally insane Mexico city is with the six lanes of traffic and flowing crowds of people. He said that he tries to avoid going there. Even laid back Oaxaca was too fast paced for him. We could see his point.

The walk was super chilled. He took us through pine and oak forests where thick slabs of rock where being dug out to firm up some of the mud tracks. As we walked on the farm land dwindled away into tranquil forests. It was sunny and sheltered. Israel pointed out the stream and the tiny water plant that fed the village. He told us that the stream was the source of the Rio Brava The stream eventually leads all the way to Veracruz, where they had vast flooding last year as a result of the heavy rainfull in and around the area we were walking in.

Israel told us that his generation wasnt taught Zapotec at school, the language that his parents spoke as well as spanish. This had now changed again and Zapotec was now being taught from Primary school upwards, preserving their heritage.

Our walk was all down hill and took about two hours. We came to a dirt track that lead to a grassy clearing with a couple of wooden building. It was perfect, and we were the only people camping there. Israel started to chop up some wood for our fire and went off with an axe. Later he waved goodbye to us and headed off in a different direction, no mention of the fire, oh well?

We set up camp near the open wooden shelter. After we had happily fannied about sorting our stuff out and playing with it we noticed the trout farm pools. We had been promised 'Troutfish' by the Puebla Mancomunados lady in Oaxaca, when we booked the trip! A lady in a tabbard from the wooden huts approached us, and asked us if we would like 'Troutfish' (we hoped haha). She went off to get a bucket...I went with her to watch her catch them. Another lady came over and threw in some food for the fish, and the first lady pounced on them with her net, she was very quick!


Pop them in the bucket and throw back the ones that are too small.


Lovely!


A few minutes later she asked us what we would like to have with them (we thought that was what she was saying) so we said yes to everything! She returned with the fish that she had baked in the wood oven. They had been stuffed with red chillies, tomato, onion, shallots and goats cheese. It came with a salad and she gave us a bowl of herbal tea each. How brilliant!! It was delicious!


Oh hi! Ive finished mine!


After our feast we headed up the track to walk around the campsite, here's our little beast of a tent, the trout farm and the wooden buildings. The two ladies locked the wooden buildings and went off through the forest. They left two dogs tied up by the building. Bye.


Oh hi! Just taking it easy with a can. What handy thermarest seats!


On later inspection we saw that Israel had set up a massive fire in the open shelter. We were a bit baffled and felt sure that the large pile of logs he had left would cause the shelter to burn down. Wij took it apart and rebuilt it-he love doing this!


We kept the fire going nicely, you can see the tent in the background.


Oooh cosy! Just after this, lightning lit up the mountain range in an increasingly closer strobe effect. Oh dear. Glad we pitched the tent near the shelter. Mmmm, that's why the fire is put under the shelter... cheers Israel! We stayed under here and watched the landscape illuminated by bright flashes...spooky and exciting. Wij made a cuppa and the heavens opened. We decided to bring the rucksacks in with us, (as the tent is too small to have them inside)-good move it really pelted down for ages! No worries- we had another cuppa! And another.

We didn't mention to each other the loud crashing noises that were randomly coming from the forest behind us- (probably pine cones?) It was spooky. We had to keep changing seats (logs) as the wind was continually changing, but we were super cosy chilling with our teas and looking at the embers-lush

Eventually it did stop raining and the dogs gave up barking. The moon came out in a low crescent. A really clear bright moon and a chilly night. We were super organised this time and when we finally left the dwindling fire we were ready for bed and warm. Through the night we heard some more rain and the dogs barking a bit, but we were super cosy and we made the tent smell of bonfire...night then.


Oh hi! Its not over yet! Its day five.

I woke up because I was being shaken awake, Wij sat bolt up right in his mummy sleeping bag as the ground shook beneath us! It was a tremor! How mad...we sat and lay there in silence in the morning light inside our tiny beast feeling the ground shaking...then it stopped. Total silence. I went for a wee, and Wij went back to sleep. Later we had to check with each other that it really happened. (Cheers Dan for confirming it! A minor earthquake all the way away in Mexico City!) Glad that we were in the forest and not in Oaxaca, it seemed less threatening. What an experience?!

This didn´t put us off at all, we totally chilled the day away enjoying the scenery, watching the eagles and Wiji did some food on the stove. (Its still a novelty) I was allowed to wash up in the stream...cool. Here he is chopping up some garlic. 'Cook little pot cook!'


We packed our stuff up later in the afternoon and headed off up hill all the way. Here we are with our packs and new Mexican hats LMAO!


Here's the illusive sign that we couldn't find after leaving Benito Juarez- oh well it was our first go! Funny how none of the signs tell you how far you have left to go! They are making it all up we reckon!


We chilled out in the centre of the village and waited for the chicken bus back to Oaxaca. We waited and waited...alone... a bad sign...I fell asleep on my bag (not the done thing). Finally it turned up! Yay! Everyone got off and the driver had his dinner, (anti-climax) then finally we headed off to Oaxaca and the wonderful Paulina hostel. We were very sad to leave this truly beautiful place.

A sunset over the mini mountain.


The bus driver turned out the lights in the bus as the sun set and proceded to drive like the devil mentally fast down hill on the gravel roads, with a precipis on one side. Fucking hell- it was scary! I decided to shut my eyes. Wij insisted he thought the brakes were good and the driver was good to go...it nearly made me pray, but obviously not quite ha ha! As we got down nearer Oaxaca the driver began to use his American air horn that was suspended on a string in front of his windscreen. He did this by pulling on a stuffed donkey hoof...nice touch, yeah nice! That was hilarious... and back we came to traffic filled Oaxaca and a much warmer climate below the mountains...

Bye cloud forest adventure.