Pueblas Mancomunados Trek - Day Three - Getting to Know Cuijimoloyas

Oh Hi! I thought that I would take this Blog lark a bit more seriously and continue where Wij left off and write about day three of our cloud forest trek.

After a busy night of howling wind and noisy coyote's, I was still awake to see the sun come up. The combination of high altitude and exposed camping area meant it was a very cold morning. I had slept in all my clothes, fleece, waterproof jacket and sleeping bag, so getting out of the tent to go for a wee in the field was an olympic effort of zip opening.

Our rubbish bag had gone from inside the tent door, which must have been the Coyote that I heard near my head in the night making snuffling noises. All the bulls were still tethered to sticks across the field still. A goatherder was making his way up the hill with six goats all on leads attatched to his waist. He stopped to tell us, in a really good humoured and friendly way, that we had chosen a really windy place to camp, and pointed out several other options through mime and kept saying 'Frio' meaning cold. Even he looked cold! It was a shame that our guide had supervised our camping site. The morning air was really icy and bright, making my eyes water.

Here I am in/out the tent fully wrapped up.


Check out Wiji smiling away, the sun was fully out by now and the wind had started to drop.


Near the tent was a few wooden sheds and fenced areas for the bulls. This one was watching me from the Maguey hedge. I got closer, he got closer, I got closer... took a piccy and backed off.

Oh Hi!


Wij made a cuppa on the stove, we ate some weird breakfast bars, chocolate milk and some tortillas with some edam like cheese and tomatoes. Two brothers were making their way up the dirt track from the village with a donkey and fole. We had seen them last evening and knew that they were about to go and collect fire wood. They were happy to wave at us and sneek a peek at what we were doing through the Maguey hedge. They were vaguely interested in us packing up the tent, watching from on top of the feed sacks, jumping off and hiding when I looked over. They eventually wandered up the slope having a cheerful stick fight, donkeys in tow. It was a really funny sight.


We packed up the tent and began to walk down to the village. The path was lined with Maguey (Agave) plants that make really effective hedging. Later in the day we leant form our guide Ben Himim that the Maguey takes 100 years to grow to maturity, at which point it then has an enormous flower stem. Then beautiful pom pom like succulent flowers, that are red ochre and butter yellow in colour slowly open. Here is Wij next to one to give it some scale.


Here is one that has flowered and is dying. The colours are stunning. I have only ever seen these at this scale in Kew gardens. They are fascinating and I could not get enough of them!


Walking down the track for half an hour or so into the village was breathtaking. Epic blue skys and low rolling fluffy clouds. Everything was so eye wateringly bright and fresh-still chilly as! We were greeted by villagers in their gardens and on the track with smiles and hello's.


Check out they sky over Cuijimoloyas and the cloud forests!


Cuajimoloyas sits at 3180 meters. It is a rural Zapotec village. The land is divided up in a modest manner. Families farm, using bulls to plough the slopes so that they can plant potatoes. Families are only allowed four bulls each because there is not the resources to feed more. Many of the houses are without running water or electricity. And over the course of our stay, the dirt roads were being dug up by hand to make way for water pipes. We saw lots of girls and women lugging plastic buckets up the hills to their homes, some using wheel barrows.

The houses that you can see are constructed of mud and straw bricks. Lots of people had flattened pieces of tin, from tin cans, to cover walls or to make up the space with corrigated iron roofing. Some families had used cement, steel and brick, few had houses that were painted or more that one story high. Here you can see part of the village and some ploughed land. In the background a mini mountain on the mountain!


We made our way back to the 'tourist office', opposite being a small hostel. We checked in for a much needed shower. There was hot water in the shared single shower room- a single person size concrete room, it was fantastic! We got the pick of the rooms, choosing the one with curtains and no bunk beds! What a cute little room. The metal door added a constant draft, but it was a quick invigorating skip from the welcome shower. Even Ray Mears was excited by the novelty of the pillows.

Oh hi!


The view from our hostel window.


After our showers we decided to get a guide to do a three or four hour walk. Looking at some images in the 'tourist office' I chose the Gorge walk. It looked nice, little did I know...

We hooked up with our guide Benjamin, a local who is a similar age, and Chris an American, (same age) who was visiting some of his students, who had returned to Mexico, from the dairy farm he works at in Vermont.

We had some interesting conversations with him about immigration and migrant workers in our countries. Chris translated and taught English to the Mexican workers and assisted them with social and medical issues-the workers havng no rights or representation in America. He was a very conscientious person it seemed.

Chris was happy to be our translater on the walk. Our guide Ben, described to us through Chris, the Zapotec uses for many plants. This was brilliant and we made a gentle pace through the slopes and valleys away from the village happily chatting. Our guide had made these journeys as a child when he was a goat herder, and really enjoyed being a guide. He took us up futher into the mountains and to the Gorge. The Gorge, being of course, nothing like the photos (how?) but a very steep climb of no return. 'No I can't really turn around and look down, I may fall off!'

It was a bit 'Flash Gorden' (with Peter Dunken). We had to put or hands into these holes of slimy mulch and the unknown, to pull ourselves up. Doesn't look high up here, does it?


I am loving it! It does look high here, see the trees in the background?


This is the view at the top of the Gorge... more sheer rock face. Yikes! Wij went off with Ben and Chris to climb this. (I had a Billy Elliot moment as you can imagine Fenner and Adam!)


This is the View from the top of that rock that Wij took. Wow!x He also took some 360 degree shots.

Oh hi! Here I am, as in Teotihuacan, firmly on the ground, but at 3180 meters! I was sat right on the edge of where the Gorge fell away below my feet.


An 'Air plant' that grows like an Orchid in a tree, collecting moisture on its leaves and anchoring itself to the branch with its roots. I was super excited when I spotted these on the windy bus journey to Benito Juarez. This one I spotted on the walk, flower un all! I felt like Margaret Mee!


This was another view, and another rock for Wij to climb.


And when Wij got to the top of the rock in the previous shot, here's what he saw!


I was pleased I managed to avoid joining the others 'free climb'... untill I realised that I had join them on the next rock face to get to the next bit of the path. Who let me choose the walk?!

We had to climb a very steep slope that curved around on a knife edge path. (ideal). Then at the top of the path was a rock that we had to climb over, about head height for Wij. Joy! Over the other side was a sheer drop. We had to sit astride the rock, shuffle along and then scale down a very 'bush craft' ladder that the real Ray Mears would NOT have put his name to! I tried really hard not to go into sheer terror freeze mode (after that comes I want to throw myself off mode)... and managed it. Well done. Chris and Wij thought this was quite hardcore for them too. Especially Chris, who also agreed that if he was up too high, he feels like jumping off. Mmmm. Ben pointed out that before tourist walked the paths, Eagles used to nest where we had just been. Aaahh ha ha, nervous laugh. That really does indicate, I think, how high we were!

After this it was more chilled strolling up hill and through some farmed land. Lots of yellow tiny finches could be seen flying out of the Maguey ahead of us. We also saw the Mexican blue Jay. Super blue! Wherever we went in and around Cuajimoloyas, you could here the sound of a donkey braying. Strangely both sorrowful and hilarious at the same time! Ben walked us back to the village were Chris was gong to stay with an older local couple in return for helping them plant potatoes the next day. We went back to hostel and collapsed!

Later we went into the centre of the village to look for a hot meal. There were a few open doorways with the smell of cooking. It was early evening and the skys were both Rococo pink in fluffyness, and biblical in proportions. We came apon this restaurant. (Photographed the next day).


It was totally empty apart from a lady who was cooking at a wood stove, and her two small children who eyed us with fascination. We didn't have the Spanish and she had no English. She was very warm and welcoming in her manner and promptly showed us three dishes: meatballs in tomato sauce, a chicken leg in broth and a sweet pepper with goat cheese stuffing. We jumped on these!! She had to prise them off us to heat them up, that was quite amusing for us all! She returned with these, and really tasty rice and blackbeans. It was amazing, homecooked and delicious. I had hot chocolate with water that tasted like Green and Blacks Mayan Gold. We also had some Corona's... naturally. When we had finished it was only eight o'clock ish, we were both yawning and off after many thanks and smiles into the freezing evening air, a walk up the hill and back to the hostel. (Pillows!)

What a brilliant day!

Pueblos Mancomunados Trek - Day Two - Benito Juarez to Cuijimoloyas

So we'd packed all our stuff up and with a spring in our step, headed off to the tourist info office, where the nice chap who spoke english was going to advise us where the trail we were going to be following for the day started. He was suitably chirpy, and seemed totally confident of our ability to not only carry the packs we'd got strapped on, but also to find our way.

His directions for our 4.1 mile walk consisted of 'Go through the forest. Head down to the river, and up the other side. Head for a big rock. Then, you'll see the village up the hill and you're there. There are signposts every 200 yards or so'. It all sounded so easy.

So much so, that instead of taking us up to the start of the trail himself, he grabbed a passing villager, a rather sultry dusty chap in his mid twenties in baseball cap and well worn Frannypants (old tracky bottoms) and let us be on our way.

It didn't take very long for us to realise that the altitude, combined with the weight we were carrying and our total lack of fitness was going to be a problem. Barely 10 minutes in and we were making excuses to our 'guide' about taking photos so we could have a breather. Here´s a couple of the results. You can see the landscape is pretty rugged.


The village of Benito Juarez.


So on we continued on the dusty track with our 'guide', before he eventually waved in the vague direction of small path heading in to the forest. Again our total lack of Spanish probably didn't help, but he definitely said the name of the village we were headed to, and it wasn't like we had any real choice but to follow his direction, so he buggered off to wherever he was heading and left us to it.

Within 5 minutes of entering the forest the path split, and having seen no signs at all we decided to head downwards as that seemed like the general direction. Eventually we came to stream, which I assured myself must have been the river mentioned earlier by our helpful host. The path, however, got smaller and smaller, until it came out onto a small deforested area. There was no real sign of the path continuing, but it had been an extremely steep decent, and we didn't fancy backtracking, so we went with what looked like the most likely option.

By this point, the weight of our packs was a real problem, we just had far too much stuff, and as I coaxed Clair on through what we eventually decided was probably a coyote path things were looking pretty bleak. Finally the path was gone altogether and we were on a near vertical slope hopelessly lost in the forest.

Here´s a piccy of the 'path'.


We took our packs off and I scampered off to try and find a route. Unbelievably, I stumbled across the actual path we supposed to be on! Multiple signposts and everything. We had to climb over vast fallen pines and dense thickets to get there, but eventually we were actually on the path.

Unfortunately, it had taken us nearly 2 hours to get there. We were absolutley knackered, and the first signpost said we were only 1km from where we were supposed to have started. Bugger! Also, beautiful as the scenery was it was one severely steep climb and descent followed by another.

An example:


Zoomed in a bit closer, I was sure I could make out a village there somewhere.


I was wrong it turned out. We were still miles away. Here's me with a slightly strained expression on my face.


And me trying to encourage a seriously flagging poor Clairy by stomping on ahead. It was downhill so I could just about do that at this point.


Anyway, we lost the trail about 5 more times, and the 4.1 mile walk must have ended up closer to 8 or 9 miles with the backtracking and totally wrong paths we took, but eventually we found a track, and a wrinkly old farmer who found our appearance extremely comical, informed us it did lead to Cuajimoloyas. It was in no way the route we supposed to be taking, it wound on forever, but finally, we saw the sight we were looking for.

The big rock with an aerial on top that indicated we were at Cuajimiloyos.


So we left at 10:30 and arrived at 5:30, and our guidebook had informed us it was a 3 hour walk. So we at last doubled it, pretty impressive I reckon. In the end, we learned a valuable lesson about what we could realistically carry, and also that their signage was rubbish. It was still a stunningly beautiful walk, it just nearly killed us.

Once there we asked for a place to camp and the tourist information graciously lent us the use of Allejandro, another cheerful guide, to take us to our camp spot (a very exposed field with 4 bulls tied to spindley little sticks, a mere 20 minute walk from the village, but that was nearly too much for us) and make us a fire. By this point it was getting dark, we were seriously pooped and a freezing cold wind had picked up. I attempted to knock up some tuna pasta while Clair put every single item of clothing on and zipped herself into her sleeping bag.

After wolfing down our grub (he happily had some too) our guide departed leaving us with a small fire which now seemed perilously close to our tent. Especially as the wind direction was now blowing the embers directly towards it.

Eventually we admitted defeat. I stomped it out (only slightly singeing my walking boots) and we bedded down. The wind got stronger and stronger, and I awoke in the night to the sound of our rubbish being snaffled by something. Whatever it was spent quite some time huffing and puffing beside us. It was genuinely quite freaky, particularly as the lonely planet cheerfully lists that the area contains all 7 of Mexico's wildcats plus many other large predators. In the end we decided it was almost certainly a coyote, and would have been more scared of us had we confronted it.

All in all it was a pretty full on first day's trekking.

Pueblos Mancomunados Trek - Day One - Benito Juarez

Hi all. Thanks everyone for all your comments. Its great to think that people are actually having a look at what were sticking up here. Although both of us seem to be enjoying writing this quite a bit more than we imagined.

So our plans are currently pretty reliant on the lonely planet for suggestions for places to go and things to do, apart from the occasional idea from the nice people we have come across. Fortunately, whilst having a look at the possibilities around the gorgeous little city of Oaxaca where we were currently residing we came across this ecotourism project called the Pueblos Mancomunados - Its a collection of 8 villages up in the Valles Centralles, some vast mountains to the north west, that have worked together to achieve various goals for years. They've recently set up a set of trails for walking and mountain biking, so that others can come and appreciate the stunning scenery.

It sounded just about ideal, and there is an office in Oaxaca where we got to chat to a nice lady who spoke very little english about what we would like to do. We paid her the the park entrance fee and she let us know where we needed to get to hop on the bus to get to the first village called Benito Juarez.

Now this was the first time we were going to get our camping stuff out, so being rather over excited we packed up 6 litres of water (just in case we got lost - kind of sensible and yet not, it turned out) a vast amount of food, all our camping gear, a minimum of clothing and stashed the few items that we didn't need at the hostel we'd been staying at. Our bags did seem rather heavy, but our enthusiasm was so vast, we were sure it would not be a problem to cover the mere 4.1 miles we'd planned for the first days walking.

The lonely planet suggested SPF30 suncream, hats and sunglasses were essential due to the altitude. the first village we were staying at was 3200m above sea level. Here's a little piccy of me getting into into the spirit, shortly after purchasing said items.


The 2nd class (read chicken) bus ride up to Benito Juarez was genuinely amazing. Just a few miles out of Oaxaca and we were on a dirt road heading up a very steep massively pot-holed dirt road at an impressive speed.

Here´s a picture of the inside of the bus (it was a bit much even for the image stabilization of our nice little camera).


The view just got more and more amazing as we went up

Me looking out the window. God what fine features.


We arrived at the village and the bus made numerous stops dropping off various supplies on the way, and ours was the final stop. We hopped off and the bus drove away, fortunately for us revealing the tourist information hut full of exceptionally helpful guides, one of whom was well chuffed to be able to practice his immaculate english on us.

They showed us to our nice little camp space, and proceeded to knock us up a ludicrously huge bonfire. I have to say Í´d been looking forward to a fire since we´d first started getting our camping stuff together, and this beast did not disappoint.

Check it out!


There were also a couple of neatly chopped up logs idealy suited to our respective bum sizes. It really was an extremely easy first introduction to camping. Note the vast mugs of Clipper fair trade tea behind Clair, a very sensible addition to our vast backpacks!


We both slept pretty darn well on our super comfy thermarests, and here I am packing up ready for our first bit of trekking (Note vast fire still smoking)


Just as we were ready to set off, a tiny emerald green humming bird popped up in front of us. I've never seen a non stuffed one before and it was bloody incredible. We felt it had to be a good omen for the day to come......unfortunately, we were wrong. But you´ll have to tune it again to find out exactly why that was.

Thats all for now....xx

Baby Jesus Dollies - Updated

Oh hi! This first started in Mexico city, rushing through the crowds I caught a glimps of a girl holding a dolly that looked more religious icon than Tiny Tears. Shocker, there were more. Loads of girls and women were carrying their very own baby Jesus dollies!

Jesus dollies seem to come in three sizes, a pocket more discrete version, could be a big key ring. Medium...woops I have left the house with this and don't have my hands free to carry much else. Large, your average six month old baby, but made of wood, massive eyelashes, dewey eyes, rosebud lips, and make-up counter girl drawn in eye brows.

To top it off the baby Jesus dolly, (only one model) is slightly animated as though a real baby in your arms, legs and arm in motion. Or if held upright looks like it is running in mid air, but can also be posed in a chair. F-R-E-A-K-Y-!

Mexico City market. Jesus fashion show.


Oaxaca market. Jesus baby, Jesus Doctor, Jesus Fisherman, Jesus fucking christ! Sadly I was unable to photograph the Jesus accessory cabinet below (busy stall). This contained tiny leather sandals, china Doves, red hearts with gold daggers through and other religious stuff for Jesus dolly to hold.


In Puebla particularly, lots of women carried the Jesus dolly in its own chair or cradle. You could also buy a six foot wooden Christ for three hundred and twenty five quid-complete with El Greco flowing wooden white robe and Madonna 'Like a prayer' Jesus weepy eyes. LMAO that would have been sooo wicked in my next bathroom! Check out this whole shop of icon madness!


Jesus dollies sealed for freshness.


Jesus dollies in costumes. How about Christ on a bike?


Jesus dolly and changing matt gift set. What?!


Oh, has an electric lamp feature. Nice bedside table Jesus.


In Oaxaca there is a stall were you can buy your own Jesus dolly and then dress it in an outfit of your choice...(dream sequence).

With each ringing chime of the Cathedral bell say it with me... WRONG!...WRONG!...WRONG!

Doing the Laundry in Puebla

Oh hi! We left Mexico city by first class coach (sooo much better than Berrys). We made the journey to Puebla, Wij slept and I looked out the window for four hours at the changing arrid mountainous landscape. Mega cactus forests on massive mountains and hair pin bends-yikes!

We had read that Puebla was the city of Angels. Very actively religious, Puebla has 70 churches in the centre alone. The city is also famous for the ceramic decorative handpainted tiles that adorn nearly every colonial building. Today Pueblans are still proud of the spanish influence, much more so than other parts of mexico. When we arrived a massive carnival was in full swing, with traditional dress and the whole Zocalo (square) filled with music and people.

We booked into the Hotel San Miguel a total throw back to the 70´s in every way... really funny decor, but budget oh god yeah! We needed to do our washing here and the next day set off to find a laundromatt. I had read in the Lonely Planet that one of the top end hotels would let you do a service wash. We went off and asked. They were a bit surprised, but looked us over agreed, monies changed hands and we were ushered away from the colonial open plan entrance hall and up in a single size wardrobe 'service elevator? with an unconvinced porter. Up and up we went the three of us wedges in to this intimate space, to the top!

The porter pointed us through a rooftop conservatory full ofplants and to a small sunny room that opened onto a massive roof terrace. This was were the washing machines were!!! This could only be the most spectacular place to get out laundry done! Check out the views...


A lovely scene, someone else pottering about with the radio on across the road... little finches in cages.


One of the 70 churches.


Many more churches...and the cathedral in the background, which appears on the 500 peso note.


Amazing architecture...


Good lord!


How fantastic?




Delicious.


Handpainted tile murals, I was loving it!


We found a great little cantina and had a few beers with the owner, who then plied us with free tequilla. We sat in this beautiful internal courtyard looking at the blue sky.


Here's the front of the cathedral with some impressive lighting.


Beautiful iron work.


And finally, beautiful boy, rocking on in our very uncolonial 70´s room. LMAO! Nice twin beds for us then... and a lot more freaky patterns that you can´t see here.


We pegged out clothes up on the spindly balcony like shoddy bunting. Fortunately it was there when we returned and not strewn across the road!

That was pretty much our contribution to Puebla. We didn't stay long, it had a bit of a stiff atmosphere... we headed of to the apparently chilled out Oaxaca... bye Puebla.