¡Mi vacaciónes final en méxico! May 2008!


Day One:
My amiga Beth and I just spent 2 whole days in Oaxaca. We had such a good time. I did more shopping in these 3 days than I have done in all my 32 weeks that I have spent in Mexico over the last 18 months.
Oaxaca is the poorest or one of the poorest states in Mexico but amazingly enough it got to be the artsy of them all.  There are so many artisan markets. There are ceramics, textiles, woodcarving, and paintings. It is just amazing.
Our first unique experience was taking the 2nd class bus to a small pueblito outside of Oaxaca central. Ever been 4 wheeling in a large bus, well, I have now! It was really something else. The roads were more or less okay, topes or speed bumps were always a challenge. The parking areas in the bus stations were where the fun really began. We would go through these amazing deep potholes and wheeeee we were bouncing. A couple times, I think I flew up in the air about a foot or more. Sometimes it was like being on a rollercoaster. I was dizzy when I got off the bus! For the first time in Mexico, I was really thinking there was gonna be a chicken or some kind of animal aboard but alas, none, darnit!
We took this bus to a small town called Mitla. I scored some real deals in the markets. They tended to ask more than I wanted to pay but it was the easiest of negotiations, I would make an offer, they would say no, I would say "adios" then within seconds, I would hear, okay okay! I wasn't trying to rip them off, I was trying to keep them from over charging me, as I know what I have paid in the past and I knew they were asking too much.
The cool thing in this little town was the public transportation. Little golf carts, although they were gas engines, they really zipped along. I thought they were so cute and economically they are really smart.  I am sure they only used a tiny bit of gas and they could zip around all day. They held really 2 adults or 3 skinny ones. They are called the "mototaxi's" and our fee to go about a mile or so was .50 cents for the both of us!

Day 2
Oaxaca, Mexico, The story of Josefina
Our second day, Beth had an idea; lets go biking riding. So we investigated two places for a biking tour. So we found ourselves a guided tour of approx. 15 miles through the countryside with a stop at a place to see how wool rugs were made and a mescal company. I was a tad nervous, as I haven't been biking in many many years! I do walk a lot and exercise but biking 15 miles seemed a lot.
We got started at 9am and after about 90 min. of biking (plus I had a bike breakdown plus a flat tire) we made our first stop, the wool rug place.
It was just fascinating, amazing and so unique. We meet this family, first I noticed they weren't speaking Spanish, they were indigenous, they spoke, Zapotec. Josefina, the wife/mom/businesswoman showed us how they spin the wool (she spoke Spanish as well). She and her mom showed us how they card the wool first, then separate it and spin it to make wool thread. Incredible to watch on a traditional old fashion wooden spinning wheel. Then she proceed to show us how she makes the colors for all the wool.
Reds are made with this little bitsy bug that lives on the nopal cactus plant. She squished one in my hand, and it is bright red. The dried bug makes a different red than the live bug. She also could add baking soda to the red juice and it makes another shade. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
Yellows comes from a flower, that I think we would call a mum. The varying shades of yellow in the flower create the different shades of yellows.
Green came from moss and lichen. I never imagine moss as a fabric dye but I guess it works.
Browns came from a certain kind of nut. The shells were one shade, the meat another, the leaves another.
White came from naturally white wool and black came for naturally black wool, both direct from the sheep!
Being an old sheep mom, I was just stunned by the simplicity of it all; the creativity to make all these rugs and the incredible amount of work that goes into making them. She said depends on the size but it can take any where from 1 month to 5 months to create a rug.
Once the thread is made and color, they then go over to the big loom and manually start creating a rug. They create their own designs or use traditional designs from the Zapotec culture. Just watching her husband run the loom, I could see carpal tunnel syndrome! It is very fine motor skills and the constant movement over and over.
I was just so impressed to see the results that came from this humble little family. I couldn't leave without buying something. This family home was, by our standards less than a shack, Josefina did a lot of work down on her knees in the dirt; most of the family didn't wear shoes. I don't think they had electricity or running water. But in spite of the poverty, they were gracious, kind, humble, didn't ask for anything, they were just please to share their craft and the traditions.
As I considered what to buy and how much to spend, I suddenly realized that whatever I bought that the money would feed this family. I could make a difference and help them all the while I would get a completely handmade wool rug with unattainable quality that I could never get in the USA.
Our bike guide told us how he came across Josefina and her little business, one day she saw his truck that drives behind us tourists. His truck carries the tools for breakdowns, spare tires/tubes, water and fruit. So she took the initiative and called him, worked a deal so that he would bring his clients there for a demonstration. He said he was impressed by her work and that she was willing to spend time and explain her work to the clients. He said he has been approach by others wanting to do the same but only she was willing to share her craft with the tourists. He said he felt it was important for his clients to see and understand the trade. Josefina said that she only sells to the biking tour clients. Considering how remote she is, I believe it.
For the first time, I could really see why Paul comes home with all the stuff he does as once you meet the artist and what goes into it, plus knowing your purchase is helping the family survive, you can't just buy one.  So I bought 2 rugs, one quite large and one smaller. Spent over $400 USD, but I know I did a good thing for that family. It was probably one of the best experiences of all my times here, maybe in my life.
After our time with the family, it was time to get back on the bike and continue on. Oh my, did my rear end hurt by this time.  I will never ever understand how men can bike on those tiny little rock hard seats. The last section of the ride was rockier than the first and a few more hills, I was really starting to slow down and with every rock I was getting more and more uncomfortable. Finally, we reached the end!! Hurray, I did it!!  I was so tired but very proud that I completed the ride!
I am putting photos on my flickr page and a link to Josefina flickr page as well.