Umeko (梅子) visited Mexico. Part 2 of 2

2008/05/13 some minor changes and corrections are done to this post.

When I met my step parents, almost four years ago my father was even more over protective than now, and now he is a real pain in the neck. By that time he was planning to visit Guatemala that is located south of Mexico close to Yucatan Peninsula and that share some of the best Mesoamerican Buildings and archaeological evidences of old cultures.

The north of Guatemala and the Guatemala and Mexico border still are not hassle free zones to travel with little bunnies as father Bunny said then and so I missed that great adventure. Someday I am going to stick onto Father Bunny’s photo archive to upload some of them to flick.com.

Umeko 梅子 (Cafemiffy, please forgive poor Father bunny for confusing a cherry with an a peach apricot ) had the great opportunity to visit such places. She was in Oaxaca but her and aunt Ale had little time to improve our wikibunny article and they made a stub. After some Miffawikinization here it is Umeko’s adventures in Mexico Part 2.

Umeko stayed most of the time in México City, but she had the chance to spend several days in Oaxaca. Oaxaca is one of the poorest states of the country, but it’s one of the most interesting places, because of it’s historical, gastronomical and natural values.

Oaxaca, the capital, is a colonial city. Here’s the Santo Domingo convent, founded in the XVI century by the Dominicans (1575-1731). Its baroque church is perfectly preserved, and its museum owns one of the most important prehispanic and colonial art collections of the country.

Before the Spanish colony, the region of Oaxaca was the home of the mixteco-zapoteca culture. Actually, a lot of people still speak the zapoteco language, and the ancient traditions are profoundly kept.

In the surroundings of the city, there are two of the most important archeological sites of Oaxaca and Mexico:

Monte Alban: built at 2000 m above the sea level, the view is simply amazing. One of the tombs found here, kept inside a lot of treasures, compared to those of Egypt. You can appreciate them in the site’s museum. All of the buildings, castles, and ball game are amazingly preserved.

One of the constructions, “el edificio de los danzantes”, get its name from the “estelas” (huge stones carved in high relief) found inside it. They are called dancers, because they look as if they were dancing, but actually, they represent war prisoners that were sacrificed. Their movements and face expressions, are from intense suffering.

Mitla: well known for its elegance and beauty. Its buildings are incredibly preserved. Its totally different from all the prehispanic cities, because of the designs on the walls. In some parts you can even see the color the walls were painted… red, yellow, black.



And last but not least, Umeko visited one of the most loved Oaxaca’s habitants: the Tule tree!

Thanks Lupita I will surely visit Mexico again!

This amazing ahuehuete (that’s the tree’s species) is more than 2000 years old, weights 600 tons, its 42 m tall, has a perimeter of 58 m and diameter of 14 m. Just beautiful!! There are a lot of funny forms on its trunk, and the children of Santa María del Tule, (the town), will be happy to help you find them.

That was a just a little blink of México, enjoy as Umeko did!!