Simplicity in Mexico

The Ethnobotanical Gardens in Oaxaca City

Simply simple. Original and oldschool. Less mechanized. Human powered. Back to basics. Do the Mexican's choose simplicity, or is is a matter of need for social/economic or other reasons? I often ask myself this question when I am travelling in countries that are culturally, and economically different then that which I have come to know in Canada. I don't know the answer. 

But I do know that through my street wanderings, and observations, I've realized that Mexicans are admirably simple in the way they do work.  Here are some of the things I've seen.

During  a hike in the cool and moist Sierra Norte mountains of Oaxaca state, quiet hillsides were farmed. With no road access, oxen pulled a simple disc plough back and forth, back and forth, in what felt like the heavens, where clouds settled among the farmers in the silence of the slope. Nearby, small patches of yellow flower topped mustard plants were sprouting skyward, gathering the weak rays of sun and morphing that power into nourishment for humans and animals alike.

Hiking in the Sierra Norte Mountains

A downtown street in Oaxaca city - a place with a population around 260, 000 people. Road work happens, as it does in any city that has car traffic. But, the tools and the people power are entirely different. Here, cobblestone streets have lines of men, spaced about 4 meters apart, hammering on a chisel like implement, to slowly break away the area that they are working on. The cling clang, metal on metal sound reminds me of a scene from 'O brother where art thou' when jailbirds are hammering away at a railroad track, letting their noises be the beat to their song. I can sense that this is difficult work as I walk by. But no worker seems to be in any rush. 

I respect the amount of time Mexican's spend on their ever so important tortillas. I wake most mornings, in my little casa, to the sound of the woman next door, moving her tortilla press back, and forth, pressing balls of her masa into a round tortilla, to be placed on her wood fired comal; a slightly concave calcium coated smooth metal plate - commonly seen  in Mexico set up in a variety of places cooking corn foods to perfection.  

Maybe it's not so much a simple thing, but it is so much a visible and healthful thing, the way that Mexicans freshly grind their chocolate and maize. Even in a city as large as Oaxaca, each neighbourhood has a small mill that residents of the area bring their grain or cocoa beans to, and the mill operator uses a stick to move around the maize of cocoa beans pushing it into a metal auger, which grinds the foods into a pulp, rich and creamy, ready to be made into the chocolate drink or pressed into tortillas. All too often in the western world, our grains and flours are over processed, rancid, and lacking in nutrition. Freshly grinding foods is a solution to this. Further more, it's a visible, decentralized practice. People are in their neighbourhoods, sharing a tool, rather then having big mega corporations process foods in an out of sight, possibly much more energy intensive, mega operation, where care for quality, I would argue, plummets.

And, perhaps because corn is still a novel food staple to me, but I like seeing maize, still in it's brown crispy husk, being dried on rooftops in the Pueblas (the rural areas), around Oaxaca city. Subsistence agriculture is visible. 

Another thing. Though (according to my cooking teacher) pressures are increasing, there are many of Mexican farmers who still farm 'criollo' corn. This is corn that is heirloom - old varieties of corn that have been saved by farmers and replanted, chosen for their deliciousness, quality, and resiliency in their local environments. Somehow, Monsanto hasn't grabbed all of Mexico's corn seeds! In a world where control and centralization is craved by nasty mega corporations, pressure is increasing. I'm very curious to read more about the agriculture of corn in Mexico...

Another awesome thing that I saw, a simple, less mechanized, smart way to do something: A man on the street riding a stationary bicycle which turns the wheel of the rock which sharpens his knife. Smart right? How about bicycle powered, washing machines? Or bicycle blenders? Or bicycle powered batteries for lights in homes? Or or or! 

Seeing double - at Monte Alban - an ancient Zapotec site

I was also lucky to see the simple spirit and colour of the Zapotec people. Mostly, I interacted with some women, in Teotitlan and San Migeul de Valle, two Pueblas outside of Oaxaca City. The woman we interacted with are entrepreneurs, supported by EnVia, a Oaxacan based non-profit. I got to hear their excitement and pride in their burgeoning, or old business: comedors (i.e. restaurants), textile businesses (making beautiful woven rugs), tailors, and clothing shops. These woman wear a three piece beautiful outfit (most noticeable being their beautifully ornate embroidered aprons, that actually look more like intricate dresses, then aprons to get dirty), they braid their long smooth black hair with coloured ribbon, they wear beautiful golden earings, and are all smiles. Though, there was a language barrier in my visits with these women, I asked stumbled Spanish questions, and a translator helped us communicate. Even though I've found it a challenge to communicate deeply with Mexicans because of this language barrier, on the day I visited these woman, there was a special energy in the air, where I felt the barrier was far less, as they seemed egar and proud to share their businesses. 

Simplicity by choice or necessity?

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I finish with a simple, powerful Spanish quote that I read each day while I've been in Oaxaca, that has prompted much internal dialougue. I walked by various colourful murals of street art here. It's an absolutely vibrant artistic community (that I'm sure I only saw the very simplest bit of) and my path home had no shortage of such art works. I felt like every day I was walking through a bright and sunny modern art museum, with colours that jumped at me, and Spanish words that left me vigorously recording words to later use google translate to ensure I had understood them properly. What is listed below was one such quotation, printed below a beautifully intricate and colourful piece of work on the side of someones house. The art depicted a picture of the skeleton of death, and the skeleton of a Zapotec, each reaching out for an anatomically correct heart...

"La vida empieze en donde la realidad termina."

"Life begins where reality ends."

The Oaxaca List; San Pancho too.

I'm sipping Mayan gold as I write this. Bitter, but ridiculously smooth and creamy. A hot chocolate, the Oaxacan way I've now been in Oaxaca City a week and have had some really memorable experiences. I'm loving lists these days, so here is your Oaxacan list of awesomness, in Kayla's opinion:

1. Oaxacan food delicacies. a) Quesillo - long strands of squeaky white cheese, rolled up in a ball and sold in the market, and added a top of all the food here. b) Mole sauce of many varieties which is lovingly poured a top of many creative corny creations - I can't describe this immensely unique and thick sauce with justice, perhaps the mystery will be revealed when I take my week of cooking classes this week! c) Chocolate - mostly grainy and bitter, more true to form of the original cacao beans, and ground in front of you in big metal grinders at one of the many chocolate-only shops in this town. They make a delicate mix of cocoa beans, almonds, cinnamon bark, vanilla and sugar, in quantities that you wish. It's bagged up, or formed into pucks, for later processing in the home into a luscious drink, like the one I sip at this very moment. d) Chapulines - fried crickets! e) Tlayudas - think, Mexico's version of pizza! A big thin, crispy tortilla is smeared with saucy bean mix or mole, and topped with tomatoes, avocado, quesillo, and any manner of meat, if you so wish. Okay, the food list goes on...but I'll get carried away...

2. Heivere del Agua. So glad I had the opportunity to go early in the morning to this marvel of a geological land form. I was warmly welcomed by my friends from Mexico City that a Canadian friend connected me with. The twisty, turney, mountainous drive on typical Mexican roads (i.e. huge potholes and speed bumps galore) was worth the reward. A second breakfast of memolitas at one of the many wood hut food stalls, was followed by a short walk to two green watered, still pools of water where bubbles quietly rose from different areas - making the water appearing to be boiling. Really, the water was really cool and refreshing. The landscape has been shaped by mineral rich waters bubbling out under pressure from the earth below, and calcifying smoothly, creating unique patters,and seemingly frozen waterfalls on the cliff side. A beautiful scene, green, but dry rolling mountains, patches of cultivated Agave fields and cacti erupting from an impossibly dry seeming landscape. We went on a bike to the base of the 'frozen' falls and loved the slow sprinkle of the water  from above, as it landed on our sweaty bodies below. 

3. Mezcal. Holy mole (pun intended) this stuff is prevalent! I have certainly now done my share of tasting this prized alcoholic beverage, but still, can say, that it is not tasty to my palette. Made from the Maguey plant (a form of the more well known Agave plant) it comes in an overwhelming variety of ages, distillation processes, even flavours, with a worm, without a worm, that is consumed straight up - sipped out of shot glasses only rarely accompanied by a lime or orange slice. On our outing to Hievere del Agua, we also visited a rural Mezcal distillation farm like place, where we learned about the rudimentary way that this popular beverage is fermented and distilled. 

4. Counting down to 2015 with a fun group of new friends in Spanish. Diez! Nueve! Ocho! Siete! Seis! Cinco! Cuatro! Tres! Dos! Uno! Feliz Año Nuevo! And then dancing in a funky club until 4:30 am. I lie not. Wicked, dance, party. 

5. The climate here is amazing.  Dry and sunny every day. Cool in the evenings and mornings, and not to hot in the indoors. Never too cool that you need a long sleeve in the day. And! Handwashed clotes dry in a couple hours! Mucho bonito!

6. Then there is the Oaxacan art. Super colourful, borderline tacky, but to me, attractive. Bent tin shaped into crosses and hearts, black hand thrown pottery, uber colourful intricately painted whimsical wooden characters, natural hand dyed and woven rugs,blankets, scarves, tablecloths, embroidered clothes,sold by ever other woman on each street corner, and worn traditionally by some native groups here in Oaxaca state. 

7. Spanish Classes! This is just the beginning. In my efforts to achieve a goal of being fully conversational in French and Spanish in two years time, I'm taking daily classes to get started, and trying at every moment to eavesdrop, and getting braver at practicing!

8. Daily runs up the mountain gives good exercise, a look at some funky street art (generally in abundance in Oaxaca City!) and a great view of the city.

9. Mercados galore. For those of you who know me, you know how much I love a good market. Whether noisy and boisterous, smelly and busy, or small and community based, I love learning about the way people sell, buy, eat and celebrate food. Since being in Mexico, I've already had the opportunity to visit a number of market places, and in Oaxaca, I've found no shortage of these foodie spaces. My favourite so far is the weekly market El Ponchote Xochimilco. Specializing in organic produce and prepared food, its a slower, quieter market, set up in a quaint church courtyard, where fresh 'verde jugo' comes in real glasses, and the tostatdas are vegetarian, flavourful and healthy. There are also some handicraft vendors that sell their jewls, hand made body products and clothing all while a mariba band's sounds waft around in the fresh air...  Then there is Sanchez Pascuas and  20 de Noviembre, nestled right beside one another, they are noisy and busy places, with vendors selling delicious salty/spicy/garlicky peanuts, mole sauces of 7 varieties, Oaxacan style cheese (Quesillo), mezcals, fresh fruit and veg, dried  pantry goods, so many dried hot pepper varieties, chocolate, bread, sweets, clothes, meat and fish too. Then there are the prepared food stalls - where you can pull up a stool and eat tons of food for under 5 Canadian dollars. It's a full on sensory experience and a labyrinth to boot!

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Okay, and by way of backtracking, I hope you all had a good festive season if you celebrate. I was in the lovely little hippy art town of San Pancho, on the Pacific Coast, in Nayarit State, about an hour's bus ride north of the well known Puerto Vallarta. Here is a list of fun things that I did, and that you could do, if you ever visit this tiny town:

1. Play in the waves at the nearby hippie turned yuppie town of Sayulita, or secret Los Muertos Beach. 

2. Get pummeled in the waves at the San Pancho beach. Or play it safe, sip a margarita and watch the sufers live it up instead. 

3. Join the fisher folks and wake early. Run along the quiet sandy stretch of beach. 

4. Visit Entre Amigos in their radical eco-space that functions as a library, community centre, second hand store, artist work space, recycling centre, classroom, gift shop etc! Support their super awesome cultural, environmental and often student run programming.

5. Hang with the artistic folks behind the Colectivo San Pancho - at their free festival that ran for 9 days over the Christmas season and featured awesome local talent

6. Buy tortillas, fresh and hot from the local tortilleria, which spits out 1000's of these hot babies each day. 

7. Join the dance party on the second floor of Refugio del Sol on Christmas eve. 

8. Go for a drink on the rooftop bar at Darjeelings, and you'll be sure to hear some good live Mexican music. 

9. Eat tacos, tacos, and more tacos, at one of the taqerias in town.

10. Buy up deliciousness and beauty at the San Pancho market each Tuesday.

11. People watch the hippies, Mexican tourists, local indigenous artists, and Canadian/American snowbirds.

Fotographia from Queretaro state, Nayarit State, and Oaxaca States!

Believe it or not, this time, I'm travelling without a camera. It feels liberating actually. But the good folks who I have met along the way have sent me a couple photos here and there, and so to you I share!

Peña de Bernal - just outside Queretaro - a friend and I hiked to the top!

Wow, these were spectacularly flavoured little stuffed corn pockets of wonder. Gorditas!

underwater snorkling fun in the Marietas Islands

My Chirstmas date - Tricia - and I exploring the caves of Isles de Maritas

Amazing new buddies from Mexico City - Mariana and Marian, at Hierve del Agua, Oaxaca state

Mezcal anyone? My friends Hermano, Mariana, Kim, Me, and above are Marian and Juan

Swimming in the pools at Hieve del Agua, feeling like I'm at the edge of the world

San Pancho beach - where I spent Christmas

San Pancho art!

Veggie Quesadilla magic at the market in San Pancho

Seeing double at Monte Alban - ancient Zapotec ruins

headstands with ancient civilizations

El Tule, just outside Oaxaca City. This tree is claimed to be the widest tree in the world! Its second only in size to California's general sherman. It is 11m in diameter, 42m high, and about 1500 years old!