Hi all,
An interesting entry. At time of writing my last entry (5pm Friday), the streets were eerily empty, no traffic and fewer people. We`ve since found out that at the time I was typing, 4 people were killed including an american photographer ... see BBC World. For those with Spanish, BBC Mundo has a Spanish language version with some more detail.
We are actually now in Puerto Escondido on the Pacific coast, and both well. We have found out that during our trip down, six plane loads of federal agents have been sent in to Oaxaca to keep the peace and hopefully dismantle a few of the blockades still in force around the city. We will be heading back to Oaxaca on Tuesday morning, to enjoy the Day of the Dead festival (which is definitely going ahead) and then on Thursday likely to head to the Yucatan Peninsula for the downhill leg of our journey.
Talk to you soon
P & K
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Images of Oaxaca
One of the many torched utes that serves as a roadblock... on the side you can make out ¨Fuera URO¨ meaning... ¨Get Out Ulises R.O. (I forget his surname)¨ Right now there are loads of domestic buses parked all over the roads and other car tyres etc doing a similar job... (note the heat melted the traffic lights too)
Bryan and Jennifer - been hanging out with these two heaps... a comment for Nick... Bryan is a fan of your ¨Money Train¨ system of evaluating movies... see more at Nicks Film and Book Reviews 
A couple of photos from the ruins of Yagul...Mayan´s can certainly choose great locations for building cities.... good views, close to the main highway and utilities, drainage and power close at hand... those Mayans and Zapotecs were way ahead of their time!
These are a mineral rock formation known as Hierve El Agua. They´ve formed a petrified waterfall effect, and nearby natural springs have created pools for swimming at the top of a cliff made of the same white mineral. Nice place... a long hike on a small road with a VW though!
Our teachers from the Becari Spanish School... (L-to-R) Javier, Carina, Isis and Manuel.
Oaxaca - Coming to a Close (Literally)
Hi All (Phil here)... Karen´s in Spanish class.
Well, it´s been a while since our last entry... sorry about the interval. We´ve been keeping ourselves pretty busy. With Spanish classes 3 hours a day and the remainder of the day in the Kids Centre, we´ve been seeing lots and finding out HEAPS about some very interesting politics happening as I type.
We´ve now finished volunteering... we´ve hopefully got things going for a new library at the kids centre (books are on shelves, and the database of books is in development... time for a new volunteer). Karen learnt heaps in the kitchen, and also taught English to the little ones 3 days a week, Phil took some rather chaotic computer classes in the afternoon. We´ve been a bit apalled by the lack of literacy... if they can read or write, then none of them can tell the time by looking at a watch/clock. But we hope we´ve made some small difference.
In Oaxaca, there has been a teachers strike in progress since May - we mentioned this in a previous entry, they´ve striked (struck) every year for at least a week for the last 5-10 years. Well, the teachers are the main power base of a group called APPO who are not only helping the teachers gain more salary amongst other demands, but are also a group bent on removing from power Ulises, the governor of Oaxaca State. This has been a bloody strike... numerous killed.
Well, in the last two weekends, a teacher each weekend was killed, and just yesterday the teachers have now voted in the majority to return to work. Too late for the students, the majority of primary and secondary students will be repeating the entire year because they´ve lost too much time. With the teachers leaving the equation, APPO is making one big hit TODAY, attempting to bring the city to a standstill in the hopes of making it´s presence felt and having an effect on Ulises.
As of 2 hours ago, roadblocks went up EVERYWHERE on every 3rd city block, around the outskirts of the city and in smaller towns surrounding Oaxaca city. There is no traffic in or out of the city, and in the space of 20 minutes all traffic ceased and the city went deathly quiet....very eerie. We just bought tickets to Puerto Escondido on the Mexican Pacific coast... but have had to change them to tomorrow morning, in the hope that the barricades have lifted. We have no idea how long this´ll last. Photo soon, Promise.
One other topic of hot debate here at the moment, is the Mexico/US Fence, which is being built right now... people are outraged, and damn it, I´m with Mexico. US govt, led by the head idiot himself, are fucking up everything they touch. (Yes, it´s strong language, but I´m bloody pissed off!)
Last weekend we headed out to a place called Hierve El Agua, also to another couple of smaller ruins known as Yagul and Dainzú. We rented a VW Beetle, which I had great fun driving, good to be behind the wheel again! Photo soon, promise.
We´ve been spending quite a bit of time with Bryan and Jennifer, a great couple from Santa Barbara, California... Bryan is Chief Radio Engineer at KCSB (91.9) FM in Santa Barbara, Jennifer is doing PostGrad research for her PhD in social movements, and so is interested in the events in Oaxaca at the moment. Photo soon, promise.
Well, it´s been a while since our last entry... sorry about the interval. We´ve been keeping ourselves pretty busy. With Spanish classes 3 hours a day and the remainder of the day in the Kids Centre, we´ve been seeing lots and finding out HEAPS about some very interesting politics happening as I type.
We´ve now finished volunteering... we´ve hopefully got things going for a new library at the kids centre (books are on shelves, and the database of books is in development... time for a new volunteer). Karen learnt heaps in the kitchen, and also taught English to the little ones 3 days a week, Phil took some rather chaotic computer classes in the afternoon. We´ve been a bit apalled by the lack of literacy... if they can read or write, then none of them can tell the time by looking at a watch/clock. But we hope we´ve made some small difference.In Oaxaca, there has been a teachers strike in progress since May - we mentioned this in a previous entry, they´ve striked (struck) every year for at least a week for the last 5-10 years. Well, the teachers are the main power base of a group called APPO who are not only helping the teachers gain more salary amongst other demands, but are also a group bent on removing from power Ulises, the governor of Oaxaca State. This has been a bloody strike... numerous killed.
Well, in the last two weekends, a teacher each weekend was killed, and just yesterday the teachers have now voted in the majority to return to work. Too late for the students, the majority of primary and secondary students will be repeating the entire year because they´ve lost too much time. With the teachers leaving the equation, APPO is making one big hit TODAY, attempting to bring the city to a standstill in the hopes of making it´s presence felt and having an effect on Ulises.
As of 2 hours ago, roadblocks went up EVERYWHERE on every 3rd city block, around the outskirts of the city and in smaller towns surrounding Oaxaca city. There is no traffic in or out of the city, and in the space of 20 minutes all traffic ceased and the city went deathly quiet....very eerie. We just bought tickets to Puerto Escondido on the Mexican Pacific coast... but have had to change them to tomorrow morning, in the hope that the barricades have lifted. We have no idea how long this´ll last. Photo soon, Promise.
One other topic of hot debate here at the moment, is the Mexico/US Fence, which is being built right now... people are outraged, and damn it, I´m with Mexico. US govt, led by the head idiot himself, are fucking up everything they touch. (Yes, it´s strong language, but I´m bloody pissed off!)
Last weekend we headed out to a place called Hierve El Agua, also to another couple of smaller ruins known as Yagul and Dainzú. We rented a VW Beetle, which I had great fun driving, good to be behind the wheel again! Photo soon, promise.
We´ve been spending quite a bit of time with Bryan and Jennifer, a great couple from Santa Barbara, California... Bryan is Chief Radio Engineer at KCSB (91.9) FM in Santa Barbara, Jennifer is doing PostGrad research for her PhD in social movements, and so is interested in the events in Oaxaca at the moment. Photo soon, promise.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
14 Oct - Monte Alban & Mitla
Monte Alban
One of the great seats of Mayan Power....I`ll grab the tour guide and be back with more details!
Mitla
A series of columned tombs, derived from the post-columbian era, Mitla is known as a gateway to the Underworld. With a very different form of ´crenellated´ brickwork, not present in other Mayan ruins, Mitla is unique and was apparently a home to priests and other keepers of the tombs... once again.... I`ll grab the guide book and be back!
One of the great seats of Mayan Power....I`ll grab the tour guide and be back with more details!
Mitla
A series of columned tombs, derived from the post-columbian era, Mitla is known as a gateway to the Underworld. With a very different form of ´crenellated´ brickwork, not present in other Mayan ruins, Mitla is unique and was apparently a home to priests and other keepers of the tombs... once again.... I`ll grab the guide book and be back!
14 Oct - Oaxaca, Mexico
Hi all... we`ve now been in Oaxaca for a couple of weeks. We`re staying with the Giron Family who have about 4 or 5 extra rooms which they rent out to Spanish students and volunteers. Nice people, and good to talk with to help improve your Spanish.
We`ve been volunteering with the Centre for Street Children. Although, they`re not actually street children, they`re part of a minority in Oaxaca State called the Triqui... indigenous to the area and often ridiculed, they retain their own language and culture still alive today.
Oaxaca is a town gripped by strikes. Los Maestros (Public Teachers) have been on strike since May, and have a pretty strong political influence... calling for the governor`s sacking amongst other demands... They`ve burnt upturned cars and blockaded public streets and graffiti is everywhere, shops, town square and even the churches and central cathedral. Karen has more detail about the teachers, as she`s been discussing some of this stuff in spanish in her classes.
We`ve been volunteering with the Centre for Street Children. Although, they`re not actually street children, they`re part of a minority in Oaxaca State called the Triqui... indigenous to the area and often ridiculed, they retain their own language and culture still alive today. Oaxaca is a town gripped by strikes. Los Maestros (Public Teachers) have been on strike since May, and have a pretty strong political influence... calling for the governor`s sacking amongst other demands... They`ve burnt upturned cars and blockaded public streets and graffiti is everywhere, shops, town square and even the churches and central cathedral. Karen has more detail about the teachers, as she`s been discussing some of this stuff in spanish in her classes.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
30 Sep - Guatemala Wrap Up (We`re in Mexico!)
Guatemala: It`s very ... guatemalan.
Karen`s new favourite country, as it has volcanoes, lakes, traditional costumes actively worn. With really friendly helpful people, it`s a bit cooler in the mountain regions, less touristy than Costa Rica, more on offer than Nicaragua (the last favourite) and a hell of a lot of Mayan Ruins and living culture.
Phil liked the Mayan Ruins, and haggling with marketwomen in Solola (Karen can`t bargain, just too soft - especially when it`s cheap to start with). And I`ll be looking to return in October to Lago Atitlan for the Altitude Diving Course. (Will keep you posted).
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