El Tule

Sadly we didn't have time to see as much as we would have liked with Tony, but Manoj was around for a couple extra days, so we decided to make the trek to Santa Maria del Tule - a small town about 8 miles away, the entire economy of which is based around the Tule tree.

Getting there itself was a learning experience. The guidebooks suggested catching a bus from the second class terminal, but the folks there suggested that we go wait by the bridge instead. As we were heading that way, crossing in front of Abastos where the collective taxis (colectivos) congregate, an El Tule taxi just happened to be pulling in. What luck!

Colectivos are taxis that drive regular circuits between Oaxaca City and specific outlying towns, and that will pick up, at any point along the way, as many people as can fit in the sedan - seems like six passengers is the usual limit, although we've heard it can reach seven. Having not taken one before, we felt pleased to have bargained our driver down from 60 pesos per person to 60 pesos in total. More on this later...

And when we arrived? What a tree! I'm not sure that words or even pictures can do justice to the enormity and majesty of this ancient cypress. The ruins we've seen were impressive, both in age and import, but they were, for me, outstripped by the Tule tree. It grows on the grounds of the central church (in what amounts to a very small town), and seems to be about as tall as it is wide. It's also roughly as big in circumference as it is tall - somewhere around 119 ft - giving it the largest girth of any tree in the world. Estimates of its age vary, but all make it over a thousand years old, and it is believed by Zapotecs to have been planted by an Aztec high priest on holy ground. This first picture shows maybe a third of the trunk's cross-section.

Not only is there a near tangible sense of peace beneath its branches, but the tree itself is fascinating to look at. The shafts of sunlight that penetrate the tangled limbs turned the darting of insects into an almost mystical, glowing spectacle, and birds flitted about contentedly high in its branches. Further, the heavily gnarled and divided shape offers the eye an endless supply of lines to trace.

After seeing the tree, we wandered, stopping to watch a weaver creating a tapestry from a Diego Rivera painting before passing in a long loop through the residential part of town. Thanks to a posted sign and some helpful locals, we ended up at the Tule soccer field to watch Club Manchester suffer a 2-0 loss to a team whose name we've forgotten. It was hot and sunny, so most fans watched from the trunks of SUVs and station wagons, using the tailgates for shade. We hunkered down in the shade of the sole scraggly tree with a man who seemed - based on the evaluation forms he was filling out - to be some sort of talent scout. It was a good time and a good game.

Getting back to Oaxaca was a cinch, although we learned that a colectivo ride home costs a fixed 8 pesos per person. Hmmm. Feeling that maybe we hadn't been such shrewd bargainers earlier on as we had thought, we decided to replenish our spirits with a visit to the Hotel de Chocolate (in the middle of what seems to be the Chocolate District) for truly delicious drinks. Manoj had his with cinnamon (chocolate con canela), mine came with honey (chocomiel) and Erica had simply chocolate and milk (chocolate con leche). We will absolutely be bringing some Oaxacan chocolate home to the States.

Much thanks to Manoj for all the pictures. Hopefully we haven't stolen too much of his Facebook thunder. Safe travels, buddy.