TL #2

Thursday, 2 July ’81 - Oaxaca

Hi! I woke up scratching! I’m covered with bites … Never saw anything biting, so don’t know if it is mosquitos, flies, fleas, or what. We could have adjusted to this a bit slower, I think … but we plunged right into filth!

Robert has commented that my bruises come in so many colors! We’ve been in Mexico exactly 2 weeks now … and 6 of those nights have been spent sleeping in trains or buses. Usually we are able to each get a double-wide seat on the trains. Then we curl up as small as we can, using our cameras as pillows, and try to sleep. I don’t fit so well, thus the arm-rest shape bruises. I don’t think I’ve seen a bruise on Robert. Mexcans seem to be much shorter … an advantage in sleeping on trains … but definitely a disadvantage crowded subways! Woe! Mexico City has quite a nice subway … but extremely inadequate for this city of 12 million plus … now the second largest in the world. We waited until after the commuter crowds should have thinned, but no "can of sardines" could be more packed tightly than those subways cars. People pushing … and some fell … crazy … And of course somebody was able to move his hand around enough to grope … impossible to know who … mad!

We had a comfortable train ride from Mexico City to Oaxaca … except that what was supposed to be a 15-hour ride became 22 hours. Beautiful countryside. When the radio woke me at 6 AM (Mexicans love their radios! … who allowed American rock South of the border?), we were passing thru miles and miles of sugar cane … Unmistakable odor. Then corn fields, bamboo, palms, papaya fields. I’d never imagined that cactus was cultivable … in even rows. Not sure if what we see is being cultivated for the fruits or if they are the cactus tequila or mescal is made from it.

One evening as we boarded a train, a very friendly Mexican joined us … with a bottle of "home-brew" he’d just bought in the city of Tequila. ‘t was good, too! He’d just come down from the States with enterprising plans of "important" fabrics and selling them at more than triple his cost. I was amazed that it could cost so much more in Mexico. He worked w/ Robert several hours during the night on his Spanish. Some people are so extremely friendly!

We talked for quite a long time another evening in another train station to another "wet back". (His own term) He’d lived in Boise, Idaho, for a year. A real card - "eat chilies, speak Spanish … Eat McDonald’s, speak English." No problem. A few more chilies and I should be fluent.

We discussed life-styles. I asked him why water was so seldom available. Hotel rooms will perhaps have water for only certain hours each day. Train stations often don’t have water in their bathrooms … thus, of course, not only can you not wash, but toilets don’t flush. José’s answer wasn’t exactly what I was after. He explained quite graphically that Mexicans always throw their "litter" on the ground … that they are in general used to leading dirty lives … and that the water is not necessary to them. It’s frustrating to me because I see what he is saying. But there must be more … there has to be more reasons. Does the government control the water supply? Is it an expensive luxury to have water? This is the rainy season and there is no drought. The water situation seems to be quite normal. I want to know why … when there is plumbing, why isn’t there water?

And yes - garbage is everywhere. To call it litter is to glorify it. Why not throw your garbage down, too. There is so much already that one more can or bottle - or whole barrel of garbage - can’t be noticed. But I’ll hold on to a napkin for half an hour looking for a can to throw it in to … and there are none. I wonder if there is any organized collection of garbage outside the major cities. It’s a filty country, and yes - the people might get used to living this way; but I don’t think it’s their fault.

As we traveled south, we see a big difference. This is where the money is spent. Somewhat cleaner - and in general, the people live better. Traveling the rails, of course, shows us the poorest part of all cities … just as is true the world over, undoubtedly. Thousands of people live along these tracks - in shelters built of corrugated tin and pieces of cardboard, palm fronds and tree branches. Homes are made of them with colorful spots of flowers, chickens, and clothes hung out to dry. Children, children, everywhere … and they seem much better behaved than in America. They enjoy playing … and mischief is in their eyes, but responsibility is given them at very young age. As we saw in Nepal, older children tend to the younger ones … and everyone takes part in the work to be done. If they fall down, there’s no tears. I have heard one child here whine and whimper … and we see them everywhere.

But 2 weeks in a country where I don’t speak the language … I’m far, far from really knowing or understanding what it is all about. Just gathering impressions. As our Boise "wet-back" commented about the U.S.: that the Americans don’t put salt on their tables, I realized if he thought that after one year … limited experience can certainly make for wrong impressions.

We’re liking Mexico. There are many friendly people,. The countryside is varied and often very beautiful. The people are colorful - many Indians with shawls draped in clever ways to hold breads and baskets and babies. The fruits a re abundant and so may new kinds. Papaya are the size of watermelons and delicious. I’ve tried some cactus fruit - something else shaped like a large legume w/ big white ball-like seeds, something similar to cherry but not, little black "berries" off cactus (like we saw some Mexicans pick - good!), and guanabana, which is green-skinned horny and shape like a beef heart. The inside is white + somewhat stringy with black almond-shaped seeds. Really good.

Can we have only been gone from home for 3 weeks? I realized when I called, how far away an d long ago you all seem. Oaxaca right now. A tourist town, and we’ve seen quite a few. Met an Israeli who’s been traveling g for 2½ years … as we’ve met 2 Germans, who’ve been 8 months and 2 Australians who’ve been 5 (I think it was 5 months), etc. Trying to relax some. We’d like to get to a comfrtable place and stay for a week or so … Sounds like it might be Lago de Atitlan in Guatemala. But that’s still a week or two away.

Tomorrow we’ll go out of town aways to see the Zapotec ruins at Monte Alban. We saw the pyramids at Teotihuacan near Mexico City … really impressive! … and climbed to the top along with thousands of other people … a place for a Mexican family picnic. And we visited the Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City … too much to see!

And we’ve been trying to determine our route from here. We’re going to Palenque to see the Mayan ruins there. And had then planned to continue into the Yucatan Peninsula to see the ruins at Chichen-Itza, snorkel off the Isla de Mujeres in the Caribbean, visit the Tolum ruins overlooking the sea, and on into Belize … then into Guatemala from the north to see the ruins at Tikal. Tikal is said to be the most spectacular Mayan ruins - but difficult to get to in the far north jungle.

Now we’re considering skipping the Yucatan and Belize. It’s very hot there now and I dread the reputed mosquitoes. It’s a long trip and Belize is supposedly nothing. We’ll have little chance again to swim the Caribbean - perhaps Honduras or Costa Rica - maybe Panama?

But Robert’s cold is really getting him down, and he wants to get someplace where we can unpack for about a week. Mexico is the most expensive country we’ll visit - we’ve averaged $14 per day for both of us including everything. Not bad, but we’ll do much better as we head on. Guess we could rent a villa on Lake Atitlan for $25/month!

Sending a package home from here - We got some inexpensive pottery and a good deal on a set of onyx liqueur glasse. I’d wanted to get some nice pottery serving bowls. Oaxaca and Michoacan States’ pottery had been recommended as nicer than Guadalajara and would have bought some, but had quite an uncooperative travel-mate … and it’s no fun shopping when he is so obviously pained about it all. As we moved on to Michoacan and then Oaxaca, I realize that tastes in pottery differ. (Not R’s and mine, but we both don’t like this as much as Guadalajara’s.) Oh well … it saved that much more money for later.

This is the rainy season. The mornings have white puffy clouds … changing to dark a grey in the afternoon, then crashing lightening and thunder! and suddenly outbursts of drenching rain. It doesn’t last long, but if you’re not near shelter, forget it. It cleans the air … and soon everyone’s back out … amorous lovers walking thru the parks (there’s nothing shy about these people) … Indian women sitting on the streets selling fruits and pumpkinseeds … little boys peddling packages of Chiclets … street corner stands with soft drinks (I may drown in soft drinks) and ice cream … crowds everywhere sitting, walking, standing, bustling around watching, talking, sleeping on the grass.

We didn’t get to see the beautiful Mexican mountains of Orizaba or Popocatepetl and it’s twin. Bad timing and too many clouds. Oh, well … can’t do everything we’d like to.

Transportation messes us up more than practicality anything. Finding bus and train stations … and identifying routes and schedules. Trains are so often late. Possible connections seem to be unknown where you’re originating. That’s all tiring, frustrating, and time consuming.

I’m reading a book called "The Old Patagonian Express" by a man who followed the rails from Boston to the southern part of South America. His descriptions in Mexico are so vivid … and so easy to relate to … so much like our experiences and observations. But I’ve read on far ahead of where our travels are so far. I read about his experiences in Guatemala and Costa Rica and Colombia (his trip was about 2-3 years ago). I read most of this while we’re on the train … I get very absorbed in his descriptive words and can so vividly imagine what it’s like … Then I look up from the book and the train we’re in and at the people around … and m overwhelmed with the comforts of Mexico … and I wonder what lies ahead for us!

I just ate a mango and some plums. Robert has some tomatoes. He doesn’t really want to go out in the cool, damp air again this evening … so this might be our dinner. We have a shower … but no hot water. If it were warm out, I wouldn’t mind, but I do need a shower … so here goes now! Brrr …

love - hugs -etc
Surain

Now she’s even trying Tequila straight to cure me … Rain must consider my case serious … but coughing is always a good sign with me. But genes won’t make it through a letter … se hug to you all

Robert

PS-We were able to leave a forwarding address from Mexico City, so should get the letters in Guatemala City.

[Letter 2]