September 20, 2021
Teotitlan de Valle
We have had a great stay in Oaxaca, despite my tummy troubles, but today we would finally be back on our bicycles in more than a week. In many ways, this is turning out to be a phony tour !
We had a short ride planned for today, as we have for tomorrow, so we were hoping not to rush out of bed this morning. Unfortunately, news of an urgent work issue came in soon after six o'clock and for a couple of hours we thought we weren't going to get back on our bicycles at all today. Fortunately we resolved the issue at about eight thirty and we got back on the road soon after ten.
It seemed to take ages to get out of Oaxaca and when we did we joined the busy Route 190. At some point we are going to have to find quieter roads.
After an hour or so we found a fruit vendor in a shady spot next to the road and had a refreshing second breakfast. We are clearly heading into more tropical climes because the fruit is starting to include mangoes and coconuts.
It is also a lot warmer than two weeks ago. The first week of this trip was pretty chilly and we were regretting not packing our long johns. Now our down jackets have been stowed right at the bottom of our panniers and we it is unlikely that we will use them again for many months.
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About seven kilometers out of Teotitlan we spotted a side road and Maps.Me suggested it was a good route to take, so we did. It quickly turned from a broken sealed surface to dirt but it was good to be off the 190. We passed through a very depressed little village just before Teotitlan, with many clearly inebriated men lying or sitting along the of the dirty streets. This area is the center of mezcal production - is that a factor ?
We took a few wrong turns in the muddy streets of the sad little village but eventually found our way into Teotitlan, which is clearly in better shape economically and socially. We have a some great digs at a place called Casa de Huespedes Elim in the center of the little town.
After a settling in and enjoying a shower we headed off to find some food but everything seemed to be closed. It's Monday and I guess this is the day in the week that they take a break after the rush of tourists that they apparently have each weekend.
Later we took a stroll through part of the little town. The Preciosa Sangre de Cristo church is famous for having parts of old Zapotec stone carvings in its walls and foundations. Construction was begun in 1581 but only completed in 1758.
The attraction that has put Teotitlan de Valle on the map is the traditional rug weaving industry, called “laadi” in the Zapotec language (which the majority of the townsfolk speak).
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2 years ago
The local museum was unfortunately closed, something we have grown to expect in these troubled times.
Today's ride: 27 km (17 miles)
Total: 438 km (272 miles)
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