Tuesday, 26 March 2016
Oaxaca, Mexico
Beautiful bright blue sky day.
Just the sort of day to be told there’s a risk of being kidnapped.
I kid you not.
It’s to be a long day’s drive to Oaxaca, via points of interest in Pueblo and nearby Cholula. Drive over the mountain pass at 9,000ft out of Mexico City and see the pollution hanging in the air. Two volcanoes to the right. One, Popocatepetl, is active and as I write this the day after, the news is that it erupted in spectacular fashion about 6 hrs after we’d driven past. The other, dormant Iztaccihuatl, is snow capped at about 15,000ft.
Cholula, on the outskirts of Pueblo, is the site of the Great Pyramid. To give an indication of how big it is, its base is four times the size of the Cheops Pyramid in Cairo, Egypt.
Yep.
That big.
Those pesky Spanish arrived and replaced the temple on top of the pyramid with their own Catholic church. The pyramid base had been left to nature for hundreds of years and people thought the church was built on a natural hill. It was only in the 1930s when archaeologists started investigating that they realised it was indeed a pyramid but with an interesting twist. They dug tunnels through the base which showed that the Pyramid had been expanded and expanded as time went on. You walk through the tunnels and see the various layers of pyramid. Each time making the pyramid bigger and bigger. Fantastic views from the top across the valley and the volcanoes in the background.
Once in the city centre of Puebla, a short drive away, discover how nice the old Spanish colonial city is. As we’re stretched for time it’s a very quick waltz around the church with Mexico’s tallest bell tower before wandering the streets to get a flavour for the city, which warrants a return visit. Feels safe and there’s a nice relaxed feel about the place.
One building’s façade is riddle with bullet holes. Back in 1910, supporters of President Diaz were shot by the police. Diaz was refusing to stand down as president and thus began the Mexican Civil War. Around the corner is a street full of artists, which reminds me of Montmartre in Paris.
Now have a 4 to 5 hour drive to Oaxaca. It’s OK for me as I’m only going one way. Driver and guide then have a 7 to 8 hour drive back to Mexico City. They won’t be home until the early hours.
Am told the next stretch of road is where the kidnappings occur.
Guide keeps referring to it as a ‘kidnapkin’.
Which lightens the mood.
The risky area is the town of Nochixtlan. A few years ago, teachers in the area started protesting about pay and working conditions (obviously not enough holidays). They were soon joined by none teachers purporting to be teachers and turning it into more violent protests. They started blocking the main road with trees etc and then kidnapping drivers and passengers when they had to stop.
So.
Now on the lookout for roadblocks.
And wonder how much I’m worth.
As we drive past the town that is kidnap central, there’s an increase in protest graffiti on walls and bridges and they’ve left the remains of a burnt out car on one of the bridges as a reminder of what they can do.
The road we’re on is a toll road and they’ve even taken control of one of the toll plazas waving everyone through without having to pay. Surprisingly, the police haven’t done anything to take control of the situation but it’s suggested that there’s a lot of corruption which means the police don’t get involved.
Anyway, some of you will be disappointed to learn that I wasn’t kidnapped and made it in one piece to the Hotel Azul (https://www.hotelazuloaxaca.com/en-gb) in Oaxaca. Long day that and feel for the guide and driver who immediately drove back to Mexico City trying to avoid the kidnap area by nightfall.
Fortunately flying back to Mexico City.
