MEXICAN MAGIC
A small town with a population of less than 2 lakh, Oxaca has a charming, magical vibe all its own which cannot be expressed in words. Although a small town, it has a very distinct culture. It reminded me of all the small joys that we forget in the course of going about our busy lives in the metropolitan cities.
Soon the wedding day was upon us. It was a Catholic church wedding. The bride wore white, and walked down the aisle with her father. The ceremony was beautiful and elegant. They took their vows. And then what followed that something so Indian that it made us feel we were back home — a Mexican baraat which they called a parade. The bride and groom walked hand in hand with the sky lit up with firecrackers and a long trail of dancers and drummers and musicians and a big band playing foot-tapping music and the entire clan and all the friends walked the streets of Oaxaca dancing and celebrating the union.
The next two days were all about taking in everything that Oaxaca had to offer. We visited El Arbol del Tule which is approximately 9 km from Oaxaca, and has the stoutest trunk of any tree in the world and is also listed in the world heritage sites list. It would easily take 20 people to hold hands and circle the tree!
Then we visited the famous historic archeological site of Monte Alban, which is the pyramid complex in the valley of Mexico and is also a world heritage site. it is a short road trip from Oaxaca and offers a fascinating glimpse of how our ancestors lived in the 6th century BC. Just as in India we had the Indus Valley civilisation, in Mexico they had the Olmecs, the Zapotec and the Mixtec civilisations. I was amazed at the pyramid structures, which were built without any machinery in that early era. This ancient civilisation was very advanced for its time as it had a drainage system in place, geology centre within its complex, a medical room for the sick among many more things that parallel what we have in today’s world. I felt very lucky to visit this pre-historic place which is still standing strong after all this time.
Oaxaca is a cultural feast. People here are very orthodox and mostly Catholic. The architecture is very colourful and colonial, and the buildings primarily painted blue, white, red and yellow. And the feel and ambience is calm and happy.
We left Oaxaca for the other wedding that was taking place in Lapaz. The capital city of Baja, with a small population of 2-3 lakhs, Lapaz has everything a beach lover could desire. A long shoreline spreading far into the horizon. A plethora of shacks and restaurants and beachside cafes offering fresh and delicious seafood. And live Mariachi bands everywhere, from the beaches to the restaurants, giving the city a lively and young feel.
The culture here is completely laidback and relaxed. There are no historic sites in the city. We took a private yacht with our friends and headed out for the sea and few islands in the vicinity. It was a day i will always cherish because we had the whole day at the sea, and could stop over for a dip anytime, explore different islands, and put on our scuba gear and explored the underwater beauty of La Paz. We also encountered plenty of sea lions near the rocky island in our route. By the time the sun was setting we were parking the boat and just looking out at the sea, storing all the amazing memories we had created for ourselves that day.
It was a beachside wedding here, with everyone dressed in colourful beach dresses. The bride danced down the aisle and we partied away the night.
The very next day we flew out of Mexico but I think it will take me a lifetime or maybe another trip to Mexico to pull myself out of the Mexi-coma.
The capital city of Baja, with a small population of two to three lakh, Lapaz has everything a beach lover could desire. A long shoreline spreading far into the horizon. A plethora of shacks and restaurants and beachside cafes offering fresh and delicious seafood. And live Mariachi bands everywhere, from the beaches to the restaurants, giving the city a lively and young feel