Oaxacan LIfe: Part Five-- Sierra Norte (The nearest mountain range to Oaxaca city!)

 Last weekend, I simply HAD to escape the city and the confines of my domicile. Do you know the feeling, fellow pandemic captives?! One can only take so much... 

And so it was that I joined a small band of other female escapees and headed for the famed mountain range of Sierra Norte. 

I had been hearing about the Sierra Norte mountains since my arrival in Oaxaca months ago. I was told that the hiking was great and there were cabins for rent at various facilities up there. Fortuitously, I recently met a lovely Oaxacan woman by the name of Elvira who told me about a tour group--lead by her brother-in-law--heading to those very mountains. It was pricey--2400 pesos for the two-day excursion (about $125, definitely a gringo fare!)--but since I have been teaching English online I could make it work. 

Thus, in the early morn of Saturday, February 6th, I clambered into a spacious and luxurious van (at a park in Oaxaca) and joined this excursion to the mountains. 

All female, all gringa, except for Nico (the male guide) and my friend Elvira, we were a happy and energetic bunch. The two-and-a-half hour ride to our destination was scenic and filled with merriment. The time flew by and soon we arrived at Ecoturixtlan, an encampment designed to teach people about respecting and honoring our natural environment. 

The 7 of us had to keep our masks on whenever we were on the property-- the exception being when adequately distanced on hikes or when eating in the dining hall. There were only two of us per cabin, though they normally could sleep up to 6. So it was that we were able to enjoy this experience of nature while still being "Covid-safe". 

Enjoy the photos and explanations below! 






There indeed were wonderful hiking trails, through lush forests of pine and other flora. This could have been anywhere in California, except that Bromeliads grew out of many of the trees, and there were many varieties of wild orchids (pointed out by the guide, Nico. Unfortunately, none were in bloom.) 


When I asked if the Bromeliads were parasitic, I was told that in fact they had a symbiotic relationship to their host trees. Apparently they help to capture water for the thirsty tree in this fairly arid mountain climate. 


The tree hugger is Anne, a woman visiting from Michigan. Clearly, I wasn't the only one craving mountains, tall trees and the lushness of nature!





Not a truly serious stream crossing; however, some of those amongst us were less sure-footed. Andres, our hiking guide, extends a hand to Carmina... a newly arrived hispanic expat from Michigan who will now also be living in Oaxaca. Lucky her, to be fluent in Spanish!


Our lovely, blooming Bromeliad, up close and personal!



The trusty van that transported us to the wonderful place! 


Our cabin: the nighttime residence of me and Elvira. It was quite cold and dark inside; not suitable for "hanging out" except to sleep, truly! 


Inside: would have been quite homey and pleasant with a lit fire! I slept on one end, Elvira on the other--both bottom bunks, with extra piles of blankets for warmth. Even so, it was a cold night to be sure...probably in the mid to low 30's. 


Oddly enough, this area is home to several trout farms. I presumed they fed the ponds with nearby stream water. 



Our first hike led us to a cave with a natural spring coming of it. Quite a beautiful spot!  





All the gang, gathered for our first meal: an early dinner. No photos of the food--it was quite unremarkable and rather disappointing. 


The eerily empty dining hall, which we had all to ourselves! It was colorful and inviting, even if the food was nothing worth writing about. 


These steps led down to a "play area": suspension bridges and zip lining. Since this activity was unfortunately not included in the weekend package, none of us bothered to partake of it. 



Another small hike led us to another cave... quite formidable! 


The "Blues Sisters"! Elvira and I pose for our selfie


We went in as far as we were able, but it was wet and slippery so we didn't make it too far inside...disappointingly, no bats!









Saturday night, following our early dinner, we headed out for a sunset hike to a nearby peak...and were rewarded with a magnificent show!








It got cold quite quickly as the sun descended....









Since the local guide, Andres, had to take us up to the trailhead in a truck, three of the ladies had to hunker down in the truck bed. They were warm and happy back there; apparently, the star gazing was great! Wish I had been back there, too! 

Sunday morning was overcast and quite chilly. We took a long hike to get warm and enjoy the last of this gorgeous scenery before heading back home to Oaxaca. 





We did see lots of lovely little wildflowers along the trails....



Next up: FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD!!!! 


Comments

  1. JeanneMarch 6, 2021 at 7:17 AM

    Fantastic pictures- especially of you! Glad you got up in the mountains.

    ReplyDelete

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