Category: JOURNALS OF TRAVEL

Truthful quotes from my journals Accounts from my handwritten diaries en route.

SOLO TRAVEL FOR WOMEN by oldbirdtravelsJul 26, 20215:32 pm

CACTI AND SALT FLATS IN THE MOUNTAINS…BY MOTORBIKE!

OR THE OLD BIRD GETS PUSHED TO HER LIMITS BY GOING UP AND DOWN SHEER MOUNTAIN TRACKS .

Returning from that hellish winding mountain track I could afford to fool around

I arrived in Tehuacán exhausted and burnt out and had done nothing for days once I found the museums and site which I specifically travelled here for were all closed. I had allowed myself a meltdown, a collapse if you will. I had stayed in my room just sneaking out for food and drinks. I was absolutely broken. Then as usual, I shook myself down and got myself a sort of improvised tour.

Armando Pacheco and his shelter for writing at night and entertaining tourists staying for the stars.

ZAPOTITLAN SALINAS

Reception told me that the guide knew the area well and just because the gardens were closed there were plenty of other paths with exactly the same types of flora. The botanical gardens were just a more tarted up area of the same old, same old. As it transpired they were right so I got myself a bus and headed out of town to Zapotitlan. As soon as I got on that bus I was straight back into adventure mode, my agoraphobia melted and I was ready for action. The bus driver dumped me at the edge of the road and I walked back to the Zapotitlan letters in a mist of fine powder and exhaust smoke.

SOLO TRAVEL FOR WOMEN by oldbirdtravelsJul 12, 20219:42 pm

WHEREVER I HANG MY HAT THAT’S MY HOME…

Realistically I should have left after my hugely successful visit to the prehistoric caves in Mitla. I had just been hanging around drinking and eating and writing after that great and emotional day. Without realising it I was now a hermit.

SOLO TRAVEL FOR WOMEN by oldbirdtravelsJul 11, 20216:41 pm

MONTE ALBAN AND AND IT’S MOUNTAIN PARADISE.

OR, A MOUNTAINTOP ZAPOTEC CITY LINKED CLOSELY TO Teotihuacán and mitla

It’s huge, it’s Zapotec and it’s completely different to what I expected.

The Zapotecs were a sedentary culture living in villages and towns, in houses constructed with stone and mortar. They recorded the principal events in their history by means of hieroglyphics, and in warfare they made use of a cotton armour. The well-known ruins of Mitla have been attributed to them.

(I will write another post about the fabulous jade and gold discoveries, that are housed in Oaxaca Palace Museum. This is closed at the moment but I’ll be able to dig up some photos from before. I really need to write a bit more about the amazing Zapotecs)

I had got up ready to go to the archaeological museum but its been closed. No signs on the door except the opening hours, and through the peephole a man informed me that they didn’t know when they’d open again to which I replied rather hotly I must confess well put a sign on the door then and change the bloody Google details. He said that’s a good idea I’ll put a sign on the door, as if he’d just thought of it. Yes some people have travelled thousands of miles to see these artefacts I whined. His beady eyes perused me as if I was mad. And sort it out on Google and your site this is the second time I’ve come here. He was making me cross and I felt as if he might just let me in if I kept banging on about it.

SOLO TRAVEL FOR WOMEN by oldbirdtravelsJul 9, 202111:16 pm

THINKING OF LIFE.

e kind again and not these snarling beasts who have forgotten we are all brothers and sisters. Just saying.’

SOLO TRAVEL FOR WOMEN by oldbirdtravelsJul 7, 20218:27 pm

PREHISTORIC CAVE PAINTINGS MITLA.

OR, HOW A OLD BIRD CLIMBED TWO MOUNTAINS IN A DAY.

When I made the decision to visit prehistoric cave dwellings that have been inhabited for 10,000 years I thought it would be a little tricky but not that hard. yesterday I worked my little travellers socks off to visit two of the major sites in Mitla. I had chosen two, maybe three places but hadn’t anticipated that they weren’t just there like most tourist sites, they are tricky to get to and a lot of leg work. I would advise not to try for them unless you’re feeling top notch and are prepared to go slowly.

Now I’ve been to Mitla two years ago to see the famous Mayan site of Mitla and also Hierve el Agua, which now sadly is permanently closed. Both were things of wonder so I was excited to be even more daring this time with a bit of pre history caves and their paintings all in the same area. I have always wanted to see some more ancient art in caves but have only once before been to an island off Sicily and no photos were allowed but here one has the privilege of getting out the old camera. I had no idea how remote they actually were and how hard you had to climb on treacherous slippery terrain after the rains. Although the soil had dried off there are a huge number of springs which are obviously spurting out excess water as you go higher up and make the soil and rocks really slick.

MY SUNDAY OUTING TO VISIT 10.000 YEAR OLD ANCESTRAL CAVES.

SOLO TRAVEL FOR WOMEN by oldbirdtravelsJun 30, 202112:18 am

ALERT: READ THIS. POISON SPRAYED IN COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS NOW.

First, they spray a sheet of positively charged ‘nano-glass’ called electrostatic spraying (sometimes with chemicals and sometimes without), then they aerosol the entire plane with the active nano-particle chemicals (as shown on the websites above), which are said to self-replicate for up to 10 days after application, only they are using the chemicals between every single flight, and in some cases all night long for 8 hours straight. Traveler’s then board the plane just 60 minutes after application.

SOLO TRAVEL FOR WOMEN by oldbirdtravelsJun 29, 202110:57 pm

EK BALAM. PYRAMID OF ANGELS.

OR, FLYING FREE AGAIN JUST FOR THE DAY. MAKING DECISIONS AWAY FROM TULUM.

Been very unsure what to do next. Return to UK where my new house is finally ready, or go to Oaxaca or Veracruz. Both are far and really need to been part flight from either Merida or Chetumal. So I went for the second time yesterday to the french patisserie to work. It was a stroke of luck. Not only is Giles, who works there a like minded (we had a long political chat), but he came up with a site for me to visit that I’d never heard of, Ek Balam. The site of the pyramid of the angels. Thank god, a decent bit of nearby archaeology.