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We left Quinta Real for La Sierra at the crack of dawn (Literally. It was still dark when Maya and I arrived.) It took us about half an hour to reach the casa for breakfast. There’s always something about the still and crisp air that envelopes you with peace and calmness. The smell of pines and burning wood revived my senses…the chocolate con agua helped too!
After filling our stomachs with café, chocolate, and mountains of pan dulce, we headed to a house where they carved molinillos. The carpenter demonstrated his years of handicraft with exceptional finesse. He rapidly transformed the baseball bat shaped block of wood into a sturdy yet beautiful frother.
Afterwards, we drove to our cabins in Capulalpam and had the awesome but also very difficult (the roads were very rocky and littered with potholes, plus the brakes on my bike were a bit sketch) opportunity to ride bikes around the town to the Templo de San Mateo. After touring the cathedral, we listened to the local youth band perform “My Heart Will Go On” and—let’s be real now—I teared up a bit.
Our next destination was el Centro de Herbolaria—a clinic that focused mostly on traditional healing. There, a majority of us received a limpia con huevo. Limpia in Spanish means cleansing and refers to an ancient spiritual practice that is used to clear physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual blockages.
My limpia:
The curandera started off by spraying my arms, neck, and stomach with the herbal water. Then she took an egg and gently rubbed it in small circular motions on the areas where she sprayed the water and along my entire body. Afterwards, she cracked the egg into a glass of water and proceeded to pat me with a bundle of herbs and use it to follow the contours of my body. Lastly, she spat alcohol on my belly, on my lower back, down my shirt, and finally on my belly. Observing the egg in the water, she firmly urged me “tranquilice, tranquilice”—“calm down, calm down.” She told me that I was stressed out and that coming to the sierras would help with the stress.
Overall, I thought that my limpia experience was very wonderful! The coolness of the room, the huevo, and the herbal water felt so refreshing against my sun-scorched skin.
We rode our bikes (once again) up unforgiving hills to a house that made tepache. It was quite interesting! It tasted somewhat like a Korean plum drink that my parents would give me to digest my food. To be honest though, I thought that the grapefruit soda tasted a lot better :]
After refueling with tepache and other refreshments, we headed to las cuevas del arroyo. Hooray for spelunking! I was entranced by the whitish grey formations that glistened from the moisture. They seemed to almost glow from the occasional flash from our cameras and their shapes were very intricate and indicative of the beauty of nature. Although the slippery stones and small spaces made it a little difficult to trek through the cave, it was quite the adventure!
We had fish for la comida (although we ate at around 6pm) at a restaurant by a beautiful river. Sitting down and filling our stomachs was the best reward after a day packed with activities. After all, my numb legs needed a break.
I would say that the highlight of the day was zip-lining after comida. The distance was pretty short but it was such an amazing experience. It felt like I was flying (very cliché, but true!). The fresh piney air rushed against my face and danced through my hair. The sun was setting when it was my turn to go, so I remember seeing a flurry of lights.
We finished off the day with a bonfire, some bomb food (including smores with Maria’s cookies!), a live banda, and dancing.
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We woke up the next morning and ate breakfast at a place nestled amongst the tall trees of la sierra. After stuffing ourselves with delicious food, we got into the back of a truck and embarked on the best car ride of my life. We all stood up, breathing in the freezing air and dust, getting thrown about left and right, singing at the top of our lungs, and taking in the breathtaking scenery.
After about 45 minutes, we arrived at the cloud forest. The forest got its name because the moisture from low-flying clouds creates a perfect environment for the moss to grow. There were veils of moss on almost everything and floor of the forest was blanketed in greens and browns.
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Overall, my trip to la sierra was full of firsts and rife with experiences that I will never forget.
Adventures in Oaxaca 