August, 2012 - We are traveling in the state of Oaxaca, in southern Mexico, looking for unique artisan crafts for Chiripa. August is the rainy season in this mountainous area.
It is late afternoon when the old bus drops us at the village of San Bartolo de Coyotepec. From the main road we walk to the Doña Rosa pottery workshop. Doña Rosa, a Zapotec woman, created a special black pottery process for which Oaxaca is world famous. Although Doña Rosa is long deceased, her pottery tradition lives on.
Dark clouds threaten as we enter the workshop, and thunder rolls through the valley. The first raindrops splatter tentatively in the dust. Then the sky gives way, and the rain pounds the earth.
Rain Falls at the Pottery Workshop
We wander in comfort under the tile roof, sidestepping leaks and listening to the hypnotic splash of water in the courtyard. We have the place to ourselves, and with the storm raging we are in no hurry to leave. We take time to select our favorite pieces for Chiripa. The prices are reasonable, as you will see. We arrange for packing and shipping, then wait for the rain to relent. When the storm lets up a bit, we make a run for the bus stop.
We try to jump the muddy stream that is now rolling down the street, but we fall short and go in over our shoes. A bicyclist pedals downstream, leaving a wake behind him. By the time we reach the main road we are drenched. Fortunately, a bus from the villages to the south is just pulling up. We wave it down, and straggle aboard. We ask the fare, but the driver just waves us in. We can pay later, he says.
Pedaling Downstream
Friendly passengers in well-worn clothing nod a greeting as we bump down the aisle. The driver grinds through the gears, and the bus roars toward the city of Oaxaca. A crucifix swings from the rearview mirror. - JM
