Day Trip from Oaxaca: The Big Tree and a Lesson in Mezcal

Today was a great day. Melody, Chris, and I took the bus from Oaxaca City to another town about an hour away that's known for its market, called Tlacolula (I can't say it either) and then to a nearby town called Tule.

Chris and some cotton candy on the bus ride there

The market didn't disappoint and was as colorful and crazy as I always hope these markets will be. This was not one for tourists though. If anything, I felt in the way. Tlacolula was for real people to dig in and do their shopping for the week, and to spend Sunday with their families having fun. As we worked our way through the crowded rows of the market, we saw everything you could imagine – neatly stacked fruits and vegetables, hand-woven rugs, spices, dried grasshoppers, live turkeys (sad), and so much more.

These markets are segmented into different departments, and the carnicería, in particular, was quite a site. I haven't seen that much raw meat hung up for display since I lived in Morocco. It's always kind of shocking to get such an in-your-face look at that middle step between live animal and a meal on a plate. Needless to say, I'm still really glad I don't eat meat.

I took no pictures at the market for some reason!

After the market, we decided to go see the widest tree in the world, supposedly, which was in a town about 20 minutes away from Tlacolula, called Tule. I know I speak for Melody and Chris, too, when I say that this town far exceeded our expectations. I mean, to be honest, we really didn't have any. I figured seeing the tree would be akin to stopping at one of those roadside attractions you make on a family trip, like the biggest ball of yarn. I thought we'd see a pretty tree in a dusty little town without much more, and off we'd go. But I was completely wrong.

Tule town center. There was topiary everywhere! 

First of all, the tree was phenomenal. Second of all,  Tule had way more to offer than just the phenomenal tree. It turned out to be a quaint, immaculately kept town with a rose and topiary-filled central park, a stunning little church next to the tree, and nice shops to browse.

The tree, with people for scale. Seriously large. 

In Tule, we spent some time admiring the tree, and then found a sunny little mezcal bar where we got a shady table in the grass. If I remember correctly, Melody and Chris told me that Oaxaca is the only place in Mexico (the world?) where mezcal is made. Indeed, we passed many a mezcalería on the bus on the way out of town, with their even fields of pointy agave plants growing in rows.

And mezcal is good stuff. It's made from agave, like tequila (which is actually only made from blue agave), but with a slightly different process. It has a smokier, smoother taste, and after you drink it, your lips tingle a bit. There are different types and we tasted a few, then settled on the reposado.

Chris and Melody took a bunch of fun pictures at the mezcal bar, but I don't have them yet, so for now, let's check out that tree again...

Money spent today:
30 pesos - buses
11 pesos - taxi
25 pesos lunch
100 pesos - mescal (I think I may owe Melody some money, now that I'm looking at this!)
200 pesos - another hat (slightly smaller than the giant one I bought in SMA and had to leave behind)
= 366 pesos or $20 USD