Our adventure took us to the town of Cuilapan de Guerrero.
After taking a colectivo (we were very ripped off) we found ourselves at the
entrance to the ex monastery of Santiago Apóstal.
The monastery is located on a hill that gives a scenic view of the valley
below. One thing that is unique about this place is the roofless basilica. The
construction of the complex began in the 1550’s by Dominican friars. Before
completion the construction was halted. This pause was meant to be temporary
but ended up becoming permanent. Mostly unused as late as the 19th
century, the area is now mainly a tourist attraction.
Bobby spent many hours walking inside the monastery
alongside a group of students from an Oaxacan University, whereas I managed to
not get through the entrance without paying and spent the majority of this time
outside the complex. During this time we both attempted to translate from the
museum information and visitors the history of the monastery.
One of the highlight of this monastery was its size! This
building was at least 40 feet tall and you could walk on every level. Likewise,
you could still see remnants of original pieces of artwork. Plus they had
Native Americans writings in their as well! The size, scope, and art of this
monastery are worth the trip. The vibe was very spiritual. They really did
their best to make it still feel like a church.
After we finished spending a few hours at the monastery and
town we got on a bus back to the center of Oaxaca city. Taking the bus was a
good experience for both of us because we realized that it can be inexpensive
and easy to get around with public transportation, even though there is a
language barrier.
Once back in the city our last task was to find a specific
nutrition shop. Getting directions from people in the street was very easy, and
after asking three people we were on our way.
The tienda nutricional ended up being very close to our
classroom at Surco, for which we were grateful after a long hot day of
adventure.
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