Ciudad de Oaxaca is on a plateau surrounded by hills. One of the Spanish words for hill is cerro. They’re called hills because they aren’t snow capped, nor do they have peaks. And yet, they’re still high and steep.
One of the cerros that surrounds Oaxaca is called Cerro del Fortin. On this hill there is an auditorium, where the annual Guelaguetza is held the last two Mondays in July. Guelaguetza celebrates the many traditions of the sixteen indigenous groupings of Oaxaca.
Also on Cerro del Fortin is an observatory and planetarium.
On Friday, our hiking group, whose members vary from week to week, met at Santo Domingo Cathedral, walked up many stairs, through a tunnel, to the auditorium, past the observatory and up to the top of the cerro.
At the top of the cerro, there is a white cross.
When the Aztecs arrived in Oaxaca, during the 15th Century, they established an outpost on top this hill.
It was cool when the day began, and so I wore a sweater and vest. By the time we were at the top of the cerro it was hot. I need to dress with more layers. A black sweater will not do in the heat of the day, although it was a good idea for the morning coolness. If I’d had another layer, I would have been able to take my sweater off.
No comments:
Post a Comment