I
was up early again and made my way for some breakfast and some more chats
before getting ready to head out to Hierve el Agua and Mitla for the day.

I
took a walk to catch a bus or colectivo. I waited at the stop fascinated by the
system they used. The colectivos simply have the names of their destinations on
the front windscreen and flash their lights and hoot while sticking their
fingers in the air to show how many seats they have. It seems to work and they
seem popular.

After
waiting a while and watching the system in action a colectivo for Mitla arrived
and I jumped in. We drove around hooting at all the bus stops before we hit a
highway where he sped up but still hooted and flashed at everyone we passed.

I
got out in Mitla and took a walk around the pueblo. It was very quiet with only
the motor taxis running up and down the street and the odd car passing. I
walked until I got to the archeological site where I had a look around at an
old church but had to pay to go further so decided to head back and get another
colectivo to Hierve el Agua. On the way I stopped to get some mango with chilli
and lime. It was tasty but most of the mango was not as ripe as I like so was
crunchy and not very sweet.

On
the way to the colectivo I smelt chocolate in the air. I looked around me and
there was a shop that was grinding the beans and making the powder into blocks
to make hot chocolate with. Unfortunately he only had large packages for sale
so I didn't get any and just enjoyed the smells for a while.

The
colectivo took a while to fill up but we soon got underway driving on roads
that were still being tarred and driving around rocks and mounds of sand that
were in the road to stop traffic. We eventually got into the mountains and was surrounded
by farmland. The farmers seem to use traditional methods as I saw two oxen
preparing a field for being planted.

We
eventually got to Hierve el Agua where I got out and took a walk around. I
found a viewpoint where I had a snack and enjoyed the view of the surrounding
mountains and the little pools below. I then took a walk to and around the
pools to enjoy more views of the mountains. Eventually I decided it was time
for a swim and went to change and jumped into the pool. The water was a little
cold (since I am now used to warm sea water and not glacial water) so I didn't
stay in for long.

I
made my way up the hill and sat waiting for the colectivo to fill up before we
got on our way. We didn't go the same route back to Mitla and instead went
through the mountains. I was on the back of the bakkie this time but at least
it had a roof. We chatted and enjoyed the views while we passed through the
mountains and we eventually got to Mitla where I waited for another colectivo.

When
I got in I realised that it was the same one I got earlier to get here. It's
funny how often that has happened. I managed to have a nap on the way and then
was not sure how to tell him where to stop. I managed to get him to stop when I
recognised the area and took a walk to the hostel.

I
put my things down and then went to the market to try some street food with
Laura. I tried chapulines (fried grasshoppers) and it was ok. I tasted like the
Asian style spice that it's in and was a little crunchy but otherwise nothing
to be scared of. We then made our way back to the hostel for some WiFi and a
much needed shower.

A
group of us (Laura, Ben, Hanna, John and I) then went to grab some dinner at La
Olla. The food was amazing but a little expensive. We shared 2 different moles
(verde con pescado and enchiladas coloradito), cero es del diablo and pesca del
día. They were all amazing and we were all very satisfied and decided to start
the walk home. On the way we walked passed a salsa place and decided to check
it out. There were a few students on the floor and after negotiating the fee
and getting a free drink we decided to go in and try our salsa skills.

We
enjoyed a few laughs before we decided to call it a night and made our way back
to the hostel. Laura still had some Mezcal so we finished that before calling
it a night.