Monday, February 18, 2013

Atzompa? Surely you have heard of it!

Well, maybe you know this village better by its proper name Santa Maria Atzompa.  This was our destination for today.  With the family back in Seattle we did not want to have withdrawals for not having enough activity.  To start with though, we definitely had to get the car washed.  It was getting to the point that we might have lost it because if was so similar to the color of the ground.

Back on avenue Seminario there is a lava auto which looked new and clean.  Sebastian confirmed later that they have only been open for a couple of weeks.  So we drive in and are the first customer of the day.  For all I know, we were their first customer ever.  Julio (we all had to meet each other and give our names) goes to work on the VW Jetta.  Pressure wash, soap it, wash again, spray the wheels, make them black, take out the floor mats and brush, dry the car, re-wash the windows, vacuum it out and I thought this was going to turn into a complete detailing, rather than a wash.  All the time he was working he was quizzing us about sports in Seattle. 

Finally his father comes by and does some finishing.  We ask how much and it was 40 pesos ($3.14).  They point out that we had a scrape or paint on one of the headlights.  We figured that would be enough to have the car condemned when returning it to the rental agency.  They said they would remove it for 20 pesos, bringing the total to 60 pesos ($4.72).  The whole washing was a beautiful job and it took 40 minutes.  Mary Ann feels so guilty about paying so little, when the locals work so hard, she paid a total of 100 pesos.  We expect super treatment when we return.

So we wander off to Atzompa, taking a short cut, because there is a big sign on the carretara.  We wander around the back streets of another village, the signs disappear, but I know I am going in the general direction of the village.  Soon, one of our travel miracles occurs and we turn onto a street and a huge sign says “Bienvenidos a Santa Maria Atzompa”.  Of course we have arrived just like I planned it!

So why are we in Atzompa at all?  Ah, you should know by now.  This is another craft village of families famous for a distinctive kind of pottery.  The Moon Oaxaca guide book (which we now have a download on our Kindle and iPad, of course) says the modern Atzompans (as compared with the ancient ones as this is on the edge of the Monte Albán archeological complex) are “busy producing their distinctive pottery creations-fetching emerald green-glazed cooking pots, bowls, baking dishes, plates and more-famous all over Mexico and the world.”

Mary Ann thinks this is just super and we wander the aisles of the Mercado de Artesanias. Now, this is not a problem, as we are the only people there, other than staff.  It is obviously a quiet Monday.  And then we buy – wall pots, hanging dark pottery things, etc.  We end up spending $18 and I think the bag weighs 18 pounds.  Hmmm, where is the shipping place?
 
"The" car wash
 
It no longer looks like dirt!
 
Mary Ann at the Atzompa mercado de artesanias
 

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