"On the Trail"

The Journals from the Road

March 1:   Up the hills we go! Nochixtlan, Oaxaca State

Hi everyone,

Today was another day in the sun and the going was uphill most of the way.

Stopped in the town of Nochixtlan (Xs are pronounced SH here). Visited a school. It was almost out so I was given the directions to the director´s home.

Met lots of kids after school and told them about PeaceBike. Went to the director´s house. He wasn´t there. Instead met a bunch of bicycle enthusiasts who began to congregate around me and PeaceForce One.

Met a old guy selling sugarcane by the chop. I asked him if this fibery stuff was good for the teeth. He vehemently nodded and gave me a toothless smile. We both laughed and I decided to buy a bag of nature´s candy.

Later that night one of the guys who had asked me questions that night invited me to his home. I accepted and soon met his wife and to little kids. He and I ate together and talked a lot about what it is like to live in Mexico. He got married when he was 17 and a few months later paid $2000 to be taken across the border into the US. He went illegally, he said, because the only way that you can go across legally is if you have $10,000 in the bank and lots of property to come back to in Mexico. So traveling to the US legally is basically inaccessible for most of Mexico´s middle and lower classes. He said his mom cried when he said he was going to leave but she knew he would be able to earn more money there. He worked in Los Angeles making lemonade for Disneyland and speakers for some company. He worked there for two years and then finally came back to his wife and one year old son.

What a kind family! They had just moved into a new home. He said that he would be working for a long time to pay it off. He works in the city market selling cheese. I really felt connected to this family, partly because the parents were my age.

He taught me a little bit of Mixteca, which I quickly forgot but it was fun practicing with him.

Peace(Bike),

TAD