When the Revolution Comes

Sometime last night I was wide awake when I should have been sleeping, just thinking about how at ease and truly alive I feel.  It is something extraordinary to begin to feel a rhythm of the place we are in.  There is something connected to the soul of the people. To see beyond facades and glimpse something deeper is a bold statement of vision.  I really believe it. A new city and a new ebb and flow to discover.  Oaxaca is a city in turmoil.  There are protests ongoing for the past 3-4 months, with people living in the center of town to peacefully request change within the policies of the current government.  As we visited churches and discovered the older parts of the city, buses blocked roadways, impromptu barriers are built and respected, while graffiti covers office buildings, road signs, and even churches.  The people are stagnant, refusing to go back to work.  They sit daily hoping someone will notice.  One spray painted sign today read, 'Tourists Go Home, We Are Not Capitalists'.  It is a bit difficult to take it seriously since there are several street vendors beside and below it selling colorful market bags and large Speedy Gonzales dolls.  We also took time to visit parks and other monuments around the city, as well as meet many new and interesting friends along the way.  The people we meet truly make a trip worthwhile, and add value to our time and efforts here.  Later in the day we decided to climb a hill in the center of town toward a large theater cut into the side of it.  The shaded stairs provided a much needed break from the sun, but also proved quite difficult for some of the group to negotiate.  At the top, laborers were pouring cement, but suggested a small dirt path that hugged the side of a large wall.  The path was steep and dropped off at quite an angle.  Fun.  Once on top, we discovered more abandoned buses blocking the streets leading to the theater, as well as large portions of walls torn down recently.  There was evidence of recent fires and other signs of destruction all around.  Political graffiti also marked the area the slogans and gripes against the government.  We decided to continue up the hill, moving toward some television and radio antennae located at the top.  Discovering another bus, we made our way around it only to find some barbed wire blocking the way.  Moving around that we discovered a whole enclave of people camping at the top in protest, and to protect the antennae from the governmental forces they are afraid will try and take them over.  An older gentleman greeted us and filled us in on the revolution we didn't even know was ongoing.  There was more graffiti, fires and blockades along the way as we toured the towers and pushed upward toward a planetarium and several telescopes.  At every destination, there were more protesters and more stories.  We then hiked to a higher hill seen from the observatory, and were rewarded with a panoramic view of the city.  Awesome really.  What a reward for a bit of hiking and revolutionary fun.  We eventually made our way back down to the Oaxaca for a wonderful local meal and a much needed shower.  I wonder what will happen tomorrow?