Mayan Mysteries - Monte Alban and Mitla

The state of Oaxaca is rich in Mixtec and Zapotec culture (http://www.whatoaxaca.com/pre-colombian-oaxaca.html), both ancient Mayan settlements dotting the hillsides and modern day descendants still practising generations-old beliefs and rituals.

First I visited the hilltop site of Monte Alban, winding up from Oaxaca to an unbelievable 360 degree view of the surrounding landscape in the early afternoon sun: with a vantage point like this, it was easy to see why the solid stone stepped ´talud tablero´ structures of the ancient Zapote capital grew up here 500BC. It is a magical place, the solidarity of the warmed stones under me reminding me of the perseverance and desire to settle, of the human race. Then on to Mitla, a strange town with countless Mezcal factories, catering for the first-class coachloads of toursists dumped on the edge of town to see the famous ruins. But arriving in the late afternoon, I managed to miss most of these, being left in near-peace (except for the hundreds of artesan pottery, jewellery and tunic stalls set up along the road) to stare astonished at the detailed carvings in the rocks and tombs. The heiroglyph-like, geometric carvings were exquisitley precise and incredibly well preserved, hinting at the mysteries of a long-forgotten language and culture.

Though in fact, the Valles Centrales in Oaxaca are home to at least 16 different indigenous languages, from Triqui and Zapoteca to Mixteca, Nahuatl and Chinanteco. It is because of the difficult topography and rural isolation of communities in the Valles that so many different ethnic groups have been maintained. Whilst this makes for an exciting and interesting cultural diversity, it poses problems; in some families, Spanish is hardly spoken at all, making it difficult for the children to go to school, and for the families to access services such as healthcare.

At home, we are always trying to encourage diversity; we even have specially designed communication skills sessions at University exactly to practice awareness and understanding of others´ cultural needs and expectations. Yet here, where the culture is so diverse, individual needs are so easily neglected. The ancient Zapotecans and Mixtecans built communities on solidarity and brothergood, and we should not forget them, as their structures still stand solidly today.