Hiking Oaxaca: El Carrizal

21 Jan 2016

Hiking Oaxaca: El Carrizal

The angle of the rising sun creates brilliant colors as village life unfolds below our cabañas. El Carrizal is the most pastoral and serene of any mountain village that we have explored so far. The town spreads out in a bowl – it WAS the view, in contrast to other villages that offer views of the vast valleys of Oaxaca.

click on any photo for a slide show and full captions

Café de Olla, coffee that has a hint of cinnamon and sugar, is brewing in this built-in pot. The coffee is served in bowls.

The wood fired cook top boasts the coffee pot, metal surface for bubbling pots of beans, and a ceramic comal for cooking fresh tortillas.

As morning light strikes the mountainside, villagers with their loaded burros are already trekking up the hill to an unknown destination.

Fueled by a delicious and hearty meal, hikers and birders are ready to hit the trail.

Sunrise over the Sierras

Delighted by the lovely, peaceful village, hikers began the descent to the valley far below

Maracuya, a fruit for making cold drinks and nieve (a kind of ice cream)

Corn drying on the roof

Cascadas spill over rocky ledges and force their way around boulders, forming streams that meander on down through the valleys, undoubtedly gathering into more cascadas along the way!

A short rest in the shade…

and then up to a mirador (lookout) at the top!

Everyone wondered what was growing in this impossibly green field!

A huge variety of plants grow in the Sierras – from this enormous maguey to a tiny cactus. Photographer Impett estimated the quiote (flower stalk) to be 40 feet tall!

Wild orchids and bromeliads nestle in tree branches

Don’t tread on me!

Taking advantage of the cold mountain streams, people in many villages have built small trucha (trout) farms and restaurants. This man is catching our dinner – talk about fresh! Photo by Rick Impett.

Satisfied customer – this is a medium?

Mojo de ajo – trout served with lots of garlic.

Breeding ponds for the trucha. Photo by Rick Impett

Whether hiking, biking, or relaxing with a good book, the friendly people and beautiful vistas of El Carrizal make it a wonderful place to visit!

Photo by Silvia Impett

BUT BEWARE – YOU NEVER KNOW WHO IS WATCHING…

Photo by Rick Impett

Posted in Food, Hiking, Travel and tagged fishing, food, hiking, Mexico, mountains, nature, Oaxaca, people

12 thoughts on “Hiking Oaxaca: El Carrizal”

Susan on January 21, 2016 at 3:36 pm said:

This looks like a great weekend!

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- Marilyn Albright on January 23, 2016 at 5:28 am said:
  
  Tranquility defined. The first sounds of the morning were the roosters and burros.
  
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Sartenada on January 23, 2016 at 1:26 am said:

How wonderful landscapes. I do love Your hiking post. Than You presenting these photos.

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- Marilyn Albright on January 23, 2016 at 5:29 am said:
  
  Thanks, Sartenada, I’m glad you enjoyed the views of this peaceful village. About the only sounds here were the farm animals!
  
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darwinontherocks on January 24, 2016 at 2:26 am said:

I love the beautiful light on the first picture ! This village looks very nice to visit

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- Marilyn Albright on January 30, 2016 at 12:50 am said:
  
  Thank you. It is definitely a peaceful and lovely village!
  
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thirdeyemom on January 24, 2016 at 11:45 am said:

This looks so beautiful! Thanks for sharing!

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- Marilyn Albright on January 30, 2016 at 12:45 am said:
  
  Thanks. These hikes are quite tame compared to yours!
  
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Alex Hurst on February 5, 2016 at 4:47 am said:

Love this photo essay!! As you know, I want to go to Oaxaca so, so bad…. Hopefully some day! At least in a couple of months, I’ll be on the right continent. 😉

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Marilyn Albright on February 5, 2016 at 6:51 am said:

I’m glad you like this – I’ll try to keep enticing you…and as you said, you’ll soon be much closer!

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Tricia A. Mitchell on February 28, 2016 at 6:43 am said:

Such beautiful, warm light and unique flora you’ve captured there, Marilyn. Are you spending your winters in Oaxaca now?

Also, I’ve never tried nieve ice cream before. Can you think of a similar fruit or flavor to compare it to?

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Marilyn Albright on February 28, 2016 at 7:10 am said:

Thanks, Trisha. I love going to the mountain villages, as the landscapes, plants, and people are all so beautiful!
Nieve is like a cross between sorbet and ice cream. I’m not sure if any of the flavors have milk, but I don’t think so. There is an amazing number of flavors and unusual combinations. All of the fruit flavors use real fruit, not imitation flavoring, so of course they are all delicious. I’ve had mango swirled with chamoy (a kind of chile sauce), mezcal (local alcohol similar to tequila), and vanilla with coconut and carrots.
We have spent the last 4 winters here in Oaxaca, from late October to the beginning of April. Our plan is to move here 2 years from now, but we’ll see. A lot can happen in 2 years. We like being able to spend almost all our time outside, the food, culture, and people are wonderful, and there are so many interesting places to explore and things to do!

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