Mixtec village

After 4 hours of bicycling I finally arrive at Santiago Apoala.

I made the trip to see the town considered the center of Mixtec culture to compare it to the Zapotec areas.  Both Mixtec and Zapotec have a strong bond with their natural environment and have a culture of community service to strengthen their communities as well.  Both groups have a system of usos y costumbres where the men will give one year out of every 3 or 4 to work for the community without pay as, for example, a police officer, park ranger, health worker or even the town president or mayor.

On the road to Santiago Apoala.

The above video show the landscape before we descend into the town of Santiago Apoala.

The fertile fields in the valley of Santiago Apoala.

The Apoala River dominates life. Mixtec farmers have diverted it to irrigate their fields. Most of the trails that lead to sites of interest are reached by following the river as it winds and it figures prominently in the Mixtec creation myth. According to legend, two giant trees growing along the banks of the Apoala fell in love and, to ease their longings, interlaced their branches and roots. The first Mixtec man and woman resulted from this union and the great Mixtec culture was born.

The Mixtec creation myth tells of the intimate ties between its land and people. It is a union that exists to this day. In Apoala, farmers strain with beasts of burden to cultivate squash and maize in the harsh, stoney soil. 

In this picture and the video you see the waterfall that according to Mixtec beleif, is where the first humans came from.  The name of the waterfall is the Tail of the Serpent.

The two videos below are different parts of the Tail of the Serpent waterfall.  This waterfall leads into the Apoala river that was integral to the birth of Mixtec Culture.