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My Second Bus Trip to Mexico 二下墨西哥
Fang Huzhai
Towards the end of 2008, my paycheck showed that I had 160 hours use or lose leave. I usually go back to China but this year, on thinking about the coldness there, I decided to change my China trip schedule.
2008年，在繁忙的工作之余，突然发现年底已经到了，而我还没有安排08年的休假。不是我爱休假，是因为我有20个工作日的带薪假，不休作废。往年一般回中国。 今年想想冬天回中国的受罪劲，算了。原打算干脆就在当地休养生息，以备来年再战。一是可以看点闲书，二是可以清理门户，把居住环境弄得清爽一些。但是后来觉得，有如此长的时间，不出去走走，会得神经病的。于是决定还是出门。
咱没有美国护照。冬天出门，虽然大概可以免签证去加拿大，可那里也是冷。想想只有南下，再去墨西哥。04年去过一次的。
决定后买灰狗票，晚了一天，灰狗涨了提前7天票，花了62美元买到萨利纳斯到蒂华纳的单程票。下午5点出发，次日晨抵达蒂华纳。最近美国发出旅游警告，说蒂华纳等边境城市不安全，警匪枪战，偶尔会伤及无辜。所以去的时候，多多少少有点担心。
But I had no other travel plan either. I had thought of using these 20 working days to clean up my apartment, get rid of some stuff and read some interesting books. My colleagues however, said I should go out to travel. I myself also felt I should have a change from the mundane life in Monterey. I once wrote on CND that if one did not travel from time to time, one was bound to have a mental collapse from seeing the same things, scenes and people day in and day out.
I looked at the plane ticket price from San Francisco to Beijing and found that it was well above 1000 dollars, so I decided to go to Mexico for the second time. The first time I went there was in 2004. I chose Mexico because a green card holder does not need to apply for visa beforehand. I may just as well go to Canada, but it was cold and the place I would like to visit was in New Brunswick, too far from California.
I did some homework online, including bus ticket information seeking. I found that Mexican bus websites had improved a lot from four years ago. Now you can book your ticket online, to the minute details of securing your seat number.
决定去墨西哥前在网上做了一些家庭作业，发现墨西哥长途车公司的网站比四年前大有改进。如今网上订票极为方便，可以选择座位。不过我没有订，因为万一进墨西哥有问题呢？
I did not book the ticket online, however, because I was not sure if I could make it on time for a booked schedule. I only bought the Greyhound ticket from Salinas to Tijuana 7 days in advance. This ticket was originally 50 something but when I booked it, it had been raised to 60 something. I called them and a guy said it was raised only one day before.
The bus took 12 hours to arrive in Tijuana. When the bus crossed the border, a spanish speaking guy was saying to the whole bus about some money thing. My fellow passenger told me that we should give him one dollar. Why? I asked. She said she did not know. I prepared a dollar. But when the guy passed though everyone he did not make any gesture asking me to pay so I did not pay. Then he was speaking to the whole bus again and said something The Chinito no paga. I just turned a deaf ear to him. This money is not included in the Greyhound ticket.
从萨利纳斯到蒂华纳灰狗走12小时。我还在担心如何入境的问题，因为我没有事先取得履行许可证。问了司机，说到蒂华纳长途车站再办。过境的时候，司机用西班牙文对乘客说了些关于100块钱的事情。旁边一个女的告诉我， 我们每人要给他一块钱。我说为什么？她说不知道。我想一块就一块吧。不过那个人并没有伸手来要。我也就没理他。本来就没这么一说。到现在也搞不清楚那钱是干什么的。碰到这个时候，装听不懂就是了。他们不会追着你要。估计是属于募捐类的。
At Tijuana bus terminal I found out that first class buses had all been booked out. I could not wait, since I had to be in Oaxaca before Dec. 23rd. I had no choice but to buy an economic class. The economic class traveled on the same road as the first class, so there was no danger of being robbed, but the bus was old and one of its shock absorbers was not functioning, so I had to endure much bumping. The toilet was unbearable. There was no water to flush it so sometimes the toilet was full of shit. The economic class was 130 dollars while the primary class was 150 dollars. 1 dollar is 12 to 13 pesos.
到了蒂华纳没有买到去墨西哥城的一等车的票，只好买经济车。这种车也是大巴高靠背的，只是陈旧一些。不过我坐的这辆，后边有个减震器坏了，结果40小时里常常挨颠。这种车比一等车便宜20多美元。比较讨厌的是厕所里没水。后来都屎满为患了。我还想学学雷锋，下一站要一桶水冲冲。不过到了下一站，车辆自己去做清洁了。 雷锋没有当成。
从蒂华纳到墨西卡利一段，要翻越大山。这里的大山都是怪石嶙峋，很有看头。山谷地带也是荒原地貌。可能美国西南部连同墨西哥北部这一大块都是荒漠之地。等车开进哈里斯克省，就看到一些青葱的农田了。
Nothing really interesting happened during the 40 hours from TJ to DF. In DF, I was amazed to find long lines of people buying ADO bus tickets to go down south. I could not get a ticket of the same day, but only one for early next morning. I deposited my luggage, went to the city center to kill time and returned to the bus terminal around 10 pm. I had to spend the whole night there. I found that the seats at Mexico Norte Terminal were designed in such a way that you could not sink into the metal chair to doze off. Many people were sleeping on the floor. The night was cold and I had my warm jacket packed with the luggage. When I asked the luggage deposit if I could get my jacket the guy said there was a surveillance camera and they could not just do that. For the whole night I moved around from one waiting place to another, slept a while and walked around to keep warm.
40来个小时之内，旅途上没有什么好玩的事情发生。我为了消磨时间，带了一本简装本的《十日谈》，一路上欣赏卜迦丘的风趣幽默的语言。车到墨西哥城之后，在ADO汽车公司柜台前买票的队伍几乎是绕树三匝，令我大为吃惊。等排到我了， 被告知说没有当天去瓦哈卡的车了，最早一班是次日早上6点的。没法子，买了票，在车站存了行李，到城里去闲逛。至于当夜，只好在车站呆一晚上了。从我带的一本96年的墨西哥指南上，了解到星期天有个旧货市场， 地点很方便，就在美术馆和墨西哥城广场之间的一站。乘地铁到了那里，却打听不到， 才想起来指南一定过期了。不过在美术馆那里，却看到一个旧书市。当然我不会买，都是西语的，而且人在旅途，千里不挑担。然而看到旧书市，顿生一种亲切之感，也不由得去浏览一番。
然后步行到广场，却为广场的热闹大吃一惊。今年墨西哥城在广场搭建了一个溜冰场，占去了广场一半。其余地方则搭起了假的爱斯基摩人的冰屋，供墨西哥儿童找乐子玩。广场北部立着一棵巨大的圣诞树，彩灯烁烁。今年在广场上卖艺的阿兹台克舞者，都被挤到犄角旮旯去了，但仍旧咚咚锵地跳得来劲。
顺便到广场那里04年住过的青年旅社问问床位是否紧张。答曰到时候来就是了。晚上十点过后，乘地铁回北车站。 因为在车站过夜，才注意到北站候车室的铁椅子的设计及其缺德：椅子面前半部是坡下去的。人坐在上面，没法子靠在椅背上打盹，因为一靠身体便会滑下去。很多人在地上睡觉。那地面是用一种带花纹的石头铺成，类似玉石，而且一样是凉性的， 看着比水泥地还凉。这一夜，我只好这里坐坐，那里坐坐。或者从车站这一头走到另一头。我的厚衣服打进行李里存包了， 拿不出来。好在漫漫长夜终有尽时。 早晨6点，终于坐上了去瓦哈卡的车。上车的时候，我注意到旅客在把行李交给装车的人时，都在他们手里塞了一点银子。这倒是头一次见到。我想这小费也许是可有可无的。等我把我那并不大而且并不重的行李交给一个先生后，他并不马上给我装车，而是打着手势明显让我给小费。我给了两个比索，他看了看。我看得出他觉得少，不过我也没理他。上车后，担心这小子别因为这个像《赛因非尔德》里的那个机场搬运工一样，把我行李扔到别的车上去，便又下去看。我已看不见我的行李。那小子看见我，知道我不放心， 打着手势说我的行李没问题。 我无从检查，只好上车了。后来我从瓦卡哈乘坐该公司的车回来的时候，特意问过人家，都说没有小费这么一回事。 瓦哈卡车站的搬运工也没有要小费。我也没有看到有人给他小费。看来是墨西哥城北站的搬运工自己的发明了。
Finally it was time to board the ADO first class bus for Oaxaca. I noticed that passengers were giving luggage workers tips. I never saw such a thing before. When I handed over my luggage, the guy did not immediately put it onto the bus but made a gesture indicating I should pay tips. I gave him 2 pesos. He flipped it over and seemed unsatisfied. I boarded the bus, but later came down to check if my luggage was loaded. The guy recognized me and indicated that my backpack was already loaded. I could not see it anyway, so I just went back hoping he would not pull a trick on me.
Later as I came back from Oaxaca I asked the bus terminal people if passengers should pay tips. They said there was no such a thing. The ADO guy handling luggages at the ADO terminal did not demand any tip.
ADO bus was clean and comfortable. The restroom was especially nice, water and paper and all.
ADO的车都是头等级的。舒适干净。厕所也宽敞，有纸有水。车都是两排坐，没有三排坐，所以那感觉跟飞机的公务舱差不多。
The scenery along the road from DF to Oaxaca was beautiful, lots of lush green. Soon the bus started to climb up mountains. This gave me a better view of the surrounding mountain valleys. I noticed that the hill slope by the side of the road seemed to be covered with a layer of crust. There were some broken parts and I learned that the crust was made of iron wire net, mixed with some grayish thing, possible cement. The net was used to hold the earth from being rushed away by rain.
Along the road, I also saw vast span of uneven land with guts and grooves that seemed to suggest a once upon time flooded basin. Such places are like the brave brushwork in an abstract oil painting.
墨西哥城至瓦哈卡一段，景色不错，因为是南国了， 亚热带。车还要爬坡。我看到路边山坡似乎覆盖着一层皮。有的地方那层皮剥落了。 我想到了古代笑话里说“坡”字的意思乃是“土之皮”（滑为水之骨，坡为土之皮），不由哑然失笑。后来我发现，那层皮乃是人造的，是水泥附着在细密的铁丝网上，用来保护土坡，防止坡土被雨水冲走。
在一些地段，有广阔然而不平坦的山间谷地，中有沟壑，仿佛是数百数千年前大水冲积而成。那些地段让我想起来抽象派油画的粗框笔触。
When the bus arrived at the Oaxaca terminal, I asked a young lady one the bus how far the downtown was from the terminal. She said she was also going there and offered me a ride to the downtown in her taxi. As the taxi entered the downtown I was amazed at the sheer number of people coming and going in the streets. I had the feeling of foreign devils first arriving in a Chinese city in Ming Dynasty, shocked to find the busy markets etc. I had thought I should not stay here for more than two days, now I thought even a week would not be enough.
车到瓦哈卡的时候，我问车上一个年轻女孩车站离市中心远不远。女孩说她也去那里，并且让我搭了她的出租。我说我可以付，但是她坚持。她是从哈里斯克省的瓜达拉哈拉回家省亲的。她很早就离开瓦哈卡了，在瓜达拉哈拉一家IT公司做事。问她会不会说英语，答曰不会。这在中国不可思议。中国凡有大学学历的，都会拽两句英文。墨西哥人即使学过，不用也忘了。他们对英语不像中国人那么在乎。在墨西哥旅游，如果你不会西班牙语，一定麻烦多多。我不知道是墨西哥人懒，还是他们很自信，根本不尿英语这个国际语言。
出租进入瓦哈卡老城，只见城里街上人来人往，熙熙攘攘。我当时的感觉好像是明朝的时候洋鬼子来到了繁华的中国城市，对那里的发达大吃一惊。我曾经像只在瓦哈卡玩两天，现在我感到在这里玩，两三天顶多玩个毛皮， 至少应该玩一个星期。
Before I left for Mexico, I had done some homework and collected information about youth hostels in Oaxaca. There seemed a lot and many were around the city square Zocalo. I did not bother to copy the addresses of these hostels, because their descriptions said they were close to Zocalo. One of them even advertised that they had Chinese speaking personnel and it was two blocks from Zocalo. However, with heavy backpack on my back and another smaller one on my chest, I walked around and asked around and never find the hostel. A resourceful police woman had a list of youth hostels in her hand and marked some on my map. I went to Paulinas, the well known one, only to find they no longer had vacancy. Luckily, on one of the maps I downloaded from internet, I had written the name of a hostel and drew an arrow towards the street where it was located. I went there and they happened to have a place in a 6 person dorm. This youth hostel was originally not my first choice because it was 10 blocks from Zocalo. However, it turned out to be a good choice. The dorm was spacious and clean and the beds were queen beds, not singles beds or bunkers. There were two maids who did a nice job in room service, providing clean towels and new soaps each day. Although no food was included, guests can cook and there was a good market in the town for materials. Next to the hostel was a tour bus service selling tickets for Mounte Alban. The 10 block distance proved to be easy walk and at this distance, the hostel enjoyed some seclusion from the hustle and bustle of the downtown.
From my hostel seeking experience I learned that you had to get the exact address of a hotel or hostel. The streets of downtown are narrow, lined with vendor stalls and also serve as one way traffic roads, With large luggage, it is very difficult to negotiate them.
我在网上查过瓦哈卡的青年旅社资料，但是因为疏忽，只打印了名字，没有地址， 因为网上说那些地方都在广场附近。我想找个年轻游客可以问到。结果问了几个人都说不出个所以然。有个青年旅社，其介绍说有中文服务，而且离广场仅仅两三个街区。那里的街区也不大。可是我背着行囊在几条街之间转了几圈都没有找到。最后累得快虚脱的时候，在自己下载的地图上看到手写的一个旅社的地址。离广场十个街区。找到之后，幸好有床位，而且床都是双人床，很家庭，很干净，110比索一个晚上。旅馆雇佣两个女工作清洁，每天提供新的浴巾和肥皂。虽然不管饭，但是可以做饭， 而老城里就有个各种货物应有尽有的农贸市场。旅馆旁边就是个旅游车站，专卖去瓦哈卡主要景点Mounte Alban的旅游车票。由于旅馆不在老城中心，倒是少了些喧闹。
这次找旅馆的经验告诉我，最好有旅馆的确切地址。瓦哈卡老城街道狭窄，车辆不少， 路边都是货摊，背着行李穿行其中非常狼狈。
Oaxaca is very exotic, with many local women in their traditional dresses and many local food and artisan products in the markets. I was not shocked by the exoticness though, since I knew quite a bit about Oaxacanean culture through my interaction with people in my California town who are from Oaxaca. I had seen their colorful dresses, had tasted chicken with mole, and had watched tourism videos about Zocalo. This however did not deprive me of the fun to experience on site in a total immersion way. The mole (how I regret I did not bring some back) in particular is richer than what I had seen before. There are special mole stores on the street where I lived and there, with old furniture befitting the dark colored local specialty. There is mole in basins in private vendor stores in the Mercado de 20 Noviembre that seemed more home-made. I like the appearance and smell of it. Grasshoppers fried with pepper is another pleasant thing to look at---reddish and oily. They tasted spicy and crispy. Then there is the Oro of Oaxaca, the gold of Oaxaca, the alcohol Mezcal distilled from local plant of agave. It is not very strong and tastes sweet after the pungency of the alcohol is over. Well packed in beautiful bottles and boxes, they are good as gifts. A major producer seemed to be promoting it everywhere. The employees, all young girls, dressed in white short sleeve shirts. I often saw two girls at the same spot everyday and we became friends. I showed them the Chinese street markets on my tapes that I brought with me to use. They were very excited. When I asked them to give an introduction of their product, one girl was so camera-sensitive that after a serious start she would laugh loudly and could not talk on when she saw the camera. The introduction could not be videoed at all.
瓦哈卡是个很有异域情调的地方。当地女人多穿五颜六色的民族服装。街上的货物和工艺品也是五颜六色的。我因为在加州认识一些瓦哈卡人，所以并没有多少文化冲击。我看到过她们的彩色衣着，也吃过蘸着魔力酱的鸡腿，也看过瓦哈卡广场的旅游录像。不过这并没有剥夺我现在全浸泡在瓦哈卡文化中的乐趣。这里的魔力酱比我在加州见到的更黑，油光闪闪的， 看着就馋人。我住的街上就有魔力酱和巧克力店。古色古香柜台和货架跟所卖的货物非常搭配。在农贸市场里，也有盛在盆里的散装魔力酱卖， 看起来更有家庭手工味道。红油油的的辣椒炸蚂蚱吃起来又辣又脆，味道别具特色。市场里另一惹眼的商品是所谓的瓦哈卡之金， 龙舌兰酒。黄橙橙的真跟金子一样的颜色。这种酒装在漂亮的瓶子和盒子里。 是送礼的佳品。我尝过一点，辛辣之后是淡淡的甜味。农贸市场里有个卖这种酒的货摊。两个小姑娘身着短袖白色工作服每天热情地向过往的人推销。我因为常常经过，一回生二回熟。 我给她们看了我回国录的中国的农贸市场录像。当我请她们对着我的摄像机介绍一下龙舌兰酒时，一个小姑娘一看镜头便忍俊不住地哈哈大笑，采访于是流产。
Local people are mostly Zapotec. Their skin was darker. One type of skull shape and facial features seems to dominate local women. As I walked in the streets and watched the young women, I often saw a family resemblance between them and a daughter of a Oaxaca family that I know who live in Seaside, CA. Young Oaxaca women are pretty, healthy-looking and full figured and their senior counterparts are very grandma-like, with all the nice connotation of family cooking, kindness and generosity.
当地人大多是扎颇泰克人，个子矮小，皮肤黧黑。当地女人中似乎有一种主要颅型和相貌。我走在街上观看年轻妇女的时候，常常可以看到我在蒙特雷认识的一家瓦哈卡人的女儿的影子。瓦哈卡的年轻女子漂亮，健壮，丰满，而老年妇女则非常符合慈祥的老奶奶的概念，让你联想到家庭烹饪，心地善良和慷慨大方。
Zocalo in Oaxaca is not big and during this holiday season, it is always packed with locals and tourists. Local people take it as a leisure place after work and many also take it as a business site, selling food, jewelry, flower, etc. The vendors can be as young as less than ten year old and most of them are women. A whole side of Zocalo is occupied by a restaurant and the dinning tables are in the roofed passage way. There dinners can enjoy open air while still feel they are eating inside the building. Opposite in the Zocalo one often finds several musicians playing marimba. The slow and melodic numbers add much romantic flavor to Zocalo life.
瓦哈卡的中心广场并不大，也就是该城一个街区见方的样子。平时如何我不知道，在这节日期间，每天广场上都有很多人，游客和当地人。当地人主要是休闲，做小买卖。做小买卖的有卖吃食的，卖花卉的，卖首饰的，卖两三人高的长气球的。小贩的年龄从老奶奶到十岁都有。 游客则闲逛，或者在露天饭馆边吃边喝边听木琴边聊天。
I arrived at Oaxaca on the 22 of December, in the early afternoon. I used the less than half day exploring downtown to get myself oriented. The following day I went to Mounte Alban by tour bus. The ticket was 38 pesos. Later when I cam back I asked a local who rode in the bus how much he paid for going from Mounte Alban to Oaxaca, he said 6 pesos. I wonder if I had not bought the tour ticket but had catched the bus a few block away from the starting point, wether I could pay the same.
我是12月22号下午到瓦哈卡的。那天余下的时间我用来在城里闲逛，找找方向感。次日坐车去了阿尔班山。车票38比索。后来下山的时候，看见也有当地人搭载，便问一农民模样的主儿他买的是多少钱的车票。他说6个比索。我想如果我事先没有买旅游车的票，而是半路拦截上车， 说不定就按照公共汽车收费了。
Mounte Alban is the ruins of an early Zapotec civilization. It is not far from Oaxaca city, just about 30 minutes bus ride up hill. When the bus climbed up the mountain, I felt like taking an airplane. One my right I could see Oaxaca vally, dotted with houses. A very nice scene to look at.
阿尔班山是墨西哥早期扎颇泰克人文明的遗址， 离瓦哈卡市很近，只有30分钟的车程。车是往山上开的。汽车爬上去的时候，我感到自己像在坐飞机。在我的右手可以把瓦哈卡山谷一览无余。山谷里星星点点都是民房，风景煞是好看。
Mounte Alban archeological site is not as impressive as Teotihuacan in Mexico City. Visiting there did not give me any sense of historical attachment either. It is a nice hiking place though.
阿尔班山古迹没有墨西哥的提奥提华坎那么牛气。这个地方丝毫没有给我以任何历史感。不过休闲的时候到那里爬山还不错。
Dec. 23 is Oaxaca's Day of the Radishes. Local artists use radishes to make a variety of figurines and display them at Zocalo. Thousands of people line up to get a close view of the exhibits. I went to Zocalo at 8 pm and the show was to end at 11 pm. I tried to find the end of the line but I found that the line circled Zocalo three rounds and extended into a side street. There was no hope to enter within 3 hours. Mexicans lined up anyway, very patiently. I gave up and used my camcorder and digital camera to shoot whatever I could get a glimpse of from outside the viewing corridor.
12月23日是瓦哈卡的萝卜节。当地人用红皮萝卜制作成各种工艺品，主要是人形。这些工艺品都摆在中心广场。成千上万的人排队去观看。我晚上8点去了广场，展览11点结束。我想找到队伍的末尾，可是队伍围着广场绕了三匝，还延伸到大街上去了。排在末尾的人根本没有希望在11点前接近展品，可是大家都耐心地排着。我感觉那排队人的心情是重在参与，看得上看不上并不要紧。 我放弃了排队，用摄像机和数码相机的伸缩功能透过人群的缝隙拍了一些。
On Dec. 24, I took local bus to go to two villages near Oaxaca city, Mitla and Teotitlan. Mitla boasts a good artisan market that sells all kinds of artifects and ethnic garments. Oaxaca's ethnic clothing is especially colorful. There is also an archeological ruins site. There is another place lauded by local tourist guidance, Tule, where you can see a thousand year old tree. It is the first stop on the road leading to Mitla. I decided to go reversely, going to Mitla first and then on my way back, stopping at Teotitlan and finally Tule.
次日圣诞节前夜，白天我坐非旅游的公汽去看了瓦哈卡附近的两个村子，米特拉和提奥提特兰。 米特拉有一个工艺品市场，出售各种各样的手工艺品和民族服装。瓦哈卡的民族服装以其绚丽多彩而著名。此地也有一个古代文明遗址。去这个村子的路上还有另外一个地方，是旅游手册推荐的，叫做突累。据说那里有一棵千年古树供人瞻仰。突累离瓦哈卡最近，不过我决定先到米特拉，再到提奥提特兰， 最后去突累。
Mitla's center is not far from the place the bus stops. After I got off the bus, I took a road on my left and in minutes I was at the center, where there was a market, a city office or police office. To say this is a village is not exact. It is more like part of a larger town in appearance. But exactly what is a village? In traditional Chinese concept, a village consists of unpaved road, lots of domestic animals, etc. This image has changed in the 30 year development and many villages in eastern China are now like towns. On internet, Mitla is called either village or town or municipality.
米特拉中心离汽车站不远。 下车后沿着左手一条斜插进去的路缓缓上坡，不到十分钟就来到村子的中心。说是村子，可是这里的街道等跟城市无异，令我有点失望。我们中国人的老概念里，村子意味着土路，家畜家禽等。当然这个观念在改革开放中已经变了。特别是中国东部沿海的农村都城市化了。在网上，米特拉这个地方或者叫做村子，或者叫做镇甚至市。
Here is a good site about what it looks like:
http://images.google.com/imgres? ... l%3Den%26rls%3DGGLG,GGLG:2006-07,GGLG:en%26sa%3DN
The bus from Oaxaca to Mitla costed 14 pesos. It was 10 pesos from Mitla to Teotitlan. The bus from Mitla ran on the main road and did not branch into Teotitlan. Teotitlan lays way back from the main road. When my bus dropped me off at the side road entrance to Teotitlan, I thought of giving it up to visit the town since it looked a long way to go. As I was walking, a truck passed by me, stopped and back up a little bit. The driver asked if I was going to Teotitlan and said he could give me a ride for free. In the truck there were two other men, one senior in age. The driver spoke some English and told me he had been to the States and had walked a lot and had been offerred rides. Soon we came to a spot where it said "detour" and the bus veered right into dirt road, across fields and the scene was really rustic. Coming back on the main village road, it continued to head up and I saw no sign of a center, only a long narrow street with sparse shops on both sides. I kind of grew creepy and asked the driver if I should get off here. He said ok you can get off and explore on foot here a little bit. It turned out that I got off not far from the town church and the center, where there was also an artisan market.
去米特拉的汽车票只要14比索，45公里的平路。从米特拉到提奥提特兰路口10个比索，不过不给你拉到村子，而是放在主要道路边上一个丁字路口， 你从那条路进去。我下了车以后才发现这条通往村子的路，一眼望不到头。路边有个卖挂毯的商店。提奥提特兰就是一个挂毯专业村。我看看了这个商店后，决定放弃去提奥提特兰了，因为看起来得走很长时间，但是我还是不死心，开始往里走。这时候，一辆卡车从我身边开过，在前边不远处停了下来，又倒回一点。我赶紧上前。 司机让我上车。我说多少钱。他说不要钱。卡车是双排座的，后面坐着两个人，其中一个年纪比较大， 有花甲的样子。上车后，司机告诉我他去过美国，也被人搭载过， 知道走路是什么滋味。不久车被路上一个“绕道而行”的牌子拦住了，只好拐进路旁的坎坷不平的土路。这时候我才觉得有点像农村了。拐回到马路上以后，车又继续向前开。路两边是一些商店。我怎么也看不见村子中心，心里不禁发起毛来。我问司机这里是不是就市中心了。他说你倒也不妨就下车，然后边走边看。我便下了车。说实在的，我是有点担心别碰到歹徒给我拉到没人的地方去。后来我发现，在往前走一点就到了中心了。那里有一个大教堂和一个手工艺品市场。我觉得有点不好意思，怀疑好心的墨西哥人。
Architecturewise, Teotitlan was not different from Mitla, execept that it got more muruals, pictures on walls on the subject of family violence, mental hygene etc. There were also political campaign signs asking people to vote for this or that guy as mayor or other positions.
从建筑上来说，这里跟米特拉没什么不同。不同的是这里的房屋墙上有很多宣传画，内容有反对家庭暴力的，提倡精神健康的，看着有点中国特色。有的地方还看到竞选广告。这大概是这里的村级民主选举吧。
On my way up to the center, I saw an old adobe building in bad shape on a smally mount, with half-collapsed stone steps leading to its door. I went up and found it was a large hall with three stone crosses. They might be three tombs. There were candle offering here and there and the whole place was dirty. It seemed like a worshipping place for some popular deity, like a small temple by the side of the road for the God of Earth in China, where people just burn some incense.
去村镇中心的路上，我在路边看到一个小丘。顶上有个庙一样的残破不堪的房子，没有门，敞着一个大门洞。通向房子的石板台阶有一段已经坍塌了。我走上去，发现这是一个空荡荡的房子，里面有三个石头十字架。看起来好像是三座墓。十字架的基座上有点燃过的蜡烛。整个屋子脏兮兮的， 甚至有粪便的痕迹。看来这里是一个礼拜的地方，就是不知道有什么讲头。它有点像国内农村路边的土地庙之类的。谁想烧香了都可以去烧一柱。
I tried to look for a taxi or bus to go back to Oaxaca but did not find anything. There were tour buses for tour groups but I could not get on them. I decided to walk out. It proved to be a one-hour walk. On the way I saw two local women in traditional dress working on their looms making carpet, the local speciality for tourists. I tried to talk them into letting me taking pictures, but neither consented. At the center, I saw a pretty girl sitting with some baskets beside her. It was a nice composition but euqally I failed to get permission to shoot.
我一边瞎逛，一边注意有没有什么车回瓦哈卡，可是什么都没有发现。中心附近停着四辆旅游大巴，是给专门的客人用的，不是公共交通。我决定走出去。结果我走了一个小时才接近大路。我在路上看到两个妇女在木质织机上织挂毯。 那是很好的照相素材，我上前跟她们搭讪，表示想照相，可是她们都不愿意被拍照。这里的女人很传统保守。我在中心的时候也看到过一个非常漂亮的身穿民族服装的少女坐在石阶上， 身旁放着几只篮子。整个画面很有艺术感，可是她也不同意我拍照。
As I was walking out, a bus headed towards the village. When I was about to reach the T section of the main road and the village road, the bus came and picked me up. For Oaxaca, 10 pesos. For Tule, also 10 pesos. I decided to by pass Tule. Afterall it was just a huge tree. I was tired out after the hiking.
我往外走的时候，一辆公车从外头开进来。我继续往前走，快走出去的时候，这辆车返回了。我上了车。从这里到瓦哈卡10个比索，到突累也是10个比索。我决定放弃突累。反正就是一棵树而已。我已经很累了。
I could have gone to Tule the following day, since I checked out at 11 am, deposited my luggage at the hostel and had 12 hours before leaving for DF. I did not go however, still feeling tired. I spent the day roaming the old town of Oaxaca, the part north of Zocalo and then lingered around Zocalo. As dusk fell, temperature dropped and again my jacket was in my luggage. Second time to make such a mistake. I could hve stayed in a Chinese restaurant for a while, but I literally forgot its existence.
第二天上午11点办了退房手续，把行李存在旅馆（35比索）。我那一天有12个小时，完全可以去突累一趟，但是我懒得去了。我一整天就在瓦哈卡市内转悠。我住在广场南边，北边还没有去看过，所以到北边看看，就是几座教堂，一个工艺品露天市场，然后就在广场附近转。天黑的时候降温了，我却把外衣打包了。 这是我第二次犯这样的错误。我本来可以到一家中国餐馆坐坐，可是那天我完全忘记了它的存在。
This Chinese restaurant I chanced to find the night of the day before. On looking up from Zocalo, I saw some Chinese red lanterns on the second floor of a building. Then I noticed a pinying sign saying Nihao Restaurant. I went up by a narrow spiral staircase and saw a young women sitting there by the window. She is from Beijing and her parents now live in New York. She said she liked Oaxaca's weather and had been there for 20 years. She also told me she had a hostel downtown. I said OK it was your hotel that offered Chinese service? Yes she said. I told her I never found it. At the location it was supposed to be, there was only a Villa Hotel, but it was not a hostel. She said hers was right next to it.
这家饭馆是我在前一天晚上偶然发现的。在此之前，我以为中国人的势力没有侵犯到这个墨西哥的南国之城。那天我在广场闲逛，不经意抬头一看，却见一个建筑的二楼，大红灯笼高高挂。还有一个汉语拼音的招牌说这里是“你好餐馆”。我沿着一个旋转式狭窄的铁楼梯走上去，来到一个宽敞的大厅。进入大厅，右手边是饭馆的餐厅。正对着我， 是沿街的窗子。窗子前有桌椅。一个身材苗条，年近中年的女人依窗而坐。饭馆里并没有人吃饭。见我进来。女人没有站起来，只是问要不要吃饭。我说吃过了，是因为看到灯笼才上来的。 我没想到这里居然也有中国餐馆。女人告诉我她是北京人，是从美国东北部来的。如今父母还住在那边。她说因为喜欢这里的天气所以留下来开饭馆，如今已经20年了。她并且经营一家青年旅社。我说敢情有中文服务的青旅就是你家的？我可是找了半天也没找到。在所说的地点，只有一家叫做维亚的旅馆，倒也不贵，但是不是青年旅社。她说她的旅社就在旁边。
The following day, I checked it out again and still could not find it.
第二天，我又去找，还是没有找到。
Her name is Min Qing, a rare surname and she is pretty. Of course she had a family, at least a daughter. I heard her talking with her daughter on the cell.
她叫闵青，这个姓不多见。她人很漂亮，当然是有家的，至少有个女儿。我听见她用手机跟女儿通话。
This was a first time I meet a Chinese living in Mexico. I wondered what it was like. I do not think there are lots of Chinese in Oaxaca. Hers was the only Chinese restaurant I know of.
这是我第一次看见定居在瓦哈卡的中国人。 我不知道生活于此是个什么样子。这里没有多少中国人。这是我知道的唯一一家中餐馆。
I forgot to take some picutres of the restaurant. Nor did I take her pictures. Maybe because I was preoccupied with Mexican girls as photographing subjects. The appearance of a Chinese was out of my expectation.
我忘了在饭馆照几张相。我也没有拍一张她的照片。也许是因为我的拍照念头已经先入为主地让墨西哥姑娘们占据了。这里出现了一个中国人很让我意外。
Also on my last day, I was bent on eating something not cooked by myself. It never occurred to me to eat at her restaurant. The concept of Chinese food in Oaxac was not registered in my mind at all.
走的那天，也曾想到过吃点不是自己做的饭， 但是就是没有想到去这家餐馆吃饭。瓦哈卡的中国餐？这个概念在我脑子里根本没有出现。我吃的是市场里的奶酪填辣椒。
Stranded in Salinas
At 5 am Greyhound bus from LA pulled into the bus terminal in Salinas. It was still dark. A few passengers came out of the bus, met by their people and went to their cars respectively. A Chinese, wearing a cowboy hat and carrying a big backpack on his back and a smaller one in his hand, hurried towards the MST transit center two blocks away. There would be the first bus of the day going to Monterey, as he had read from the MST schedule of weekdays. It was the last day of the year and a Wednesday. A taxi driver greeted him at the Greyhound parking lot and asked him if he wanted a taxi. No, he said firmly.
清晨五点钟，从洛杉矶来的灰狗长途汽车开进萨利纳斯车站。天还很黑。几个乘客从汽车上下来，各自找到来接车的人， 分别朝自己的小汽车走去。一个中国人，头戴牛仔帽，背着一个大背囊，手里还拎着一个小的双肩背，急匆匆地朝两条街外的公共汽车站走去。他从汽车时刻表上已经得知，不是周末的时候，这个时刻很快将有一辆车发往蒙特雷。今天是星期三，2008年的最后一天。灰狗车站里一辆计程车的司机问他要不要出租。不要，他坚定地说。
The transit center was a deserted one. There was a tall black man pacing back and forth in the chilly coldness of the morning and further on the Chinese saw a human figure leaning against a pillar.
公共汽车站冷冷清清。在清晨的寒冷中一个高个子黑人在那里踱来踱去。远处一个人影倚在柱子上。
"Has the 5:05 bus come yet?" he asked the black guy.
“5：05的车来了吗？”中国人问黑人。
"No,I guess they are running on holiday schedule."
“没来。我猜他们现在用节假日时刻表。”
"Holiday? Today is Wednesday and people work!" the Chinese exclaimed.
“假期？今天是星期三。人家还上班呢！”中国人说。
Though saying so, the Chinese's heart sunk. It might well be true. The period from the Christmas and the New Year might well be interpreted as holiday season and the city might alter the bus schedule on this excuse.
嘴上这么说着，中国人心里往下一沉。这很可能是真的。从圣诞节到元旦很可能被解释成节假日。市里很可能借口改了今天的时刻表。
Putting down his luggage on a bench, he looked at his watch. 5:10 now. No sign of bus. If it was indeed on holiday schedule, there won't be a bus till 8.
中国人把背囊放在一个长椅上。他看了看手表，5：10分了。车还没影呢。如果今天真是按照节假日时刻表运行，那8点钟才会有车呢。
"How can they do this? There is no notice on their website (actually he did not now since he last checked the MST website before the 18th)." he said to the black man indignantly.
“他们怎么能这样？网站上没有通知嘛（其实他并不知道。 他是18号以前看过公交车公司网站的。）他对黑人愤怒地说。
The black man said something to the effect that no one could do nothin' about it.
黑人嘟囔了几句，大意是说对此谁都没辙。
A taxi waited on the opposite side of the street, like a wolf waiting for a dying man's last moment.
对面街上停着一辆出租，好像一只等待饿殍毙命的时刻的狼。
Time went by and a few more passengers joined the Chinese, the black man and the man leaning on the pillar, his face hidden under a hood.
时间慢慢过去。陆陆续续来了几个人加入了中国人，黑人和靠着柱子的人。靠着柱子的人脸被一个连衣帽子遮着。
The Chinese pulled at the iron gate guarding the public bathroom. It was of course locked. There was a notice saying the bathroom opens at 8 am.
车站上有个公厕。中国人拉了拉公厕的铁门。门自然是锁着的。有个牌子写着公厕8点开门。
A woman walked up to the Chinese and asked him about bus schedule. The Chinese said he had no idea.
一个女人走过来问中国人知道不知道汽车时刻表。中国人说不知道。
"I came all the way from Tijuana," he said to the black man."Had I know about this I might have started late in Tijuana."
中国人转向黑人：“我从蒂华纳来，早知道会这样，不如坐晚一班的车。”
He had been in Tijuana the day before, arriving from Mexico City in the early morning and bought a ticket for Salinas. He had planned his time to catch the first or the second bus from Salinas for Monterey. He had to leave TJ at 4 pm. He missed the evening scene of TJ, the girls lining the streets in the North Zone. When he arrived in TJ, the city was just waking up.
一天前他还在蒂华纳。他从墨西哥城来，到达蒂华纳的时候是早上7点钟。到了以后，他买了去萨利纳斯的票。他计划在萨利纳斯赶上去蒙特雷的头班车或是第二班车，所以他得下午4点李凯蒂华纳。他没能看到风尘女人晚上在蒂华纳北区沿街揽客的胜景。他到蒂华纳的时候，城市刚刚苏醒。
Years ago, greyhound would take him right to the lake in central Monterey. No need to ride in a local bus. But the poor service of the Greyhound agent by the lake finally caused Greyhound to abandon that stop-over spot and anyone in Monterey now has to take a local bus to Salinas at the cost of 4 dollars to ride Greyhound.
几年以前，灰狗车可以把他一直拉到蒙特雷的市中心，没有必要再乘公共汽车， 但是湖边那家灰狗代理的恶劣服务最终导致灰狗放弃了那个停靠点。现在，蒙特雷的人要是坐灰狗都得先花4块钱坐公共汽车到萨利纳斯去。
The Chinese thought it a shame for Monterey, Seaside and Pacific Grove combined not to have a Greyhound station.
中国人觉得蒙特雷，海滨市，太平林市加在一起还不值得灰狗在这里设一个站，简直是耻辱。
"This is a dead town," the Chinese complained, "nothing is open." He savored the memory of Mexico streets beginning to become active with vendors in the early morning. He savored the memory of Mexican central caminera that is 24 hours open.
“这个城市简直是座坟墓，”中国人抱怨道。“什么都不开门。”他带着温馨回忆着墨西哥清晨的街道上的活力和24小时开放的长途汽车站。
"There is a doughnut store that opens at 6," said the black man.
“那个甜麦圈店6点开门，”黑人说。
Oh, the doughnut store. The Chinese remembers the store that is connected to the Greyhound terminal. Two women work there, Maria and Xiuying. Maria is from Michocan but she has been in this country so long that she told him he knew more about Mexico than she did. Xiuying is a Cambodian Chinese. He had met them on the 18th when he left for Mexico.
呃，甜麦圈店。中国人想起来那个跟灰狗车站相连的甜麦圈店。店里有两个女人，玛丽亚和秀英。玛丽亚是墨西哥密朝坎人，可是从小就来美国了。她告诉中国人，他这个老中对墨西哥的了解比她这个小墨还多。秀英是柬埔寨华人。中国人18号去墨西哥的时候在店里跟她们聊过天。
Hearing the black man's words, the Chinese felt a little warmth in his heart. He looked into the distant sky where signs of daybreak were showing.
听了黑人的话，中国人心里觉得暖和了一点。他看了看天边露出的曙色。
A car pulled over and a Phillipine woman came out, said something in Tagalog to the Chinese as she passed him, but the Chinese understood she was talking about bus. The woman went to the bus schedule posted on a wall window and examined it.
一辆小汽车在车站边停下。一个菲律宾女人下了车。从中国人身边走过的时候，用它加洛语跟他说了些什么。中国人明白她是在问汽车时刻。菲律宾女人走到墙上贴着时刻表的地方查看。
