Capulalpam

This past weekend I went to Capulalpam de Mendez, a town in the Sierra Juarez mountains. The town is known for its traditional medicine clinic and ecotourism. When we arrived I could not believe how steep everything was. A walk through the town was more of a hike because everything seemed to go up (the pictures will show what I mean). However, the walks were worth it because we had an amazing view and were able to learn more about the traditional medicine clinic. At the clinic we were able to learn what plants they used to create medicine as well as the treatments they provided patients. One of the treatments was the Temazcal. The Temazcal is a traditional cleansing ceremony developed by the Zapotecs. It is meant to help purify your mind, body and spirit. Me and several other classmates decided to do it and it was amazing. The ceremony helped me sweat out all the toxins in my body as well as lift my spirits. I felt rejuvenated when the ceremony was over. It was such a wonderful experience and I would love to do it again.

Capulalpam also has a strong community within it. Often times, the people work together to help deal with issues such as building new roads or creating new jobs for the area rather than ask the government. The community has four sources of income, one of them being the fresh spring water that comes from the mountain. Currently, they are fighting the government because they want to mine near an area that would affect this resource. I have so much respect for this community because they will not back down and continue to fight for their rights.