Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Consider this statement: "You are extremely unlikely to ever see another tree trunk of such vast girth." (Lonely Planet, 9th ed. pg. 726) What does it mean? That no other tree trunk of such vast girth is known to man? That there is a tree with a more vast trunk-girth but it's located in an incredibly remote area? That I'm going to die soon? Seriously, is this the widest tree in the world or not? I mean, I'm no big-tree novice. I've driven through a redwood, after all. And if there's a bigger tree out there, maybe I'd rather just wait and see that one.

But we decided to visit El Tule anyway. It may not necessarily be the biggest tree, but it's claimed to be the biggest biomass, and that's something. "Biomass." I guess because it's teeming with other critters? That makes me think of Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose and I like that. (...anyone?) And it's old, between 2000 and 3000 years old, and that's nothing to sneeze at.

We had to go out to the second-class bus station to get a bus to the town of El Tule, home of the tree. El Tule is ten kilometers away from Oaxaca. Ten kilometers... remember that. Outside the loose circle around the zocalo, Oaxaca loses its quaint cobblestones and starts to look just like the rest of small-town Mexico. But its sidewalks are just as narrow, and thus extremely crowded. We threaded single-file through people and dogs for about thirteen blocks or so until we got to the bus station.

As soon as we stepped out where the busses are, they had us pegged. "Tule?" Of course... what else would a couple of gringos be doing at the second-class bus station? "Cuanto cuesta?" Michael asked. They waved us onto the bus and seemed to be telling us we could pay (the unspecified amount) later. There were two other passengers on the bus. We sat there for about twenty minutes until the driver got on and we were off. The station's lot was made of a pothole, but once we struggled out, all was fine.

After driving two blocks, we stopped for another twenty minutes or so, on a long street crowded with busses. We baked in the sun until the bus filled to capacity and then some. Then we were off again, gasping gratefully at the dusty air that blew in through the windows. After a long while, the conductor folded his way through the crowd collecting our fares. Seven pesos for the two of us. We got to El Tule over an hour after we first took our seats.

Well, it's a big tree all right. Very impressive. What can I say? Oh - it's an ahuehuete cypress. And it's at risk from a dwindling water supply, which is not good.

If you go, little kids in green sweatpants and t-shirts that proclaim them as volunteer guides will offer to give you a tour. Take it! We didn't, and regretted it when we saw the tour given to a French tour group. The little tour guide led the way around the tree, speaking in French and directing the eye by reflecting sunlight onto the tree with a small mirror. All I understood was something about Brigitte Bardot, but the tour group was in stitches and afterwards they swarmed the girl with tips and pens. (Ah, the pen phenomenon.)

The trip back was much less frenetic. There were some Japanese backpackers on the bus with us, but they did not give us the Gringo Nod. I fell asleep.

The massive amounts of dust I breathed in on that trip came back to haunt me in the night. I couldn't stop coughing for anything, and that is a shame in this aural Mystery Spot we're sleeping in. I truly felt for my neighbors. But mostly myself, because every time I'd start to fall asleep, I'd wake up unable to breathe. But then Michael rubbed my hair for me and that worked. Thanks, Michael.

 

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2nd Class bus station, Oaxaca.

A Black Madonna available for a quick pre-trip worship at the bus station.

Autotransportes Valle del Norte bus to Tule.

El Arbol del Tule.

Sure is a big tree.

Yup, a big tree all right.

Michael in front of El Arbol del Tule.

A French tour group and the guia voluntaria.

Michael with guides. Photo taken by another child guide, who took great pains to get it perfect.

I feel bad for the tree in the church's backyard. I mean, it's almost as big, but do you think anyone pays 3 pesos to see it?