Santa Maria del Tule, Oaxaca //
Having decided yesterday to stay an entire week here at El Rancho RV Park, I can feel myself reach a level of relaxation today that I’ve not yet experienced since being in Baja months ago. That decision has gifted us the luxury of time. Time to cook, time to work, time to explore, time to socialize. Being the person that I am, I want to be sure and use that time wisely and so first thing this morning I make a list of all I’d like to do today. It begins with writing and yoga, my favorite way to start a day. After preparing and eating breakfast, I move over to the pavilion by the pool, that is slightly cooler than our eighty-eight degree camper, and devote a few hours to work. I begin tackling a fun project that I haven’t had time to devote to until now and get excited by the progress I make in just a couple of hours.
At 3:00pm we lock up the campers and the four of us head out for a walk around town. After meandering about the town streets we arrive at the square, the centerpiece, and showpiece, of every Mexican town. The cleanest, prettiest, and most colorful buildings can always be found near the square. Here, the grounds are meticulously manicured with mowed green grass and perfectly trimmed hedges. At the center of it all stands Árbol del Tule (The Tree of Tule), a Montezuma Cypress estimated to be somewhere around 1400 years old. This magnificent tree is said to have the stoutest tree trunk in the world at 137.8’ in circumference. Árbol del Tule is given wide berth and protection by a wall and wrought iron fence. For $20 pesos ($1 US) you can enter the fenced area and get up close with this ancient tree. Mark and I choose to remain outside the perimeter. My 28mm camera lens is barely wide enough to fit the massive trunk, even from outside the fence. It’s mind-blowing to consider this tree having existed 31 times the amount of my lifetime.
Our search for a place to eat dinner lands us at Santa Elvira, a basic restaurant not far from the square. The language barrier combined with the muffling caused by the mask our server is wearing leaves us bewildered while ordering. The server’s several follow-up questions don’t make it any easier. It never fails that going out to eat in Mexico is an adventure in itself. Heather ends up with a cucumber drink rather than lime and Mark somehow ends up with two giant entrees, a surprise chorizo tlayuda in addition to the mole enchiladas he ordered. Mark can hardly get through the generous portion of mole he is served, let alone go on to touch the massive tlayuda. It’s then that Adam pulls two gallon ziplocks from his backpack and hands one to Mark. He came prepared after the last restaurant we visited did not have to-go containers.
At sunset we make our way back to camp while raving about the blissful seventy-five degree temp. So far, Oaxaca has the best weather we’ve experienced in all of Mexico and it’s for that reason that I begin to wonder just how long we’ll stay. Oaxaca is allowing us to do what we love most, truly be in a place, rather than just travel through it. As the day winds down, I feel a renewed sense of gratitude for the opportunity to be here. Our good fortune is beyond measure.
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The focal piece of Santa Maria El Tule is this tree, known as Árbol del Tule, and estimated to be somewhere around 1400 years old. 
Árbol del Tule is said to have the stoutest tree trunk in the world at 137′ in circumference. 
We made friends with more dogs than I could possibly count. 
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The grounds at the town square are beautifully manicured! So pretty! And the tree is massive! It looks like Adam and Heather were inside the perimeter of the fencing. It appeared to be siesta time for the dogs! I like the picture of the lady leaning on the car. 🚗 She was posing for you! So nice you had a stress free day 😁