San Jose del Pacifico...

...is a beautiful little mountain village that rests atop a very high ridge in the state of Oaxaca. Our first visit there was to break up the tedious seven hour trip from Oaxaca City to the coast on winding narrow roads that make you feel like the speedracer van you are being transported in is sliding into the great abyss of thick white fog that shelters your view of the incredibly steep drop. The quaint village is sprinked with alpaca artesenia, small corn fields, and donkeys. Everywhere you look there are tributes to Maria Sabina and the fungi that flourish up in those mountains, and everyone always has more to offer than just a meal or a room. The pine tree air is so fresh and cool, and very welcomed after the heavy stick of Mexico City. In the evening we sat and ate dinner on the balcony of a restaurant watching the thick layer of clouds below us reflecting the pink, purple and orange hues of the setting sun. I felt like I had found the land where the unicorns roam.
Our second visit was the day after the full moon, and began with Tyler and I cramming into the backseat of a yellow VW bug with a pair from Oakland we met in the back of truck. We loaded up with fresh fruit and tamales and began to ascend, noticing how quickly the environment changes as you climb the mountain, leaving behind the banana trees and mosquitos, and entering the hills that look like they are covered in dark green and burgandy fur. When we arrived we were kindly excorted by a young poet from Puebla into the forest where we could truly experience the magical reputation of San Jose. It is so mystical it makes you feel like you should never talk above a whisper. When the sun went down and the cold set in, we drank bowls of the best hot chocolate I have ever had in my life and got a log cabin style room decorated in peacocks and thick shiny lacquer.
When the moon was high in the sky, we walked up the road and sat on a bench looking down at the village. It reminded me so much of the miniture Christmas town my mom sets up during the holidays, complete with twinkling lights, and cotton ball snow clouds. There´s just something about San Jose del Pacifico that is hard to put your finger on. It you makes you all warm and fuzzy inside and you suddenly find yourself talking to shrubs.