Cascada

Apoala, a charming village (150 people) in the region of the state of Oaxaca known as the Mixteca, was the destination for a group of hikers. A series of cascadas tumbles down a cliff at the edge of the village. Brave souls can even swim in the icy pools! (not me) 
An unexpected treat was a carnival, so there was plenty of food, music, children in funny costumes, and of course fireworks and lots of mezcal (the favored Oaxaca alcohol). 
In many of the villages they have formed a system called tekio, where people donate one year of service for the benefit of the community. Examples are cleaning or maintaining buildings and streets and cooking for community events. Some villages have built cabins and a comedor  (dining room) for visitors since there are usually no restaurants or places to stay. Some of the tekio jobs involve the operation: reservations, cooking, and cleaning. Due to the all night festivities, we were greeted by some very bleary eyed cooks!