 | Oaxaca de Juárez Tree of Tule Reviews | Tips 1 - 6 of 6 |  |
 | |  |  | Tree of Tule: A venerable giant | Tip Rating:   |  |  | |  |
El Tule's ancient ahuehuete (water cypress) tree is reputed to have the largest girth of any tree on earth. It may be, it may not - one thing is for sure - it is one big tree: 58 metres around - that's getting on for 200 feet!! It is also incredibly old - possibly as much as 3,000 years - that means it was already growing when nearby Monte Alban was first being built. It really is a venerable giant and deserves all the attention it gets.
The ahuehuete is Mexico's national tree, and this one is a national monument. Ahuehuetes grow to enormous size and live to a great age. It is thought that the Tree of Tule may the world's largest single biomass. Recent DNA studies of the trunk have shown that it is indeed one single trunk, and not several trunks that have fused together.
For a few pesos one of green-track-suited children will take you for a walk around the trunk and, using a mirror to focus a point of light on the the bumps and whorls of the trunk and branches, they'll show you the creatures and features that are variously identified as a lion, and elephant, a bunch of garlic, a reindeer, etc.
There are six other ancient cypresses around the village, but none of the others can match this one.
Apart from the trees, there's not much else to see in El Tule, the church is nothing very special - though the nuns who sell their almond cookies and bottles of dolce de leche are very sweet and demure and there's a pleasant garden to walk around. Leave a Comment Address: Santa Maria del TuleDirections: Tours to Monte Alban usually include a quick stop here, otherwise you could catch a bus from Oaxaca - it's only 10km and a few cents fare from the city and buses run every 10 minutes or so.
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| | | | Tree of Tule: YOU SEE??? KAMAN!! | | | | | |
Ok, you'll understand the title when you go there...
The Tree of Tule in the town of Santa Maria del Tule (about 10 miles out of town, on the way to Mitla) is BIG...and OLD.
Locals say the tree is over 2000 year old and has a circumference of over 160 feet.
The town itself is a small village, with more greenery than any of the other villages in the area. Fountains, streams, grass and open gardens give the small town an open, relaxing atmosphere.
The tree itself is right next to the beautiful church.
Local children point out unusual figures one can see in the tree. With pocket mirrors reflecting the sun, the guides will point out figures such as the squirrel's tale and Carlos Salinas' ears.
A recent addition to the children's English-language lexicon is pointing out the "butt" of Monica Lewinski, though if asked who she is, the typical response is "an artist."
The kids reflect the mirror into the tree, then say "You See? You See? Kaman!" (come on) and you follow the child to the next part of the tree.
It's quite cute, actually.
Most visitors are on tours to (or from) Mitla, or Teotitlan de la Valle and the Tule tree is just a quick stop. Leave a Comment Directions: approximately 13 km from the city of Oaxaca, on the road to Mitla.
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