Roll On

It's become very interesting to me that I can walk around for an hour here and have like 6 pages worth of writing to report. Today's news: It's hot outside. That's all.
JUST KIDDING!
So I planned my trip here at the worst possible time, or so I've learned. From what I've read and been told every year for 2 weeks at the end of May the teachers go on strike. I'm pretty sure it's only the teachers within the state of Oaxaca but from the looks of it it might be more. What happens (from what I'm witnessing) is that all the teachers gather in the city to fight for higher wages, and by fight I just mean occupy. So think back to months ago, if you're an American, when all the 1% or 99% or whoever they were decided to "occupy" places like Wall Street and the likes to complain about how we're all poor. Same concept only instead of going to their respective homes at night these people are here 24/7.
The first day I arrived in Oaxaca was the day after the strikes started. The main reason we went to the cafe instead of the hotel first is that most of the roads in the area are blocked off so that these teachers can pitch tents and things.
Now I'm all for people getting paid better wages and things, I'm also a big fan of teachers. I am not however a fan of protests ruining my day.
The last time I was in Oaxaca I learned the route from the cafe to the mercado by heart. Today I tried to utilize that knowledge and ran into a giant snafu in my plan, navigating the Zocalo and the area around it is nearly impossible unless you've been there a million times and know it by heart. Well I don't know the Zocalo by heart, I only know what I'm supposed to see when there aren't a million weird tents and vendors and people there like there are right now. I need a clear path to recognize where I'm going. Today there was no clear path, and I was lacking a map. So I decided to come back closer to the hotel to shop. I managed to buy 1 item and it was a t-shirt which is only funny because I seriously own like 90 t-shirts.
The thing that broke my heart the most though about my walk was the feeling that washed over me knowing that walking through those narrow paths between blue tarps and ducking under the rope they're hung with is what it must be like in areas of natural disaster. I suddenly felt my heart sink for the people caught in Katrina who didn't have anywhere else in the world to go, for the people who have been stuck in terrible earthquakes and lost everything, for the people who lived in Hoover ville in the 1930's (or 20s) during the depression when they built a "shanty town" in Central Park. It suddenly made sense to me and I then wondered why all of these teachers would want to live like this if they didn't actually have to. I get the idea that it's supposed to be an inconvenience, that's the point of protesting but still, wow, I mean it's like living below any poverty level I've ever seen.
Granted there are a lot of 3rd world countries that probably see that as above the poverty level and that breaks my heart.
I read a post on www.lonelyplanet.com the other day about the strikes and someone was posting a warning for travelers in Oaxaca that this is a bit of a pain and a complete eye sore. After walking the streets for the hour that I did, I completely agree.
Never mind the port-o-johns on the streets or the 4 foot pile of garbage on the street corners, or the smell of piss that fills the normally clean fresh air. It's scary for someone who's on their own and isn't 100% familiar with the city. It's really overwhelming. So if anyone is reading this and planning on coming to Oaxaca in the next week and a half, or this time next year just be prepared. It's do-able you just have to plan ahead. Which I sadly did not do.