I teamed up with a French couple and headed into the Sierra Norte "Cloud Forest" mountains outside Oaxaca for a two day trek. As the rainy season had just ended, the mountains were a lush green and the Spanish moss hanging from the trees gave the place a mystical feeling. This was enhanced by our local Zapotec guide. He pointed out and explained the uses 
of loads of plants, including a plant that he said cures hangovers and takes the desire to drink alcohol away - I can certainly see a use for the first part, not sure about the second.
After spending the night in a cabin in a remote mountain village, our second day of trekking brought us down into a valley where men were panning for gold and silver in a river, just like the old days (a lot of this area feels well behind the times).
I really enjoyed the remotness of the hiking - in two days the only other person who passed us was a blind old man who lives in one of the lower villages and was walking up to one of the higher ones to sell his random collection of stuff.
It was a great two days, and a nice change from towns and cities.
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