Saturday, March 10, 2012

Oaxaca

And now, back to our Mexico trip. After a few days in Mexico City, we went off on a six-hour luxury bus journey to Oaxaca.


On Mexican luxury buses, they encourage relaxation. The seats recline into the lap of the person behind you! 



"Ssssh! Please! People relaxing!" 
We got some dirty looks when we started chatting to our friends Anne and Andrew in the seats across from us. After that it was all stage whispers.


We drove through some beautiful mountains and desert on the highway between Mexico City and Oaxaca...




When we got to Oaxaca, we checked into the Los Pilares Hostal...


As you can see, Gordon had no trouble getting comfy in our room.



What a great little hotel! The place was reasonably-priced, immaculate, quiet, and always filled with fresh lilies. The staff couldn't have been nicer or more helpful!

There is lots to do in and around Oaxaca. We visited several markets and I saw some cute egg holders...






Lots of dried chilies!



A cheese shop. Oaxaca is known for its cheese, which is like young Monterey Jack with a Mozzarella texture.



It took Gordon a while to recover from his mezcal sampling session. As you can, that stuff really takes it out of a guy! :)


And here he is...


...near a mole vendor. 


Who was also selling..


Fried peanuts with chile and garlic, and the ubiquitous fried grasshoppers with garlic. Yum. Not!



And here we have molinillos, the wooden whisks Mexicans use to beat hot chocolate. They com ein different sizes. I brought a medium-sized one home with me!



The stalls at the market each had their own electrical meter.


We stopped at the Italian Coffee Company (a coffee shop chain throughout Mexico) for a little refreshment


I had this cold chocolate drink with whipped cream and a biscotti!



Then we walked around Oaxaca some more. This is a beautiful historic theatre.




This artist was "painting" a nearby church with many skeins of thread and a curved needle. It was amazing watching him work. 



This is the Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán. The clay people outside it are part of an immense art project by Alejandro Santiago called 2,501 Migrants. They represent the 2,500 who have left Santiago's home village of Teococuilco in recent years, in search of opportunity. The 2, 501st person is the artist himself.



Here's a magical tree with fairypuff pink flowers. Anyone know what it's called?



And this guy was playing in the main square and was pretty darn good. Gordon and Andrew thew some money in his basket, so he didn't mind having his photo taken.



Rooster on a pole!



And a platter of Oaxacan meat and cheese specialities. And a bowl of fried greasshoppers.




I preferered the chiles rellenos (stuffed chilies!)


Who is that pale-looking tourist?!


 

 And at the end of the day, we'd all walk back to our hotel, enjoying the Oaxacan night life.

More to come!




21 comments:

  1. You really get out there and mix with the culture. You eat all the good food. You hear stories about don't eat anything local? You hear don't go out at night. It's not safe. Would like to see a post on these issues???

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    1. Okie dokie, I'll get on that!!

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  2. Anonymous8:29 am

    Beautiful and fascinating place. So interesting how they have all that great food yet still eat fried bugs.

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    1. The world is full of mysteries!

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  3. It seems like a very interesting place and so many beautiful pictures. Have a nice sunday.

    Hugs
    Elna

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  4. Sounds like you had a great trip,we get to experience it vicariously through your great pics. Thanks.

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    1. My pleasure! Lots more to come.

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  5. You certainly had a great hols!

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  6. Wow. The primal beauty of the landscape is breathtaking. Plus, the rows upon rows of dried chilies have given me new admiration for the region!

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    1. I wish I could have brought all those chilies home with me. I did bring home some mole sauce and some Oaxaca honey!

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  7. Your trip looks wonderful so far! I envy you eating all that delicious food...and sweets! I have a terrible sweet tooth.

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    1. The bakeries would be my undoing there. The smell alone... droooool!

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  8. Great photos! My parents travelled to Mexico too!

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    1. THere is so much to see there!

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  9. Love that room you stayed in. It looks so 'frenchy'. It must be really buzzin' at your place today. Yah Spring-time. Deb

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    1. It was a really nice room. And my honeybees were going NUTS today!

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  10. I would NEVER have guessed you were in Mexico with some of that European looking historic buildings being around!
    I would have smacked those people in front of you on that coach!

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    1. A very heavy Spanish influence in Mexico City, that's for sure.

      I was so tempted to smack them.

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  11. Hahahaha! I wouldn't blame them. We have a lot of mole damage on our lawn this spring too. Mole sauce, anyone?

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Thank you for all your comments, which I love to read!