We had to leave Mexico early Sunday morning, and we flew back to Mexico City from Oaxaca around noon. We had a whole afternoon left. We ended up going to a really fun place - from the Zocalo - the huge main square in Mexico City - we saw the Templo Mayor. It is the only remaining Aztec temple in the center of Mexico City, and it has a really great museum to go with it. The atmosphere was quite happy and festive, with lots of Mexican teens on a field trip to see the place, and families, and people from [View Full Entry]

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We took a day trip with a private guide on our last day in Oaxaca. He took us to the Friday market at Ocatlan. This market was fairly overwhelming. With the guide along, we never really felt like it was OK to stop and buy something, or to explore. It kept feeling like we were rushing through the market, to get somewhere - and then suddenly, it was over. We had "seen" the market, but we hadn't really seen it because we spent most of our time trying to follow our guide through the crowded stalls. Next, we saw a gorgeous [View Full Entry]

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The days that we spent in Oaxaca were, for the most part, very leisurely. This beautiful colonial town is perfect for long strolls, with its Spanish colonial architecture, broad plazas, ancient churches, and delectable food. It feels that there is an equal part traveller or Spanish student for every native Mexican here. As many people are here studying in language schools, it is easy to find people who will converse with you solely in Spanish. So I had lots of opportunities to practice. Oaxaca is also a central location for artists in this area, and many boutiques along the pedestrian dra [View Full Entry]

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We spent four fantastic days in Oaxaca, and it is known for its food. so this entry will be all about the food! Friday March 6 Los Danzantes Modern restaurant with open sky atmosphere, great service, very popular. duck tacos with slices of avocado and a smoky salsa hoja de hierba santa relleno con queso de “goat”, in a sweet sauce black bean soup with Chiapas cheese, masa dumpings, and onions. Sopa azteca atmosphere - outdoor once inside, fountains/pools, chill music, best bar set up Thursday March 5th Casa Crespo served in the courtyard of a B&B Each dish introd [View Full Entry]

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March 2nd 2009 We had an early wakeup call for our day tour to Teotihuacan. It’s a long drive from the D.F., so we decided to take a bus tour. Our tour consisted of 2 Honduran ladies, one American, 2 Brazilian guys, and 4 French people. Only the French people didn’t share a common language with us - not even Spanish - otherwise, we chatted with everyone. Teotihuacan was not what I expected. It is very restored, a lot of concrete. Metal railings guide you up the sides of the pyramids. If Tikal makes you feel like Indiana Jones, Teotihuacan makes [View Full Entry]

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Today was serendipitous in the extreme. While we had planned to take the Turibus around Mexico City’s main sites, the main thoroughfare was closed to auto-traffic so the only available route was the southern route. The turibus was as advertised its own adventure. it's a great deal, taking you all around town, and you can get off and on as many times as you want in a day. It's a double-decker bus and riding topside is called "the canopy tour". Mexico City has many trees and I did in fact get whacked in the face by a big tree branch. Our [View Full Entry]

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We arrived in Mexico City to be greeted by Sharid Saná and her boyfriend. It was such a joy and relief to see the big pink sign with my name on it. I literally jumped for joy. Sharid could not be a nicer person, and although we were stuck in traffic for an hour and a half, she was very good-natured and we talked about bellydance most of the way, talking about teachers we've taken with and workshops we've attended. I had made up a little present of the By Dancers for Dancers 4 DVD, and I was thrilled that she [View Full Entry]

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We just got back from a week-long trip around NoCal. We were in Napa to begin with for three days. Then we spent a brief period of time in Sacramento for a wedding. Afterwards, we drove back to Sonoma for more wine, food, and hiking - and then ended our trip in San Francisco. I didn't write extensive journals and the USA isn't that exciting to read or even write about (for me), so just a few notes here. Day by Day Thursday July 24th Key Memories • Oxbow Public Market - Pica Pica - Arepas rock! I never had venezuelan [View Full Entry]

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Man, if I lived here, I would be a little piglet in no time. The food here is so fatty, fried, and sugary. The major cause of death is diabetes and heart disease. And I look around and everyone is partaking in it. Depending on genetics, people seem to be really thin here...or not. But no one is obese like in the US. But I sure would be if I lived here. With the sun and the fatty food, I would soon become a crispy pata - fried up & fatty. We had a short lunch in the cafeteria. Even cafeteria [View Full Entry]

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Yesterday, Dona and I went on a great adventure. We went to Corregidor Island. This is a small island, shaped like a tadpole, in Manila Bay. It has been used to protect Manila Bay since the Spanish. As such, it was the scene of many battles in WWII. First, the Japanese struggled to take Corregidor, the last place in the Philippines to fall into their hands. Then, the Americans had to take it back, after first winning many other battles in the Pacific. General MacArthur vowed "I Shall Return" and despite the opposition of America's president, he did so at last. [View Full Entry]

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