Cafe La Brujula-two free cookies in one day? You're building expectations.

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Yesterday I met up with my new friend Rachel and her travel buddy, Janelle, at the Mercado Pochote, el mercado organico, for Rachel's birthday. We sipped tejate (http://www.go-oaxaca.com/newsletter/tejate.html) and sampled mezcal (http://www.oaxaca-restaurants.com/mezcal.htm). Vendors are generous with their samples - so maybe you'll buy more? They have everything from young and aged, con gusano to jamaica, cafe, and mandarina infused - of course all organic.

After, I went on a search block-by-block of a 2-mile radius to find the hospital Alicia works at. Disheartened, I walked into the Zocalo, where I ran into Dr. Chris. I was happy to exchange one biologist for another, and we took a seat at a restaurant, where I got to hear more about his Guatemalan wife and sons, was scolded on my improper use of "quiero," heard more comical stories, and was finally convinced, somehow, after ten minutes of debate to walk up to the man surrounded by a crowd painted all in silver doing a terrible impression of a robot-to drop a peso in his bucket so he could robotically look me up and down and robotically hump the air, magically move his hat up and down with his eyebrows. Chris thinks its hilarious when the bad robot man is inappropriate.

I met up with Alicia later on, along with Rachel and Janelle, and we all made our way over to Cafe Bar Central-where we found out a circus was going to perform inside. In the Cafe Bar, Alicia and I were discussing whether or not she should come to Mazunte this upcoming Saturday when we noticed how familiar the circus group looked...we looked closer...and hah "I swear that boy was at Mazunte! I saw him three days ago! I saw him on the street today, he recognized me! Ask him Alicia!!" and she asked...and it was true...then the man dressed as a magician looked familiar and .... "Ahh! Its the Argentinian!" The group was from Mazunte! ..."Alicia! There's your oregon man!" ...."That girl! Yes her..I saw her on the beach four days ago!".....And so we watched the performance of our new friends and acquaintences...who were so calm and tranquil in Mazunte....and now so animated and entertaining!

I mean like riding unicycles while juggling knives, playing trumpet and cracking jokes. The magic show was good...really good! "That man? That's the man that sells mota cake on the beach! He's so lively!"

See, Mazunte is 6 or more hours away, through the mountain range, to the ocean...it's not just down the street you know. And Oaxaca is a big city, and we chose this place (as usual).

And so...I think the stars aligned. I think we're heading back to Mazunte...because if that's not a sign...




+ on the way to Cafe Bar Central, in the middle of Macedonio Alcala....there was a car show. A big bright, ridiculous car show. As big and bright and pimped as any makeshift car show on a Saturday night in the San Fernando Valley-the contrast between the young and wealthy of the city and their impoverished community members- selling chicle and flowers behind the cars on the sidewalk-was stark and unavoidable. That's an important element of this city-full of art and diversity, noise and energy-incredible wealth butting up against incredible poverty, and their coexistence is blatantly awkward and yet normal.

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Photos

Jessie
pan y bici...perfecto!