cooking, dancing and being spat upon

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It has been a busy week since I wrote last. On Monday a group of us from the hotel hired a van to take us up to an ecological reserve where a number of villages have come together to offer one day or four day hikes from village to village. The drive was about an hour and a half up into the mountains. When we arrived we hired a guide to take us on a vigorous hike, he also identified planets as we walked through a forested area not dissimiliar to British Columbia. One can chose an easy or difficult walk, you can also walk from village to village, on trails where only people walk, sometimes with donkeys. The area is very isolated, is in a cloud forest and is quite primitive. Our group chose a challenging walk which meant climbing up through crevices that had hand holds in the rocks. Our guide was a short barrel chested individual who was used to the high altitudes and strode up and down the narrow paths at a brisk pace, while we gasped for air. We would ask numerous questions in order to slow him down.

The next day, Tuesday, David and I went to our first cooking class which was held in a local home. Apparently it is very unusual for someone to allow people into their kitchens. The woman who cooked the course, was lovely. She is retired accountant, about 50 years old and obviously loves cooking and teaching others. She took us to the little market by her place, where she purchased the ingredients for the meal we were about to cook and then we returned back to her home to cook the best meal I have ever eaten in Mexico. We are hoping to recreate the meal when we get back to Vancouver. We enjoyed the experience so much we are going back on Monday to take another class with her. We were the only students there. Two hours later we went to a salsa lesson. It was through the same school we took the cooking class. It is $5 per couple, on Tuesday and Thursdays. Our instructor gently suggested we might want to take private lessons, so yesterday, Wednesday, we went for our first lesson. What fun. Our instuctor is a short, squarely build Mexican man who completely transforms when he begins to dance, and so do I when I dance with him. David and I going to continue with him. We have decided to stay in Oaxaca for the remainder of our holiday, what with dancing, band concerts, cooking, exploring the countryside, reading, talking with people here, exploring and eating out, we are quite satisfied to stay on.

Yesterday, we ventured into the big market for lunch. I was longing for rose ice cream. David found a stand that was making wonderful juices, and tortas, grilled sandwiches. There were about 20 different kinds of mixed juices to order. One of my favourites is spinach, bananna, pineapple and orange. A little boy, behind us began to sing. We were getting change out to give to him when an elderly woman shoved her hand between us, indicating we should give her money. She would not leave until David told her to leave. For several moments, she cursed at us, meanwhile the little singing boy had disappeared. She left and then returned several minutes later and spat on David and me, she got my shoulder. The owner of the stand and another man yelled at her and then we got our drinks for free. I think I will try to find her again, maybe we can get a meal for free. That is probably enough writing for now. Carol

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