Oaxaca Part 1

---

Buenos tardes,

Just a quick entry...post dip in the pool and after a lovely cerveza 😉

As predicted (and promised) Oaxaca is a nice spot to visit. This time of year seems perfect, the rainy season is mostly over so the city is lush and the festivals are in full bloom. Monday when we arrived we had tickets to the 80th annual Guelaguetza (regional dance festival of sorts). On our way up to the hilltop venue we stopped for our first mole. It was delicious! Just as we were finishing the next reservation (local celebrities) had arrived and excused us from our table with photos and a Mezcal shot. Nice to meet the dancers up close!

Walking up the hill was fun too - lots of food to buy on the street. We polished of a small bag of pumpkin seeds....only. The show was good, it seems there are at least 16 different zapotec peoples, each with different language, costume and dance. Your ticket comes with quite a supply kit to ensure you enjoy the show: seat cushion, fan, water bottle, hat, plastic poncho. Probably good since it's a 4+ hour show. The other supplies arrive in the air. Much to our surprise, after each 'act' baskets of produce are thrown through the air, both from above and below. You really need to keep an eye out to make sure you don't take a mango in the head. The crowd just loved this segment! We scored garlic and a small lime.

Sad to say that these canucks did not make the end of the show. After many hours the food on the steps back into town was calling (very little food inside the stage area, if you discount the flying stuff). We ventured into a sort of booth area, with tarps above and plastic tables to eat amongst what must be an extended family. The kids took our order since they had the most english. Was fun and delicious - tacos of long-stewed meat and soup with every animal part there is. We felt worse leaving the show, though when we saw our hosts watching on a 12" tv. Everywhere we went people are proud of their Guelaguetza.

Next morning we headed in for a tour of the botanical gardens. Spectacular and an amazing guide. Who knew all chilis came from the new world! Such neat lessons - that agriculture started about the same time in the new world as the old world, all the kinds of cacti, and that little bugs make a beautiful red dye (the new world's #3 export during hispanic times).

Today was quite an adventure! We don't seem to do holidays without a good ol' transportation strike - today's is for taxis. We headed out with a driver this morning (a non-taxi driver) only to discover all exits had been blocked....taxis everywhere! We managed to 'escape' via an unprotected sidewalk and rerouted towards Monte Alban. This was an ancient zapotec city at the top of a flattened mountain (about 800bc - 500 ad). Amazing views and kudos due to archaeologists for uncovering / restoring the ruins.

Another adventure getting back into Oaxaca, but in the end didn't involve too much walking 😉

Tonight we enjoyed more streetfood and some live music - how romantic!

Adios amigos,

---