Fri Feb 6

Today we left the hotel early to get out before the heat and walked to Benito Juarez park and the churro district above it, the site of the first settlement of the city, as legend goes where the Dominican friars dog found water. The park is large and well maintained, and there was a flower show going on. Blocks of vendors selling all kinds of flowers and plants. We found out later it only goes on once a year in early Feb.

From there we walked all over the city, it is small enough to walk most of the historic area, the blocks are somewhat square to it is easy to navigate. We visited several churches, the main Cathedral on the square is very ornate, there is no surface not covered in gold leaf. We ate lunch down in the market at a little booth, the best tacos. After several hours of walking we spent time just sitting in the square watching people, and had dinner at a roof top resturant near the hotel.

FEb 7th

The hotel arranged for a car to take us to Queratero to the airport and the driver thought we should leave at 7am, it was a 1 hour drive for a 10:30 flight, so I think there was some communication problem. It was very cold and foggy, and our flight was delayed an hour, we nearly froze to death waiting in that tiny airport. Our flight was on AeroMar into Mexico City and the Mexicana to Oaxaca, changing from terminal 2 to 1. We had plenty of time but our bags didn't make the trip with us. They were finally delivered to our B&B Sunday afternoon. We called Cameron from the airport, it is the first birthday we haven't spent with him. (:

Our B&B here is very nice Casa de las Bugambilias. When I booked it online I thought it was a strange name, and at the flower show we saw Bougenvilla (not sure how to spell it) and realized what the name meant. The courtyard is full of flowers and vines all in bloom. We had dinner at La Olla a resturant that is attached to the front of the B&B and it was very good. I had black mole tamale, it is not like any mole I have tasted before, very delicate with many layers of flavor.

Sun Feb 8

Our first day in Oaxaca and we spent it walking for miles it felt like. There is one main street that is closed to traffic that leads from the Dominiga church down to the Zocola the main square and it is lined with shops and resturants. We are located near the Dominiga church so we went there first and to the museum next door. It was origionally the convent and until about 15 years ago had gone to ruin, but was restored with the effort and money of Francisco Toledo a local artist and now contains many artifacts from Monte Alban and other items up until the time of Maxmillian. A very funny story I read about Francisco Toledo, he owned a large back tax bill to the Mexican government and after much negotiation they agreed to take payment in artwork, but left it up to him what it would be. He made a series of notebooks full of elaborate and detailed drawings of shit. Every creature known to man and some he imagined all in the process of defecating.

This town is very Mexican, there are a number of tourists, but the majority of people walking around are Mexican. The population is about 400,000 and half are native Zapato and Mixtec. They are very short and very dark. Many women are no taller than Kate. We walked up north a way and saw the remnants of the old aquaducts, went to Benito Juarez home, and had dinner in a resturant down town. Our waiter spoke very good English and he was so pleased when I commented on it. He learned by himself out of a book, and then he taught us some Spanish words. We had three times as much food as we could eat, and one of the ladies asked us something we didn't understand so we nodded and smiled and shortly she came out with the left overs wrapped up. We gave them to one of the beggars on the street who thanked us, I hope we didn't insult her.

Monday Feb 9

We took a tour with a company recommended by the front desk. Our first stop was Monte Alban which sits on the flat top of a mountain about 500M above Oaxaca, It dates from thousands of years BC and has been about 85% excavated. Our guide spoke English and was full of stories. He showed us the tree that makes copal and also the citronella tree and a thistle plant which as a very strong yellow dye as sap. The area has many temples surrounding a central plaza and secret tunnels under the plaza. You can see the tunnel openings but can't go in them. One interesting thing was the acoustics if you clap it echos very loud. We climbed all over and really enjoyed it. The day was overcast so it didn't get too hot.

From there we took a winding dusty dirt road down the mountain and through a tunnel of bamboo. Our driver called it the "Indiana Jones Road" to the village of San Antonio Arrazola where the local craft is "alebrijes' or as Kate & Cam would say , "Nana's toys". They are carved from copal wood and sanded and painted by hand, the workshop was mostly outside with a large area of items for sale. I got a few. Then we drove to the site of Culapan de guerrero an unfinished church and the remains of the finished part that survived the 1985 earthquake.

On our tour was a young woman from Russia now living in Vienna who went to college in the US and traveling alone. Also a couple and their 4 year old from Guadalajara. He is American and she is Mexican, he works for an electronic company here, and is fluent in Spanish. He made the trip fun for us because he could translate the conversation from the others in the bus. There was also a man from Ontario traveling alone, looking for a retirement place.

We stopped at a buffet for lunch, which was very good. They make the best green salsa here, I could eat it with a spoon.

Our next stop was Coyotepec, the village that makes the shiny black pottery. As we watched he threw a large pot, on a pottery wheel that consists of two saucers with rounded bottoms one upside down and the other on top. An older woman decorated a pot using a knife and the plastic top of a pop bottle. The kiln is a large pit fed by wood fire and they fire the clay for 20 days since the temperature is so low.

Tonight we walked around downtown checking out some shops and ended up at the Zocala where there was a live band and people were dancing. There is a crowd and live music nearly every night of the year. We asked her at the hotel what was the festival the first night and he said, no festival it is like that every night. There were also some farmers protesting in the square, we are told it is a national pastime.