I have had SUCH a fabulous time here in Oaxaca City that I truly feel like I have found "home". After I have satisfied my wanderlust--mostly the desire to roam the Yucatan, which I will be doing shortly--I will be wholly ready to come back here to settle and live like a local. That, of course, will be an adventure in itself: finding the right apartment; getting to know how to get around on the buses; how and where to buy a bicycle, etc. Should be interesting, indeed!
So...meanwhile, still seeing the city through the eyes of a tourist, I have continued to enjoy the sights and myriad experiences. The following are the results of such ramblings through this marvelous and magical town!
As always, I love the great assortment of artistic murals:
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For all you cat lovers out there...
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Lovely homage to the front line Covid workers
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The only version of an iguana I have seen thus far this time in Mexico!
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Nature--within and without the city limits:
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On a day hike in the hills above Oaxaca; gorgeous skies are a frequent delight
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I love that this city is in a valley that is surrounded by impressive hills on all sides.
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Woke up one morning to this sky outside of my bedroom window
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I could not find information on the circumference of this trunk, but I would imagine it at LEAST as large as the famous Sequoia in California known as General Sherman. So, maybe 30 feet around? Also, it is presumed to be about 1400 years old... truly one of the great natural wonders of this world! (On the other hand, UNnatural is the wearing of masks all day, every day! At least they now come in a great assortment of designs and colors... I was happy to find this KN95 in lavender!)
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My new young Mexican friend Paola took me to another little town after Tule; this one is called Huayapam, outside the city in the foothills.
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| One of Huayapam's main features is this lake, which functions as a reservoir for the nearby towns. |
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This extraordinary spider was hovering on its web, strung between two trees at lakeside. Is he/she waiting to catch a squirrel?!
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In great abundance: parks, historical architecture, lovely cobblestone streets:
Next: people, food/restaurants, and...dogs! (They DO go together, even if you are not so sure about the canine part...)
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No, this is not in Oaxaca...but I forgot to include this photo in my Mazunte series. This is my friend Steve, who spent my last day in Mazunte with me at the beach. He is planning on living--indefinitely--in that seaside town.
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| Yes, like people, the dogs eat a lot! Thus they are typically quite fat, and since Mexico is pretty hot most everywhere, these canines spend much of their days slumbering away... the siesta is not only for humans! |
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| I happened to stumble upon this "tienda" specializing in artesanal chocolate: organic, humanely sourced, spectacular! This lovely owner/chocolatier spent a good deal of time explaining the whole process--from cacao bean to the multitudinous final products--in Spanish, despite my telling her that I only spoke "un poquito!" Well, clearly she was passionate about the topic...who was I to burst her bubble?! |
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This much I DID understand: cocoa blossoms! She had me sniff... and lo and behold, the cacao plant's flowers do indeed already smell like chocolate!
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I had to include this photo appropos of tiendas (stores, etc.) because of the happy discovery of this hair salon. The other significance is that I FINALLY got my first real hair cut since the pandemic began last March! (if you have been following my INDIAN blog, you will know that the ONLY time I cut my hair in the past several months was when I shaved it all off in the Indian ashram!)
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The woman who cut and styled my hair--Karla--only charged about 40% of what I would have paid for a cut in such an upscale salon. I got the royal treatment at this establishment and was in seventh heaven, as it were! She did a truly fabulous job, as you can see.
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Back to the topic of friends and food: celebrating Carolina's 19th birthday a few days early! I treated her to the famous "Tlayuda" dish at a local restaurant...this version was all vegan and spectacularly delicious! We both got the same thing.
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| The restaurant--Le Campane--had a lovely ambiance, perfect for a tranquil birthday meal. |
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| This bloated canine came in off the street and plopped himself down right inside the entrance of the restaurant! The owner and staff had no problem with this at all... just gotta love Mexico and IT'S love of the pooches, si?! |
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After dinner, Carolina and I migrated over to her favorite cafe for dessert: a berry and chocolate tart for me; a blackberry cheesecake for her. Yummy, indeed!
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| Down in the street below the cafe, we were entertained by this accordion player's lovely traditional music |
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My other new young friend, Paola, enjoys her refreshing drink of orange juice and sparkling water. This is apparently a favorite in Oaxaca: Carolina had the exact same drink at her dinner the other night!
My last Saturday eve in Oaxaca at sunset... a glorious ending to a fabulous two week stay!
As a final treat to the evening, I bought fire roasted plantanas (plaintains) from a street vendor, drizzled with sweet condensed milk.... most delicious, indeed!
So...is it any wonder I want to come back and settle here?!
Coming up in the next series of blog posts: adventures with my friend Julie in the Yucatan! |
Glad I checked in with your blog this afternoon. Your pictures of Oaxaca City look pretty nice! The murals, surrounding hills, architecture and food are all a plus. Great haircut! You look terrific and very happy.
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