Oaxacan Life: Part 10-- Simple Pleasures (Placeres Simples)!

 As I settle into the routines of my daily life here, I find myself infinitely appreciative of the most basic, simple pleasures. Owing to the ongoing tedium of our year-plus world pandemic, I am beyond grateful for my ability to escape the restrictive aspects of the city and high-tail it into the hills and countryside. Accessing these places on foot or by bicycle, I revel in the joys that nature bestows upon us. Equally enjoyable is my weekly swim in the lovely pool that is--miraculously--still open. Of course, like everywhere one goes in public, there is the requisite social distancing, spraying down of body and backpack, temperature-taking and mask-wearing. A nuisance, to be sure, but now a habit--a matter of course-- to be endured. Clearly, so many of the activities we used to take for granted now seem like great privileges. Thus it is that, with much gratitude, I share my appreciation for both my weekly/daily routines as well as the fine, exceptionally sweet moments with friends. (Moments, as you can see, that include outdoor activities as well as dining experiences.) Visually then, you can glimpse a snippet of my "normal" life here in this magical place! 

Swimming is a passion and a joy... here I am, happy after my hour-long swim in the tranquil pool at Aquarella. (Mostly a swim school, it has a larger pool for lap swimming.) Locals and expats alike take advantage of this Junior-Olympic-sized pool. Cost: 100 pesos for a 1 hour swim, or about $5.00. Furthermore, they play awesome piano music-- generally classical, but sometimes ragtime! (What a wonderful contrast to the horrible rap "music" they played at CA. Fit. in Sacramento... one of the main reasons I quit that membership!)  

On a bike ride in the hills of San Felipe, a "colonia" north of Oaxaca centro. I try to ride twice a week--on Sundays, generally with the expat bike group; one day a week, on my own. This encounter with a cow herder (along with dogs and donkeys!) is not unusual on these semi-country roads. It is a joy to be able to find some roads--like these in the hills--that are mostly free of traffic, other than bicyclists and creatures hoofin' it! 

My young friend and cycling companion, Paola. She looks out over Lake Huayapam, a great destination in the hills above Oaxaca. After a stroll along the lake and photographing the ducks and geese, we enjoyed quesadillas at a little lakeside restaurant. 

A little hard to make out, but I was fascinated by how these geese like to nap by tucking their heads into the feathers of their backs. The advantage of a long neck, clearly! How ingenious, truly, having your feather pillow be part of your own body! 

A charming little park on the outskirts of Oaxaca... a perfect rest stop before cycling back to town. This weekday, solo ride of mine takes about two and a half hours round trip. 

View of the farmland and countryside as I roll along....

I stop to photograph a herd of goats on my way back to town. It is so great that, in about half an hour, I can be out of the city and riding down country lanes with these kinds of delightful views of farmlands, its creatures, and the mountains in the background. 

One of my great pleasures these days: teaching English online to students all over the world! I have students in Spain, The Netherlands, Germany, Brazil, Turkey and the U.S. I teach 15 - 20 hours weekly, so it keeps me productive. I am earning some nice-- albeit modest--supplemental income to my California teaching pension. 

The following series is of one of my favorite hikes with my favorite hiking companion, Elvira. On this particular day, we hiked to a spot with the best view overlooking all of the Oaxacan valley-- "point of the cross". It involves much climbing-- both up and down! Quite a grand adventure. 

Yours truly and Elvira, triumphant, at the top!

We were joined at the cross by a family... one of the youngsters took the photo of us here, with their siblings, in front of the giant cross. 

We had quite a great--and clear--view of the valley below on this particular day. 

I challenged Elvira to some fun rock scrambling to get to our peak destination!

At the top is a decrepit, defunct building of some odd sort. I loved this shot of a group of youngsters admiring the view as their feet dangled below them! 

Up and down stairs through a small locale on our way to the cross... we both really felt the results of our efforts in our quads and calves the next day! 

Yes, these stairs are absolutely as steep as they appear in this photo!

On another, solo hike to my normal destination on top of the closest peak of El Fortin...what a delight it was, reaching this cross and finding it so colorfully decorated. (Presumably for one of the myriad religious-Catholic--festivities celebrated in Mexico...not sure which one...there are SO many!)

Another simple pleasure: a new "do"! In order to stay "cool" as the Oaxacan temps rise, I revert back to my short hairstyle. A splurge: I also do color with highlights. 4 hours after I entered the upscale salon (where I indulge in one of my few real luxuries), I finally depart, $65 poorer but infinitely happier! (Just a side note: the equivalent treatment in NYC--per one of my English students-- is about four times this amount!) 

Of course, no one can deny that one of the most basic, simple pleasures in life is food! Most of the time, I cook at home and enjoy my simple, basic, vegetarian fare. However, about once every couple of weeks, I treat myself to a meal out with a friend. One can enjoy quite a good meal for 200 pesos, or approximately $10 U.S. You would pay more for fine dining, but there are a multitude of simple cafes and humble restaurants that serve excellent fare, so more upscale establishments are completely unnecessary (and certainly not in my budget!) Here, I am enjoying wonderful meals with various friends...definitely ranking among the finer moments I experience in Oaxaca!

Yes, my love of chocolate is alive and well!

This was a particularly excellent chocolate cake...

My chili relleno, beans and rice... and Patti in the background there, enjoying herself thoroughly as well! 

"Brunch Babes"-- a monthly event, more or less!

Sharing a great meal with Elvira & Tanya

Me & Etty (daughter of friends in the UK, just visiting briefly)

More of an extravagant pleasure: I support my local chocolatier--Antonio--by buying his extraordinary chocolate. This one--my favorite--has coco nibs. All of his chocolate is organic, fair trade, and the BEST chocolate I have EVER eaten in my life, I am not kidding you! It is positively divine. (And better be, at almost $5 a bar!)

A true simple pleasure, this gorgeous medley of (mostly) organic produce only cost me about $16 for ALL of it! The fruit is not organic...all the veduras (veggies)--and soy milk--are. Since I rarely eat out, I am eating quite healthfully at home, and enjoying it greatly!

And finally, at the end of a satisfying day, nothing beats the simple pleasure of the phenomenal view from my terrace. The clouds put on an almost daily show at dusk; the sunsets are frequently magnificent; a lovely breeze blows up here and I can finally cool off! When the night lights come on down below, the scene is quite magical and peaceful. I linger for awhile, then--quite content--descend back down to my cozy apartment. 

And so wraps up a "day in the life"; "la vie quotidienne"; "vida diaria".   Life is good! Not perfect---nothing ever is---but good. I am ever-grateful for this goodness.