After leaving Colombia, we moved to Oaxaca, Mexico for 6 weeks. Why Oaxaca? One reason only: the food. We read how amazing Oaxacan food is and decided that if we were going to spend time in Central America, we were going to spend time in a place where we could eat the most amazing food possible. We were not disappointed.
- There is a large expat community in Oaxaca that lives in the outer suburbs. We actually stayed in a beautiful community north of the town center called San Felipe del Agua. We lived one block away from the main town square where the bus would come every day to take us to the city center 20 minutes away.
- Buses cost 30 American cents, but seriously make you fear for your life. The wonderful Colombian bus drivers who would wait until pregnant women or women with babies/kids were seated are nonexistent in Oaxaca.
- You don’t get sick of Mexican food. We would eat 10-12 tortillas PER DAY. Fresh, handmade tortillas at every meal.
- There are a lot of stray dogs in Oaxaca. They usually roam around in packs and largely leave you alone. They kind of walk around the neighborhood as if they have every right to be there, as if they are just leaving their house, going for a leisurely walk to the corner store.
- There is an entire aisle in the supermarket devoted to different varieties of smoked peppers. An entire aisle!
- Oaxaca’s colonial cosmopolitan center is amazing. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. The brightly-colored, flat-roofed buildings made me so happy. The Zocalo, or the main square, was a bustling, brightly-colored confluence of Oaxacan artisans selling embroidered shirts, painted calavera skulls, mezcal, special shamanic lotions and potions, brightly-colored wooden creatures, leather belts, among all of the food offerings.
- We were lucky to have been in Oaxaca during the Day of the Dead (Dia de Muertos) Festivities. What an amazing holiday. In Mexico, Dia de Muertos (which occurs on Nov 2, All Souls' Day, but festivities start on October 31st) is a holiday where families celebrate together the lives of those deceased. They erect altars in their homes and decorate them with papel picado (the brightly colored, cut-out paper), cempasuchil (marigolds), sugar skulls, pan de muerto, and any other foods/drinks their deceased loved ones loved (i.e. mezcal (a drink similar to tequila), mole, chocolate). Children celebrate this holiday as well, and they learn, from a very young age, that death is not scary, that family members will always be with them even after death and especially on November 2. We were lucky enough to go to the largest city cemetery in Oaxaca the evening of November 2 and saw several families paying homage to their loved ones at their graves.
- An estimated 48% of the Oaxacan population is indigenous and there are 16 different indigenous groups represented. One day, Billy and I decided to go to the Zocalo in the colonial center of Oaxaca to buy some Christmas presents. On our way there, we ran into a protest consisting of several groups of indigenous peoples (all wearing their traditional dress) who were protesting their rights to representation in the government. It was amazing to be surrounded by so many indigenous people speaking their own language and in their traditional dress. But to tell you the truth, the best part of stumbling upon that protest was that Billy and I were one of the tallest people around. I could look over a sea of dark heads to see my husband's blonde one towering over every one. Why is this so important? Because we're short: I'm 5'3" and he's 5'8". It is very rare that we are the tallest people in a room, let alone a very populated street.
- While walking through the protest, several of the older women protesting would comment in their native language about baby Roman. I was wearing him in my Ergo and his little fat white legs were hanging out. 20+ women must have touched and rubbed his legs. Although I couldn't understand what they were saying, the smiles and wistful look in their eyes made me feel that they thought he was chunkily adorable. Our tour guide, Jose, told me that for a lot of the indigenous population, seeing white people is a rare occurrence. So, it's understandable that they would want to linger and look at Roman.
- Most Mexicans refer to people with lighter skin as "guero" (gwe-do). At first, when people would refer to my husband and kids as "guero," I thought it was an insult (as gringo is used sometimes). But, they use it for anybody, Mexican or not, with lighter skin.
- Hierve el Agua is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. It is a natural rock formation that resembles a beautiful waterfall. If you're ever in Oaxaca, I would recommend the hour-long ride out there to bath in the natural pools and stare out at Hierve el Agua.
Special thanks to my dearest friend, Sherrie, for supplying the majority of these pictures. She travels a ton as well. Go follow her @thetravelinggoddess.