Molés. Tlayudas. Chapulines. These are all typical Oaxacan fare, and quite tasty too. Even the chapulines (fried grasshoppers) were “not bad” — the ones I tried were crunchier than a potato chip but in dire need of more salt. Continue reading »
Considering the way a couple dogs were barking at us like we were masked robbers, I cannot claim that los perros in Mexico are mute like the ones in Panama. However, I also can’t say the dogs were doing a good job of being frightening since their ruckus only prompted me to walk back towards them and take their picture — something Sarah, Widhar and Ojudju would tease me about as we ambled toward Teotitlan del Valle. Continue reading »
Considering the vehicles that have found a home in my garages, one can correctly surmise that I have had a long-time leaning towards European autos. Lately, however, I have developed an appreciation for new Detroit iron flouting Yankee flair, characterized by bold, love-it-or-hate-it lines, macho design cues, and sometimes a bit of nostalgia thrown in for good measure.
Mexico, therefore, was a delectable feast for my eyes. Continue reading »
This evening was the famous festival that made Sarah want to come to Oaxaca in the first place: La Noche de los Rabanos. Rabanos are radishes. What is so exciting about pink and white root vegetables, you might ask? One can carve them into delightful sculptures! Continue reading »
Today we headed to Milta which (according to Wikipedia) is “the second most important archeological site in the state of Oaxaca, and the most important of the Zapotec culture.” Here we explored ruins with a 70-year-old native tour guide who was so proud of the local history that he talked on and on for over an hour. Afterward we ate flautas and quesadillas that were grilled outside the ruins, a welcome reprieve for my weary Spanish-to-English translating mind.
Sarah absolutely loved the tour, but what turned out to be more exciting for me was a 1.5-hour, second-class bus ride back to Oaxaca. Continue reading »
After hiking in the Sierra Norte, we came back to Oaxaca for a lower-key day. First on the agenda was taking a cooking class that included a trip to the local market and making salsa verde asada, sopa azteca, chiles en nogada, and flan de coco. Next, we went down to the Zócalo and looked at exhibits about evolution and earthquakes inside a free museum. Then I attended a wonderfully relaxing late-evening yoga class while Sarah did some shopping. Finally, we ended the night by having dinner at Biznaga — a Oaxacan restaurant where we could finally eat some vegetables — with Ron, an Israeli diplomat whom I met at yoga and invited to eat with us.
For more about the cooking class, here’s a write-up by Sarah. Continue reading »
