Whoa Oaxaca

A few of you will understand the real significance of the title (it's not that good) and I will be proud of you and the rest will always wonder what the heck I am talking about. Which, I believe, is the title of the gosh darn blog anyway. Well being home for about a week now I feel I have had ample time to let soak in that which happened nearly 16 days ago. Is that right? I feel like I have been home forever but that is beside the point.

Well Oaxaca, the city not the state (well I guess the state too) for those of you confused, was an amazing city and our first real taste of Mexico. The Italian tourists that we expected in all of C America never really showed up but here there were plenty of tourists although most seemed to be either Mexican or at least from somewhere in Latin America. We arrived quite early in the morning, say 7, and headed for the Casa Arnel where we would only spend one night but two very full days. That seems to happen when you arrive at a place that early and then plan to leave on another night bus the next day. The hotel and Arnel himself were fabulous. He booked buses, tours, taxis, and sold us bottled water. Early the first day started to explore the city by walking down to the Zocalo for breakfast. This was basically the town square with a huge cathedral on one side. There were churches or church ruins everywhere and I ended up using the colorful steeple next to our hostel as a guiding landmark that soared above all others. Brekky was ok Ash got a wimpy fruit cup for like 3.50 and was peeved but I think it was ok except for that. Walked down to the "largest Indian market" in all of Mexico or something like that and it was huge and had everything but all we bought was half a kilo of tortillas for 3 pesos. Quite a lunch. Notice previously I have the quotes back, that is because I am in the United States and have a normal keyboard. Now that we have that settled... I think we just walked around and kind of shopped all day because the area is known for Mescal and weaving. Two things everyone needs. Ash found a sweet as store that he would later patronize (correct word choice?) that sold all kinds of antiques, mostly catholic saint related and really old and cool looking.

Had a killer dinner at Naranjo a restaurant that Ash and I both found recommended during internet time earlier. Went and splashed out for some Moles (another thing famous in Oaxaca - the freaking food) and fish. Had some beers and some killer food and the chef who has been written up internationally, came by and said hi. Finished off the eve with a walk around the Zocalo which was kicking and having a couple pitchers of beer. Yes, they do have Corona on tap, a first for me.

Steve and I went to Monte Alban a center for the Zapotec people. They were around about the same time as the Maya and still have ancestors in the area that have derivatives of the original language. Like Tikal it was a lot of stone building and pyramid but the stones were so different and it was on the open top of a mountain. Quite interesting but it lost a little of its pizazz for being on our schedule the week after Tikal. Got home and kind of chilled the rest of the day and stuffed ourselves at this restaurant that I don't know the name of but served us enough food to feed about 15 people. We ordered for 2 and it was on 2 plates but I guess we are just wimps because we had to force ourselves to eat it all. Might have been the free guac and chips before the food came???

After a late lunch/early dinner we decided to go to the baseball game that I had seen advertised driving into town. Can you believe our good fortunes at having the Oaxaca Guerreros in the playoffs? And against the Yucatan Leons, their archrivals? Wow. That's all I can say. We got in for 50 pesos and had second row seats. Not bad I would say. We had to leave after the sixth but the crowd was really into it with rah rah cheers and a huge cannon that got shot off for nearly anything and sometimes for no reason at all. Ash got a nut plate for a snack which was awesome and had like 10 kinds of nuts on it and we all wore Guerreros headbands the whole game. Totally sick. Got out of there and boarded what would turn out to be a night bus that had no bathroom, was twenty years old, and drove on the curviest road ever. Headed to Escondido, the Mexican Pipe. Ya know...