Roma, Mexico

Last night I had some very minor drama with the front desk. When I checked into my room on Saturday I was thrilled that it was on the 10th floor and had a great view. I was bothered initially by the smell of smoke in the bathroom, where someone had obviously been smoking even though the hotel (I thought) is non-smoking. But I just bought some lavender spray and opened the windows. But then Saturday night I had a hard time sleeping as some very loud rock music and other noise from the street was still making its way up 10 stories and through the closed windows of my room.

I got up Sunday morning with very little sleep, but I seemed okay, even after my marathon walk to the Basilica.

Thinking that the live music was maybe only Saturday night and not wanting to give up my view, I didn't say anything.

But Sunday evening, the music started again. It was really heavy, almost punk-like music, with lots of drums and heavy guitar and shouting. After several hours of it, I knew I would not be able to sleep another night, so I went to the hotel and in my best Spanish asked if I could change rooms. The front desk clerk told me in his best Spanish that it was not possible, and I'd have to wait until the next day after 2 (check-out).

I came back up to my room and the noise continued and I became more and more agitated. After another few hours, I went back again and said in my best Spanish, "I don't want to be difficult, but I don't understand why I can't change rooms today." It seemed like there were many empty rooms in the hotel.

After a little back and forth, him asking me why I didn't advise them earlier and me stating that I didn't know there would be music on Sunday night, he finally relented and sent the security guy up with me to assist (I guess) me in changing rooms.

So now I am on the 6th floor in a no-smoking room in the back where it is very quiet and I don't have a very nice view, but I don't care. I'd rather sleep than look out the window.

So this morning rested up, I set off after breakfast to find something to do. First I went to the neighborhood I stayed last time I was here to see if I could set up a facial. The place where I had my chocolate facial is now a family clinic. Scratch that idea.

Then I decided to walk to Roma, a neighborhood not too far from here. It's a lovely, tree-lined neighborhood with deco and other ornate buildings and this weird statue of Michaelangelo's David (a bad reproduction in a park). I sat down in the park and watched the goings on. Some school kids were hanging out, some chatting, some playing football. People were walking their dogs, sitting on benches, one guy was smoking pot and a small film crew was filming what looked like a scene from a novela (soap opera). The scene started with several people walking past the camera and then a guy walking in the other direction. A young woman ran up behind him and grabbed his shoulder and they both sat down. They had a serious discussion and then the woman got up and walked away forlornly. The guy sat there looking very distraught and then he got up, looked in the direction the woman went and then walked the other way. They did this twice. It was kind of cool to see.

I walked a bit through Roma, but didn't see anything else of interest, so I headed back to my hood. I went to a little artesania market but got tired of people trying to lure me in with "I'll give you a good price" and so I left. I needed to pee, so I headed towards Starbucks.

On the way I passed a Korean restaurant (apparently my neighborhood is now heavily Korean) and saw they had kalbi-jim, a spicy stew that my friend Jennifer recommended I try when I was in Korea, but I couldn't find it. I thought it was too early for lunch, so first I went to Starbucks, used their bathroom and had a cold fruit beverage.

After that I went to the Korean restaurant and tried to decode the menu which was in Spanish and Korean. I couldn't figure out where the kalbi-jim was, so when the waiter came, I asked him. Turned out they didn't have it (even though they had a picture of it outside). He recommended a soup with ribs and vegetables. It was quite good and nice to get some veggies, which were mostly greens.

After that, I walked down Reforma to see about renting a bike but the bike rental place was closed. I was striking out big time today. I decided to head home and take a nap and on the way passed a paper shop and went in to see about getting a tube for the posters I bought.

I said, "necisito un tubo" - I need a tube. The woman told me it was called a "tubo portaplano", which I knew but forgot. Years ago when I went to Cuernavaca I bought a poster and needed a tubo portaplano and went crazy until I finally found one. It's not like in SF where I can get everything at Walgreens.

Well anyway, they didn't have them at this store and she told me where I could get one, but I was too tired and came back to my hotel where I read some news, did some e-mail and finally went back out again.

I found the shop I was directed to which was a kind of package, mail place. They had all sorts of boxes, bubble wrap, etc. They had what I wanted, but it was too long, so the guy cut it down for me. Now my posters will stay uncrumpled in my suitcase on the trip home.

I came back to the hotel and watched some TV, ah, but first stopping and getting a taco. I discovered this great taqueria on the corner where I can sit and watch people go by. I love watching the assortment of people - lots of young gay couples holding hands, and at this time of day, there were also a lot of office workers, as well as an assortment of many other kinds of people.

I got a beef taco which comes with fried onions and some french fries (on the taco). I also got cheese, and it was kind of like a Philly Cheesesteak taco. I thought it would be a great thing to sell for those on low carb diets!

After watching a little TV, I decided to try this Italian restaurant nearby for dinner. It's called Italianni's. I had a salad, which was good, and a glass of wine, which was good, and linguini fra diablo, which was not good at all. The spaghetti seemed overcooked or something and the sauce was not that cook. I was hugely disappointed. Plus the service was really weird. I could not quite put my finger on why it was weird, but it was. And on top of it boxing was on the big screen right in front of me. What a stupid sport - just hitting one another until one person goes unconscious? After reading so much about the rhetoric that possibly led to the violence in Tuscon (and I do believe words have consequences), I had a hard time sitting there watching these two guys beat the shit out of each other for sport.

And so it was a fairly uneventful day. I am ready to go home. Things I had wanted to do like ride a bike or get spa treatments seem like they are not going to happen. I've walked enough, eaten enough and rested enough. Tomorrow will be spent packing up and maybe treating myself to a nice farewell dinner.

Oy, my aching feet!

Today I wanted to rent a bike. That was my plan. So I walked to Paseo de la Reforma, a few blocks from here. It's a lovely tree-lined boulevard that goes up past the Museum of Anthropology and in the other direction goes down past the Centro Historico.

I took my time getting up and out because I didn't sleep well last night. Seems my lovely room on the 10th floor is not immune to noise from down below. There was some sort of live band playing somewhere and it seemed the party went on all night long. Even though it wasn't really loud, it was enough to keep me, a very light sleeper, from falling asleep all night.

After breakfast I lay down on my bed and enjoyed the quiet (of course it was quiet now that I was awake). But finally I decided to get up and see about the bike situation.

I walked over to Reforma, first stopping at Starbucks and getting a green tea latte and then walked down the street a bit. I stopped and sat and watched the many people riding bikes, roller skating, roller blading, running, walking dogs, walking, and even a person riding a unicycle. It was a mass of people enjoying a fine Sunday morning, and I intended to join them.

I passed the spot where they rent bikes but it was not clear if *I* could rent one or if they were only for Mexican residents. There was a line and I didn't want to wait just to be told no, so I walked on. I passed another spot with another line and kept walking.

It was quite nice and I thought maybe I'd walk down to the Centro Historico, and then I got another idea. After looking on the map today I saw that the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe was also on Reforma and it seemed that I could continue walking there with the street closed to traffic the entire way.

So I did.

I walked. And I walked, and walked, and walked, and walked, and walked and walked and walked on and on and on and on....

Eventually more lanes were open to traffic and fewer lanes were open to bikes, but I kept walking because I was sure it wasn't far.

And I walked.

And I walked.

The bike lanes had now narrowed and most of the lanes were taken up with traffic. The street had also narrowed and was no longer a boulevard. But I kept walking.

I saw a sign and it did not say "Paseo de la Reforma" anymore. It said something about Guadalupe. I thought I was going the right way, but now I wasn't sure. I stopped and asked a woman and she told me it was straight ahead but I had a ways to go. She said it was about 10 blocks. Having already walked several miles by now, 10 blocks didn't seem that bad. So I kept on.

And I walked. And walked.

Finally I saw a KFC and decided to grab a bite to eat. I'd had a hankering for fried chicken and figured with all of the walking I had done I deserved it. I also thought the cole slaw would be a good alternative to the vegetable-less meals I'd been eating.

I got two pieces with two sides and a drink for 40 pesos. I can see the draw for fast foot -it's cheap.

I finished my meal and continued onward. It looked like there were other pilgrims now joining me on the trek so I felt more confident that I was going in the right direction. Soon I could see the old basilica ahead of me. As I got closer, the crowds got larger and larger. Stalls began to appear selling food, virgin statues, rosaries, and all sorts of other things. It began to get harder to walk and I looked for alternative routes but there were none. I just held my breath (well, not really) and forged on in the throngs.

We headed up a ramp and through a gate and finally there was some space. Ahead of me was the old basilica with the small chapel on the hill where the virgin supposedly appeared to Juan Diego (in the photo above) and to the left was the new, huge basilica which can hold up to 40,000 people. I went inside the new basilica to see if I could find the moving sidewalks that go under the painting of the virgin that is supposedly the image that appeared magically on Juan Diego's cloak. the basilica was full, packed. I got swept up in a crowd thinking I was heading to the moving sidewalk. People were pushing. Nuns pushed through praying and holding some sort of statue. People on the side were saying the Our Father together. A mass was going on. I was feeling very claustrophobic. Finally we reached a turn and I saw light. We were outside. This huge throng was simply moving to the exit.

I wasn't about to give up just yet. I walked through the old basilica, which is now sinking and was too small to hold the crowds of people who come to see the virgin. It wasn't that interesting.

I headed back to the new basilica and decided to walk in the other direction. I knew there was a way to go down to this moving sidewalk. I passed a gift shop and then saw a line of people moving in one direction. I went to join them and sure enough, I was right below the image of the virgin draped in a Mexican flag.

I was too close to get a really good shot, but had had enough of the crowds.

I went to the gift shop because I wanted to get something for my friend Maria. I bought a poster that explains the "Guadalupe Code" - all of the symbolism of the image, from her eyes, mouth, face to the cloak and dress she is wearing, the colors, the background, etc. It's very interesting. I had seen it in a church in Puebla and wanted to get one.

The process was complicated. First I had to tell the clerk what I wanted. She didn't understand me at first, because she didn't know the number I said, but I just repeated what I saw GAJ08. Then I told her "los codices" and she got it. She went and got the posters (I bought one for me too) and wrote up a receipt. I had to make my way through the crowd to go to the cashier to pay. After that, I took my receipt back to get my posters, but she told me I had to go to a window in the center, so again I made my way through the crowds and picked up my posters.

WHAT A ZOO!

I hope Maria appreciates how hard I worked to get her this!

From there I asked for directions to the subway and made my way to the station two blocks away. I had to take three trains, but eventually made it to the stop near my hotel.

Many things were for sale on the trains today - fashionable bags, candy, a book for mathematics for children, and bubbles, among other things. My favorite was the bubbles. It was only 5 pesos and was a tiny little thing that made tiny little bubbles. I liked that our subway car was filled with bubbles as the guy demonstrated how it worked. They were really small and floated down the entire length of the car and lasted a long time.

Well, now I am exhausted. I really want pozole, but don't know where to get pozole that is good. I may have to settle for tacos again unless I go to one of the other restaurants nearby - maybe italian. I really don't want to walk a lot to find food.

Then I think I am going to take advantage of my bathtub that has jets to sooth my aching feet and legs.

Back in Mexico City

I didn't think I would be so thrilled to be back in Mexico City, but I really am. Oaxaca and Puebla were really nice diversions - I enjoyed both places for different reasons, but the energy of Mexico City is really something else. It's kind of like New York (much as I hate it).

Yesterday I didn't do much. I watched some TV, Rachel Ray, Dr. Phil, Jersey Shore, real high brow entertainment. Every now and then I'd go out for a walk or to get something to eat. I felt like I was coming down with something, felt a little achy and cold, but apparently it was a false alarm.

This morning after breakfast I headed to the bus station and boarded my bus to Mexico City. If I had not been able to understand Spanish, the bus station would have been pretty challenging. First, it was not clear where I had to go. I asked at the ticket counter and was sent to the end of the terminal and to the right, gate 1. I followed those directions and it turned out I was at the wrong gate 1, I had to go to ADO, which was the bus company I was taking. So I went to the next gate 1 and sat and listened to announcements calling for passengers for each bus. The announcements went something like this, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, ADO, always first class welcomes you to board the bus leaving at 10 and 45 minutes bound for the city of Veracruz, please board at gate one, your bus is parked in space number 38, thank you for choosing ADO". Or something like that. The announcements were very long and the crucial information, the time, city, and bus location all went very fast. I was a little nervous but after listening to about 20 announcements like this, I realized there was a bus about every 5-10 minutes, and after they called for the 11:05 bus, I knew mine was next. The only thing was when they called my bus information, another announcement started at the same time so I could not hear where the bus was parked. Fortunately a lot of other people were also boarding and I just followed them.

The ride was pretty smooth, smoother than from Oaxaca (the highway was better) and we watched the same movie, "The Namesake", and I still didn't get the end - I'll have to watch it in English.

From the bus terminal I hopped in a cab to my hotel. I have a very nice room on the 10th floor with a view (sort of).

I dropped my stuff off in my room and set out on some errands. First I bought some lavendar spray because someone had been smoking in my room (even though it's non-smoking). I wanted to try to cover up the smell rather than change rooms, since I like where I am located. It's fun being up so high.

Then I went to change money and right next to the money changer was a hair salon, so I stopped there to get my hair cut.

They took me in the back to shampoo my hair, but the girl felt my hair was clean and asked if I just wanted her to wet it. Amazing that I got all of that. Then she brought be out to a stylist - a very attractive older woman who had a young boy in her chair. When we went up, the boy got out of the chair and went over to the other side of the salon. He was with a young girl. They were apparently brother and sister. I figured out later that they were probably the kids of my stylist. I loved the boy's haircut and told her I wanted something like that (turned out he was about to get his hair cut when we walked up because after I left he got back in the chair).

I gave the same instructions I always give - short on the sides and long on top. She cut the sides really short and did all sorts of fancy cutting on top. I was very impressed with her technique and I loved the energy in the salon. There were so many people buzzing around, everyone with really interesting hair cuts - Lady Gaga was blaring on the sound system and there was a lot of chatter, but my stylist was focused on me. My hair was already short, but she cut a lot. I really love what she did.

When she finished, she blew it dry, using a round brush to straighten it. Then she used a straightening iron. She cleaned it up some more and then she put something on her hands, rubbed them together and released her hands over my head, sending a shower or white stuff on my head. I had no idea what she was doing. She then played with my hair getting it to stand up straight in just the right way. It is super funky and fun and it was only $20. Why can't I find a stylist like this in SF? I've had great haircuts here, in Spain and in Argentina, but in SF, my hair always ends up being too round and bowl like.

After that I went and had some tacos and then I went for a walk. It was a beautiful day, warm but not hot, with a really nice breeze blowing.

There are so many cute young gay couples walking around hand in hand, it's amazing. I even saw two young lesbians kissing in the middle of a shopping center. No one batted an eye, except me. I mean, this is conservative, Catholic Mexico! It is amazing how open it has become.

The only thing I don't like is when I walk around these guys are always trying to hand me business cards for something - I think they are for lap dances or something like that, and not from men either. I guess they see a single, older male walking around and think I'm desperate to pay some woman to shake her booty in my face. As if!

Tomorrow I am going to try to rent a bike. Hopefully I will be successful. If not, I'm going to check out these two neighborhoods nearby, Roma and Condessa.

I am ready to go home but will do my best to enjoy the few days I have left here - I see spa treatments and perhaps some shopping in my future...

Silent Night

I am in Puebla and no longer hearing voices.

I got a little behind on blogging somehow. Tuesday evening I went out to have the one last thing on my checklist - quesadillas con flor de calabaza (squash blossoms). I had seen them on the menu at this place that served tlayudas (Oaxacan "pizza"). So I went there and ordered them, but they were out of flor de calabaza :(

I went ahead and ordered regular quesadillas and asked for a michelada. A michelada is a beer with lime juice and I think it might also come with salt and maybe even chili. I told the waiter I didn't want salt - 'no sal por favor'. He said, oh then you want a suero. I said, oh, suero is with no salt? He said yes, I said, okay a suero with no salt.

He brought me a glass filled partially with lime juice and the rim of the glass encrusted with salt. This was one of those times when I thought I was communicating perfectly in Spanish "no sal" 3 times, and I think the problem was on the hearing end. I said, "oh, I didn't want salt" and started to brush it off before he poured the beer in. He offered to get me another glass, but I got enough of the salt off that it was okay. Geez.

The quesadillas were not that good.

I enjoyed the evening walking up and down the pedestrian street where a market had been set up for Christmas. I sampled a few other things such as esquitle (or something like that), which is corn off the cob, cooked in some broth and then served with mayonaise, chili and cheese. It was quite interesting. I'd had it before without the mayo and cheese and liked it. The authentic version was a bit rich, but good.

Yesterday morning I woke up and checked the bus schedule online. I saw that they had added a bus at noon and thought that would be a good time for me to leave Oaxaca. It was complicated because some of the buses seemed to take longer and I was looking for the most direct, so it was either 9 a.m., noon, or 1:30 (it seemed). I tried booking online but couldn't because I didn't have a lada, whatever that was. The girl in the tourist office told me I could just go on the day of and get my ticket, but I didn't want to risk it, even though there were buses almost every hour, so I set off to find the bus station.

I walked and walked and walked, with local buses spewing black smoke as they passed by me (I really need to learn how to take local buses), eventually I got there, got my ticket and headed back to my hotel to check out.

On the way, I passed a stall where I had seen flor de calabaza. I stopped to see if they had quesadillas and they did, so I got two to go. They were much better than the ones I had had the night before. The flor de calabaza didn't really seem to add much to the quesadilla, but it was good. I felt satisfied that I'd done everything I had set out to do in Oaxaca.

I packed up my stuff and checked out. The guy in the office was a bit surprised. I just told him I wanted to spend some time in Puebla. Turned out he had lived in Mill Valley until 1995 (I don't know how long). Too bad he wasn't nicer when I checked in - we could have talked more. He seemed overworked, but I am not sure why.

I took a taxi to the bus station, and we boarded at noon after going through security (including someone filming each one of us with a small digital video camera).

The trip was pretty uneventful, but smooth sailing (a good thing). They showed two movies and I thought I would hate them, but actually liked both. The first was called The Namesake and was a film about Indian immigrants starring Kal Penn who is the guy from the Harold and Kumar stoner movies (which I love). It was very good and I understood most of it up until the end where I got lost (it was dubbed). But no violence, which was a very good thing. Then they showed Adam Sandler's Bedtime Stories. I think Adam Sandler is adorable, and even though I slept through part of it, it was a nice distraction to help the 5 hours of bus ride seem like it wasn't that long. All in all, it was better than flying.

I had a bit of confusion getting a taxi at the Puebla bus station, but finally succeeded and made it to my hotel. By then I was starving as I'd just had a few quesadillas and some fruit for breakfast. I dropped my bags off and went to Fonda Santa Clara, one of the best restaurants I know that is just a half a block away. I got chicken soup and an order of beef with three different sauces - mole, pipian and something else. It was very satisfying.

It's good to be back in Puebla. It feels different from Oaxaca and it also feels very familiar since I was here just three years ago. I am looking forward to walking around and refamiliarizing myself with the place.

But best of all, last night I was able to lie in my huge comfortable bed, watch some TV (Dr. Phil and Desperate Housewives) and sleep with no earplugs! For some reason I had a hard time falling asleep, but eventually I did and I slept well with no morning voices waking me up!

Random Observations

Mexican families appear to be so close and loving. I'm sure this is not true 100% of the time, but by simply observing families in the zocolo I've noticed Mexican families strolling linked arm in arm - children with parents, siblings together, even elderly couples. Americans (or Westerners) on the other hand walk as if they didn't know or didn't like each other.

People don't seem to use strollers. Of the thousands of children of all sizes I've seen around, I've only seen one stroller. Usually the children are carried in the parents' arms, on their backs, piggy-back style, on the father's shoulders. I imagine this instills a feeling of closeness to the parents much more than being pushed around in a stroller (which may instill a feeling of independence).

I feel very tall here.

Oaxacan Spanish is much slower than Spanish I am used to.

Black mole has to be one of the most incredible things I've ever eaten.

The weather in Oaxaca has a huge range, from chilly at night to hot during the day. It's probably a 40-50 degree range.

Little Mexican children are adorable, especially the indigenous kids.

The three kings apparently receive letters.

There are police everywhere in the zocalo. I wonder if it is related to the unrest several years ago. Seems like they are anticipating a riot. It's kind of scary and they don't seem that friendly.

Santo Domingo

This afternoon I went inside Santo Domingo church. I am not sure now if I went inside when I was here before. Maybe I did and didn't appreciate the beauty of it. It's one of my favorite kinds of Mexican churches, like the ones outside of Puebla - just covered in ornamentation, usually with a lot of indigenous symbolism (though I didn't notice that here) - this church had a lot of gold going on - nice that the gold that was stolen from the natives was at least used to convert them to Catholicism and not sent to Spain.

After church I began an eating spree. First I had a paleta (a popsicle) because it was really hot. I had dropped off my laundry and they told me it would be ready by 8, so I decided I was going to kill time and then pick up my laundry on the way back here. I did that by mostly eating (though I did walk a lot too).

After the paleta, I decided I was going to try this fried dough I've seen around. This little holiday market that I like was set up right outside of Santo Domingo and I knew that there was a fried dough stand at the end of it. I had even worked out what I was going to say since I didn't know how to order - "I don't know that this is but I want to try it".

When I got there, there was no one sitting at the little folding tables and chairs they had set up. A man was frying the dough as a woman patted out the pieces on her knee. There were huge stacks of already fried dough. Several other women were busy doing other chores. A lot of people stopped and looked, but no one made an effort to coax them in, which I thought was strange. I also stopped and looked, from inside their stall. Finally the man made eye contact with me and said something and I used my practiced line on him "I don't know what this is but I want to try it". It worked. He told me it was bunuelos, which just means a doughnut. This was more than a doughnut. I asked him how to eat it and he showed me a pot of syrup that he called honey. I said okay and took a seat.

Soon my fried dough came, all broken into pieces, dipped in syrup and sprinkled with red sugar.

I was super disappointed.

I love fried dough. I mean, how could you not? But this was soggy and the syrup was way too sweet. I was hoping for a piece of hot dough sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. I ate half of it and got up to pay. I told them I was full. They asked me where I was from and the woman joked that she would come to SF to sell this. I didn't bother to tell her that health-conscious San Franciscans would never buy it.

I walked back down the hill through the market, enjoying the many sights and sounds (probably on a sugar and fat high at this point). I saw an old indigenous woman selling something called tejate - from her sign I saw that it had cacao and some other ingredients that I couldn't remember. I ordered a small one. It tasted kind of like chocolate but was very sweet. I wondered if the water was purified. I drank half and threw it away.

Then I strolled down the hill to the zocalo, which I am now not so fond of since the plaza outside of Santo Domingo is less crowded and closer to my hotel, but I wanted to kill some time. I walked around a bit, sat a bit, walked a bit more and then finally got hungry and headed back up the hill to institute my next plan.

Last night I found a taqueria inside a little shopping center near Santo Domingo. Across from the taqueria (which was not that good) was a restaurant selling tlayudas, one of the many Oaxacan specialties I wanted to try. I planned to go there, have a tlayuda and a quesadilla with pumpkin flower and then get my laundry and return to my hotel.

When I arrived, the place was closed. A guy was trying to open the gate and eventually he did get one of the gates open, but it seemed like it would be a while before they were serving anything. Disappointed, I headed back down the hill and found a place called Mayordomo. They had tlayudas on the menu.

I ordered a tlayuda and a salad. I am hoping the salad was safe to eat, since it was not specified on the menu that the vegetables were disinfected. I will find out soon enough, hopefully not on the bus to Puebla...

The tlayuda was a big flour tortilla that was a little crispy. It was covered with a layer of refried beans, then some Oaxacan cheese, tomatoes, avocado and some spiced pork. It was pretty good and I could see how it would make a nice snack from time to time. I couldn't eat the whole thing and my waiter was kind of surly, so I paid and went to the laundry to get my clothes.

They were not ready. Not a problem, I will get them tomorrow.

So it was a very full day and I enjoyed myself. Tomorrow I'm going to the museum attached to Santo Domingo (it was closed today) and also to the house where Benito Juarez was raised (he's one of my favorite Mexican historical figures). Then I'll change more money, go to the market and get some mole to take home, have lunch and see what else comes up to keep me occupied.

I enjoyed my stay here and think a week would have been too much. I wish I could go to some place I have not been, but am looking forward to the comfort of the NH Puebla and some good mole poblano and other treats in Puebla.

Monte Alban or Holy Mole!

Today was a better day for several reasons.

1. I slept with earplugs and think I got a better night's sleep.
2. I took a tour to Monte Alban.
3. I decided I'm leaving on Wednesday and going to Puebla.
4. I found a good restaurant.
5. I bought a lovely piece of art.

So first, Monte Alban. I was going to go to this tour company I stopped by the other day knowing they had a tour to Monte Alban starting at 10, but as I headed down the street, I passed a place right across the street that had a sign outside. I booked the tour with them and also got a recommendation for a restaurant with good mole from the girl who worked there.

The tour was okay. Monte Alba is pretty spectacular mostly because of its location. It's on a plateau overlooking Oaxaca and the other valleys and surrounded by towering mountains. Fortunately, it wasn't too crowded and there weren't too many stairs to climb. I think of all of the ruins I've seen though, Palenque is my favorite - I love the jungle setting and the fact that the temples are more intact and the day I was there, there was a mist settling in that made the place seem so magical. Still, it was a good way to spend a morning.

I went with the English-speaking group simply because it was smaller. There was a British guy, several Thais and a Korean. I was surprised to see Thais in Mexico. When our guide asked them what the weather is like there, one girl said, "we have three seasons, hot, hotter and hottest". I've heard Thais say this before but it was still funny.

After returning to central Oaxaca I sought out the restaurant that was recommended to me earlier. It is called 15 Letras and is at 300 Abasolo (for future reference). As I approached, I was on the opposite side of the street. Two men were in the doorway and they motioned me in. I thought they worked there. One guy said, "Welcome to the best restaurant in Oaxaca". I told him I was sent there to try the mole. He told me the mole he liked.

I sat down in the nearly empty restaurant and he told me to follow him and he led me to a beautiful little courtyard that was covered in vines and had a lovely light filtering through the leaves. It was decorated with all kinds of Mexican handicrafts on the walls and there were only a few other people there. Then he disappeared. I guess he was just a happy customer.

I ordered a green salad because it said all salads were disinfected. Since I have not had many vegetables in Mexico, I thought I'd take advantage. Then unable to decide which mole to order, I got the mole trilogy, which had coloradito (colored), negro (black) and almendra estufado (which I am not really sure about, but it had almonds in the chicken). My favorite was the black, which is good, because I know I can buy that to take back with me. It was so rich and wonderful I wanted to just scoop it up with a spoon.

After that, I headed to this little shop I passed through the other day. I saw this lovely little altar to the Virgin of Guadalupe and decided I wanted to go back and check the price. When I was there the other day this American woman with a terrible accent was speaking Spanish to the woman who worked there. Today when I walked in, she was there again, speaking really badly accented Spanish. I thought maybe she was the owner.

I went into the other room and took the altar off the wall (since no one came to help me) and it was only 350 pesos (about 35 dollars). I took it into the other room and the American lady said, "Oh, you are going to buy my favorite piece". I asked them if they could wrap it up for me because it looked so fragile and after trying several different options we settled on bubble wrap. I'm very happy about this purchase.

I went to the church of Santo Domingo, but they were closed for siesta and then from there wandered around peeking in several stores, trying some mezcal and eventually coming back to my hotel

I'm going to rest a bit, take some clothes to the laundry and then go to Santo Domingo again. I know I was there when I came here before, but I don't remember what it is like inside. It's beautiful from the outside.

Tonight for dinner I am going to try a tlayuda, which is what they call a Oaxacan pizza. I've decided I'm going to eat the big Mexican lunch like they do here, and then just have a snack for dinner. I will probably try some of the other street food I've seen since my time now is so limited.

I'm looking forward to going to Puebla and checking into a decent hotel. I enjoyed Oaxaca, but if I return, I will need a better place to stay (and it seems there are none).

Feeling Uninspired and a Little Dizzy

I haven't been sleeping well lately and that is not helping my mood or my balance. Last night I think I got a few hours sleep, but as soon as the restaurant started getting ready for breakfast I was constantly being woken up by noises, plates, talking, etc... I tried staying in bed as long as I could but when I finally got up for breakfast, most of the food was gone. I guess I have been really spoiled by Thailand where I can get a really nice hotel room with a great buffet breakfast that doesn't seem to run out. My hotel is actually rated number 6 on Trip Advisor, and from the search I did today, it looks like there are no other good options. So I will deal.

My head feels like it is going to explode, which means I'm in danger of having a meniere's attack. I think it's the combination of eating out and not getting sleep that is contributing. Today I took a meclizine and laid low just in case.

After breakfast I walked to the church of Santo Domingo, which is a beautiful church not too far from here. There was a market being set up outside of the church. I took a few pictures but have not really been inspired to take many photos. I'm not sure why. It could be that I already have a zillion photos from my first trip here and also that Oaxaca looks like so many other places that I have photos of - Puebla, Antigua, etc...

I walked to the zocolo and sat and watched people strolling by for a while. A young boy selling plastic things filled with air - balls, toys, balloons, etc., decided to set up shop right in front of me, which made it difficult for me to see. I then noticed that the tree also seemed to be pooping on me (I hope it was the tree), so I got up and walked a bit.

I found an artisan market and wasn't impressed (I remember finding a market on my first trip here that seemed very extensive - could this be the same place?) - across the street from it was a shop selling chocolate and mole. I decided I wanted a cup of hot chocolate, thinking it might help with my headache. But the store was only selling packages of chocolate and not actually making it.

From there I went to the market which was right across the street. They had no chocolate there either. Where is this famous Oaxacan chocolate I've heard tell of? I did find a stall selling mole (there were several) in the market. I asked how long it kept and was told 3 years. I was also told I don't have to refrigerate it. I will be buying some black mole and perhaps a few other colors. I need to get another suitcase too since I only brought my backpack which has no room for anything in it.

After the market, I returned to the zocolo, passing the place where I began my journey 28 years ago that got me lost. I so remember setting out from my hotel not even realizing I was a block away from the zocolo (I only realized that now) and walking without knowing where I was going only to realize I didn't know where I was. It's funny that that memory keeps coming up again and again for me here.

I went to a place called the Italian Coffee Company because they had some tables in one of the galleries that line the zocolo (and thus protected from tree poop) and it wasn't crowded. They also had hot chocolate, but I ordered a cold chocolate. It was a nice place to spend some time.

When I got hungry, I went to check out Terranova, a restaurant a few doors down, that Lonely Planet recommended. The menu did not look very good. I wonder about Lonely Planet's recommendations. I am finding that they are geared either to cheapskates or people who don't eat local food. I decided to walk and take my chances on finding a place.

After a few blocks I came across a tram type thing that was just boarding. I asked the driver how long and how much it was. He said 50 pesos for about 40 minutes. I figured my stomach could bear to wait 40 minutes and thought this tram would give me a good orientation to the city.

It was in fact, extremely boring and uninteresting. We didn't pass anything new that was of interest to me and it also had some stops on the route that were advertisements, such as an Argentine restaurant and another place that served some kind of regional food. I was glad when we got back.

I ended up going into a kind of nice restaurant that had some interesting food advertised on a board outside. I got chicken baked in banana leaf. It was okay, but I was able to use my credit card, so I might be going back there. I'm realizing I didn't really bring enough cash with me for the prices I'm encountering. Mexico apparently is no longer a bargain. Today's lunch was about $15 and it was nothing terribly special. Tonight I will be eating tacos again.

And that's been my day. I walked to a little park we passed on the tram and sat for a bit, enjoying the breeze, then walked through the market that has been set up for Christmas/New Year/3 Kings Day. There is this big fried piece of dough that looks very interesting that I see all over the place and I may have to try that, even though I'm sure it is one of the reasons the ladies who sell it are so fat. I came back to my room and was pleased to find they had opened the window that just opens to the hallway and so my room was not as stuffy as it was yesterday. I took a little nap, read a little and am now ready to go hunt for my evening meal.

I'm not having good luck finding tours or classes. There is some information in Lonely Planet, but it involves looking at the map and trying to figure out where these places are. The cooking classes are very expensive, so I think I will pass. I will definitely go to Monte Alban one of these days, there are tours everywhere that go there, but visiting the indigenous villages seems a little more challenging.

And that was Sunday in Oaxaca.

Hey, my mole is black!

First, let me get the whining out of the way...

I hate my hotel. I mean, it is kind of charming, it's a big old colonial home, and when I say big, I mean BIG. But it is old. My room has no window. I read somewhere that the rooms had balconies. When I asked if there was another room with a window I was told none of the rooms have windows. It's kind of warm here and there is just a big ceiling fan that sounds like a jet engine. There are 5 settings, but only two work - high or off. So either I sleep with no fan or I try to sleep with a helicopter overhead. And then there is my complementary wifi. I tried connecting in my room and it doesn't work. When I told the guy at the front desk he suggested bringing my computer out to the dining area which is where I am. But that means I don't have wifi in my room. I WILL be writing a review on Trip Advisor.

And now for the good news. I love being back in Oaxaca as a seasoned traveler. I keep thinking back to my very first time here which was my very first time out of the US. I don't know how I did that, even though there were complications like getting lost and my bag not making it when I did, but what I realize is that I knew nothing about travel and I knew nothing about Mexico and I really couldn't appreciate all of the charms Oaxaca has to offer.

This is an especially festive time to be here. It reminds me of Puebla, where I was 3 years ago at this time, because a lot of the same Christmas/New Year/3 Kings stuff is going on. But it is also different. It's warmer. There aren't tiles everywhere like in Puebla, and then there is the black mole.

After arriving and checking in and being disappointed in my room, I headed down to the zocalo to get my bearings. The zocalo is always where it is happening, and this zocalo was happening on steroids. It was packed. There are actually two squares, one in front of the cathedral and another one that is surrounded by galleries with restaurants, bars, etc. I headed to the 2nd one to find some food.

I found a table outside by some minor miracle and after looking at the menu for awhile and being a bit puzzled about some of the choices (Oaxacan food is a mystery to me still), I settled on black mole with turkey. I know mole and I know turkey, but I don't know what black mole is - I thought I'd give it a try.

When it arrived it was quite shocking. It looked like my plate had been dipped in the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. There were pieces of turkey arranged on the plate covered with a gooey black sauce. But it was delicious! I'm not always a fan of mole. When it is good it is really good, but when it is not great, I don't really care for it. And I don't know what makes it good, but this was delicious. Apparently in Oaxaca they have 7 kinds of mole. I hope to try them all and also maybe learn how to make some and maybe even find some to take home.

As I was enjoying my food a bee decided to come bother me. They had been bothering the people at the next table but this one lone bee decided he wanted to harass me. I finished up and paid and headed back to my hotel to take a nap under the helicopter fan.

On the way back to my hotel I passed the hotel I stayed in the first time I was here. When I went out for a walk that first night, I didn't even know the name of the hotel because I just came here without any reservation and it took me a while to find a hotel. I went for a walk, thinking I had the mountain as my landmark and then realized I had no idea where I was and didn't know the name of the hotel and the next day I found out that the city is surrounded by mountains - so much for my landmark. By some miracle, I found it again. I could have been like that Swedish guy who left his apartment for a walk and wandered around for 17 years.

After passing the hotel I didn't know the name of (which by the way had windows), I passed a bank - Banco Azteca that was open. But it turned out it wasn't a bank. It was a variety store with furniture, toys, and a whole bunch of other stuff. I turned the corner to go to my hotel and passed another one, but this time I saw a sign on the door advertising their exchange rates. I needed to change money so I went in. I passed through the clutter of toys, motorcycles, furniture and mattresses and in the very back sat a lone teller behind a glass window. She changed my dollars, giving me the best rate I've seen around. I thought it was quite odd to have a bank teller in the back of a store selling all of this stuff, but it was very convenient. I could have changed money and bought a motorcycle if I wanted.

I got back to my hotel, turned on the helicopter fan and took a shower and then laid down to rest, but I couldn't sleep because I kept hearing people talking and doors slamming. I was getting really aggravated with the hotel, so I went out again.

At this point it was dark, though I didn't know that when I was in my room since there are no windows. I walked back towards the zocolo and as I got closer there was a major traffic jam. The zocolo was more crowded than it had been before and seemed more festive now that everything was lit up. The first thing I saw was a huge crowd in a big circle. When I peeked to see what was going on I saw a clown doing something goofy and making everyone laugh.

As I walked around I was amazed at the variety of things going on - there were clowns, people selling corn, music coming from all directions - some live, some recorded, families standing around talking and eating, lovers walking hand in hand, beggars, neon things flying up in the air, cotton candy, big bunches of helium balloons like in the movie "UP", people selling jewelry and other handicrafts and at the end of all of this was a huge display where people walked on a ramp to see a manger, some sheep, a waterfall and other symbols of the Christmas myth.

I bought an ear of grilled corn and the woman called me "abuelo" (grandfather) - hmph! Usually they put mayonnaise, chili, lime and cheese, but I got mine with just chili and lime. I thought it was good for me to watch my caloric intake and was glad I went for the corn instead of the ice cream I had first planned on.

After eating my corn, I walked around a bit, sat a bit, and walked some more. I walked the streets around the zocalo and found a collection of stalls selling all kinds of food I did not know. I will have to try it - one day. I walked back to the zocalo and then walked down another street finding more stalls selling more food I did not know. One stall was selling potatoes on a stick. The potato was cut in a spiral and put on a stick and then deep fried. It looked interesting, but not like something I have to have.

I ended up going into a taqueria, thinking I could have a light "dinner" before coming back to my hotel. I ordered two quesadillas and a lemonade (actually limeade). There was a young hippie-ish couple playing music. The guy was playing a plastic recorder and the girl, who had dreadlocks was accompanying him on hand cymbols. The other customers all looked kind of uncomfortable as the music was loud and not very good. When they finished their song a few people clapped, but most didn't. I was hoping they'd leave, but they played another song. Again a few people clapped and I hoped they would leave, but they began a third song. When they finished this one, no one clapped. I guess they took it as their cue to leave, but first they went around and asked people for money. I simply said "no", but most people gave them something - it looked like they only gave them a few pesos. I was so glad they left.

The quesadillas were okay - the mushrooms came out of a can. When I paid they gave me a little Christmas mug. That was nice of them (one more thing to pack, so it may get left behind).

I headed back through the zocalo and decided to take a different route home. I was glad I did. I found another street, blocked off to traffic which turned into a street fair as it got closer to another big church. There were all sorts of vendors selling handicrafts, music, jewelry and food. I stopped and looked at some rugs. If I had bought rugs the first time I was here when the peso was nothing, I would have probably paid $20 or less. These started at $80. They were quite beautiful, all handmade of wool, but I don't think I need a rug. I didn't really see anything that caught my eye, but I enjoyed walking through and looking.

And so that was my first day in Oaxaca. It seems like the festivities will continue on through January 6 and then I guess it will return to life as normal. I'm hoping to get out to see some indigenous villages, but am not sure yet how that will happen. I asked at a tour agency but they only have tours to Monte Alban.

I now hear music and talking coming from somewhere, I think it's the terrace upstairs. Great! This is something I'm going to have to listen to all night.

Oaxaca Bound

I'm off to Oaxaca today. I'm kind of excited. My very first trip outside of the US was to Mexico and I stopped in Oaxaca on the way to the beach at Puerto Escondido. The peso had crashed and Mexico was an unbelievable bargain (I didn't appreciate it at the time). I hardly knew any Spanish and I knew nothing about Mexico or Oaxaca. I just remember arriving and my bags not showing up, getting to Oaxaca without a reservation and having trouble finding a hotel, and then going out for a walk and getting lost. The next day I left and went to the beach where with the help of a phrase book I learned a little bit of Spanish and was so thrilled to be able to communicate.

On the way back home, I stopped in Oaxaca again and spent a few days. I remember walking through the market saying "buenas tardes" to everyone I passed. The memory is so funny, I can't even believe that was me, but yes, I was once young and excitable.

Anyway, we'll see what Oaxaca is like for me this time. I remember a very beautiful colonial city with a lot of very big churches. What I didn't appreciate at the time was the indigenous presence in Oaxaca, which is very strong. I am looking forward to visiting villages outside of Oaxaca and also going to Monte Alban, which I didn't do last time.

Yesterday I went to the Museum of Anthropology, my favorite place in Mexico City. I took the subway and when I got off wasn't sure where I was, but there were mini buses waiting and they said "antropologia", so I got on one. It was me and a bunch of guys who looked like they were going to work. There was one woman. When the bus was full, we took off, but just before we left a very interesting looking character got on. He was a young guy with about 6 piercings in his ear and several on his face, including his lips. He had a big wave of hair, Elvis style on his head and he was carrying a guitar. As we started to move, he balanced himself with his guitar and started playing and singing very loudly. I, of course, was irritated. It just seems you can't go anywhere without someone singing to you for money. Enough already!

I got to the museum early and there was no line and the place was nearly empty. Heaven! I headed straight to the big draw, the Aztec room. Usually it's packed with everyone wanting their picture taken in front of the giant sun dial. I was able to walk around with almost no one there. It is quite impressive. I then went to the Oaxaca exhibit and also the Gulf Coast, because I really like the giant Olmec heads. I still want to take a trip to Veracruz one of these days.

I went upstairs to the modern day exhibits. The thing I love about this museum is that the bottom floor is the ancient stuff, but on the upper floors they show how those same people are living today. The Oaxaca exhibits were very interesting and there are quite a few indigenous groups in Oaxaca with very strong cultures.

Unfortunately, by the time I was finished, it was too early for lunch. My stomach said it wanted to eat at 12:30, but the restaurant didn't start serving lunch until 1:30, so my plan for ceviche was crushed. Instead I walked back towards my hotel and stopped at La Beatricita for lunch.

I had enchiladas with mole and consume with rice and a plate of rice and a side of rice and beans with the enchiladas. A lot of rice! I didn't eat all of it and felt very full after eating what I did. One thing I have to say is that as good as Mexican food is, it is conflicting with my anti-inflammatory diet plans. I really wish I could have some vegetables!

I spent the rest of the day lazing around. I went to Starbucks and got a raspberry frappucino and tried to read but too many people were smoking. I sat on a bench on Paseo de la Reforma and watched the variety of people walking by, came back to my room and took a nap and later went out to search for dinner.

By the time I went out, most places were closed for New Year's Eve, so I went and had some tacos and a beer and came back and watched some TV.

I can really feel the difference from when I was here three years ago. Back then I had not developed plantar facitis yet and could walk around endlessly. Now, it's hard for me to walk a lot and the short walk from the museum yesterday really killed my feet and legs. Back then I didn't have to worry about my meniere's acting up. I know I had a close call when I was here before, but now I feel like I could get an attack any minute. Fortunately, I'm doing okay, but yesterday I went out without my medication and was really worried that I might get dizzy while I was out.

Well, I am hoping that Oaxaca will be relaxing, interesting and rejuvinating. After a week there, I return here. I am planning on renting a bike when I return and getting some exercise and one day I will hop on the Turibus and explore some of the other neighborhoods. Also on the agenda is a massage and facial to get me ready to return to work.