We have been “accidental Mexpats” for almost 3 and a half years. During that time we’ve experienced “the before times”, full pandemic lockdowns, gradual easing of restrictions, flagrant disregard for a SERIOUS health threat, and eventual calming of emotions and acceptance of the “new normal”. Through this time, our dreams and joy of travel and adventure have languished behind a screen of uncertainty and health prerogatives.
We are now embarking on the first of (hopefully) many adventures to new places, foods, cultures. Our first stop – Oaxaca. ( Pronounced Wa-Ha-Ka)
Oaxaca is known as the culinary, and cultural, capital of Mexico. It is the home of mole sauces (yes, plural, there are 7 mother sauces, and hundreds of family recipes), much of the weaving and embroidery that people think of when they think of Mexico, and LOTS of archaeology. The state capital is Oaxaca de Juarez, or simply Oaxaca. It is at 5100 feet of elevation in lush, green mountains. This time of year (May), it is the beginning of the rainy season, with afternoon thunderstorms as a norm. Even with the elevation and rain, the daily temperature is in the mid-80’s F. Sounds lovely to me.
The art is Oaxaca is not something you need to look for. It is everywhere. Houses are painted in vibrant colors, murals are everywhere, baskets, textiles, pottery, and alebrijes (the brightly painted carvings of animals and fantastical creatures) are brilliant and abundant. There are “artisan markets” on just about every block. I’m really glad that I brought an extra suitcase – this could get out of hand. 😄
We arrived in the evening and didn’t have a lot of time to look around. We got checked in at our hotel – Hotel Las Mariposas – in the centro area near parque el Llano. We got tacos tasajo (spiced dried beef and/or organ meat) in the parque and had some wine an tapas at Vino and Vinyl, just off the parque. The wine was good, the food was great and the whole tab was very reasonable. NOTE: the macha potatoes were REALLY spicy!! We were blown away. 🌶
The neat thing about Vino & Vinyl is that there is a HUGE vinyl collection for patrons to peruse. If you find something you want to hear, the bartender or dj will cue it up on one of the turntables and play it! There was a wide variety of music to listen to.
