Oaxaca (December 27)

(Map of the day.)

We checked out of the hotel, and boarded an executive-class bus for the six-hour ride to the city of Oaxaca (pronunciation: wah-ha-ka). The landscape, after we were beyond the far-reach of metropolitan Mexico City, was stunning. Hills, mountains, valleys, sheer drop-0ffs, cacti of every shape and size -- it was a topographer's dream. The elevation was increasing so quickly that my ears couldn't stay pressurized. On the steep highway, we would be passed by a pickup truck with two men in the front, and the back open truck bed full of women and children. Most of the sharp curves in the road did not have any type of guardrail or safety measure; there was just a sheer drop-off.

Oaxaca was larger than I thought it would be, with a lot of visible poverty. We were staying at the lovely Posada del Centro. The location was excellent, only a few blocks from the Zocalo. We discovered that it was definitely tourist season in town, as we went from being a visible minority to one of the crowd. We strolled to the Zocalo, which was packed and a stage was being set up. We wandered up a pedestrian road, and noted that this area of the city (ie: the tourist-y city centre) was clean (by Mexican standards) and free of graffiti. As we left the Zocalo behind, more beggars and vendors crawled out of the woodwork. Instead of manning an established booth, like in Mexico City, these 'salesmen' just stood on the street, vying for eye contact with prospective buyers.

We had a pizza on a balcony overlooking the street, meandered back to the Zocalo, and took in the sounds from the stage while enjoying gelati. The music was excellent traditional acoustic guitar. We snagged two empty folding chairs in front of the stage, and enjoyed the clean(-ish) air and warm evening.