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Oaxaca...que linda!


Oaxaca is absolutely gorgeous. We arrived here yesterday around 3pm and wandered a bit looking for a hostel, before deciding to go with the sister hotel of our hostel in Mexico City. I´m writing to you from the cool and breezy courtyard of the Mezkalito Hostel, which is situated five blocks west and one block north of the gorgeous zócalo central. Our accommodations are much better than those in Puebla and I think both Jake and I are glad to be back in the social hubbub of a hostel after our two quiet nights in Puebla. We had a fantastic dinner last night at El Sagrario, which is a white table cloth and candelitas kind of place. We were both jumping at the chance to sample the Oaxaqueño cuisine, so we ordered a dinner that let us try a little of everything that this region is known for. The taquitos were mind-blowing, as were the tostadas and the quesillo.. In the center of our spread, salted and seasoned beyond belief, was a wee little bowl of...uh...crickets. Jake, always up for new things, took a handful and chowed down. After a lot of coaxing, I tried a few as well. My inner vegetarian was screaming a thousand NOs, but the little guys turned out to be pretty good. My only issue arose when I managed to separate out a leg from the rest of the crunch, and all I could think about was that poor insect´s little spindly appendage between my teeth. Yeccch.
We met a couple of Irish travelers and two Canadians last night and had some great conversation until about 1AM... covering everything from the war in Iraq to our individual preferences of vitamins. Yeah.
We woke up around 9AM today and caught the cheap shuttle bus from our hostel to Monte Albán, about twenty minutes from the city. No words can describe just how hauntingly beautiful the ruins are. We were able to climb a few of the edificios in order to get a better view of the breathtaking vista that rolls out for miles, sun-dappled in places and rich with the color of the Mexican landscape. We walked around for about two hours before being taken back to our hostel, where we took a short siesta before heading back out to the city proper. One thing I´ve come to love about Mexico is the surplus of impromptu protests, marches and concerts that erupt on what seems like every street corner. We managed to stumble upon three different marches for various political candidates in the time it took to find the english language bookstore near the zócalo. After some cheap eats and many questions about how we could get to Puerto Escondido tomorrow morning, we´ve settled back in at the Mezkalito Hostel and are heading for an early bedtime. Tomorrow, bright and early, we´ll make the 7hr bus ride to the Oaxacan coast where, hopefully, there are still a couple of hammocks and a few empty spots on the beach for us two Americanos.

Lastly, I finally managed to score a computer with a USB port which allows me to upload some photos. I apologize that we only posted four, but the images are huge and the internet is suh-lowww with uploading files. Hopefully these won´t disappoint. :)
I don´t know why the computer insisted on keeping the photo of Jake in front of the belltower in horizontal form, but I can´t figure out how to outsmart the editing program. Oh well. The others are of Monte Albán, us on a bench just cheesing around, and a photo that jake says is worthy of posting, no matter how uninteresting it may be. :)
To everyone, family and friends alike, we love you and miss you. Wish us safe and speedy travel to la playa!

Lucha Libre, flash storms and churros with chocolate.

Ay yi yi.... hay mucho a escribir!
Our last night in Mexico City was an absolute blast.. Earlier in the day, we wandered the packed streets of the Centro Historico, marveling at the massive cathedral and its sky-high belltowers that grant some much-needed relief from the midday Mexican sun. We climbed one of the aforementioned belltowers at noon, and with the help of a friendly translator, learned about the oldest, the loudest, and the most important of the Metropolitan Cathedral´s thirty five bells. One of the smaller ones, facing the Palacio, is famous for causing the abrupt death of a bellringer fifty-odd years ago, when the hombre was caught offguard by the backswing. The bell itself was punished for its crime, and sentenced to a fifty-year period of silence. In 2000, the bell was absolved of its sin, and allowed to ring once more.
Just a little factoid for yous guys. :)

We toured around for the remainder of the afternoon and took the Metro (¡que loco!) to the Palacio de Bellas Artes and the Alameda that runs the length of it on one side. Pushing our way through street vendors and young couples, we walked through the Alameda for upwards of an hour, before deciding that our experience on the Metro necessitated una cerveza y una siesta before we could focus on gigantic Diego Rivera murals. We found a little bar just down the street and had no idea when we entered that our ten-minute rest stop would quickly become a rollicking good time in the company of six middle-aged and somewhat tipsy Bellas Artes employees. Apparently there´s a pretty popular song in Mexico that includes the line, "Susanna, mi corazón.." and our hosts insisted on playing it three, four, five times before finally giving up the jukebox to some other patron. :) The Palacio de Bellas Artes was beautiful, and our entrance was free after our new friends pulled a few strings.
Across from the Bellas Artes is a huge tower whose name currently escapes me, but it´s probably similar to the Empire State building. We paid our five dollars to be taken 44 floors above the city and were granted an incredible 360 degree view. Pictures will come soon.
We headed back to our hostel around 7 to catch a quick dinner before we were whisked off to Lucha Libre in the company of Oscar, the driver from our hostel, and a carload of party-seeking New Zealanders. Lucha Libre was insane, and despite our nosebleed seats, it was nothing short of wildly entertaining.
Saturday morning, we had breakfast atop the hostel and packed our bags for Puebla. We arrived here around 2 in the afternoon and took a taxi to the Zócalo, which is a huge expanse of green grass and towering trees in the middle of the city. We found a hotel about two blocks off of the zócalo for around 14 bucks a night with what appeared to be fairly decent rooms. The interior courtyard is gorgeous, but our room, a ten-foot wide and thirty foot long cell, has no window and a sorry excuse for a light. Oh, well. Esta bien. Again, it´s fourteen bucks and two blocks away. Whatever.
Our time here has been somewhat lazy so far, mostly because our attempts to see the sights have been thwarted by rain. We were caught in a storm today as we were trying to see the fuertes, or forts, that lie 2km north of town. A torrential downpour left us running for cover (none to be had) and in need of a shower and a stiff drink once we finally made it back down to town. C´est la vie. We tried.
Tomorrow we´re heading to Oaxaca and our lust for the beach, our books, and a quiet cabana grows stronger with each day. More later. Love to you all!


-susannah


So it looks like Suz has written yall a short story! I will attempt to add a bit, but highly doubt my ability to describe the artsy stuff as eloquently as she. The trip has been a blast so far! It has been interesting to figure out our travel style and how we fit together as viajeros. It seems to be going pretty well, especially for two people who believe that they are always right. (lots of "wait...who was right...oh yeah, me!") So as this is my first time traveling with a young lady it has been an experience watching the not so subtle Latino men stare Suz down. Granted it is a much more forward culture, but there have been times where I have thought to myself ¨"seriously guys, Im standing right here"! All has been solved by a well timed arm over the shoulders. (Susannah has also gotten really good at saying "I´m with him".
As far as communication has gone I have been pleasantly surprised by the amount of spanish I have retained. While I know I am far from fluent, we have been able to get around just fine and engage people in plenty of conversation. The bar near the museum of fine arts was quite silly. We walked into this old brown cafe, sat down and were essentially accosted by a group of men on their lunch break from doing restoration work at the museum. (evidently lunch in mexico includes copious amounts of tequila) My favorite part about this trip so far has been the people. Everyone has been so kind and genuine. From a couple answering our questions on the street to people inviting us to join them at their table and buying us lunch, the locals have shown a quiet pride in their country and an appreciation of our wide eyed enthusiasm.
As Susannah has mentioned, our cell at the hotel across the street is...interesting. Kinda looks like a weekend warrior strapped on a toolbelt to turn a gigantic dining room into three individual rooms. Nice right? Well, maybe the owners stopped paying him, or maybe they didnt want to ruin the intricate ceiling, but the wall stops about a foot from the top. This has the effect of allowing all the neighbor´s noise to come right on over onto our side. We got a dose of this last night as the occupant one over came crashing in at five in the morning, turned the tv to a telenovela at volume level 500 and promptly passed out. Thanks!
Tomorrow we make the 4 hr trek to oaxaca. We are hoping to spend a few days in what the guidebooks call the center of indigenous mexico before we wander to the beach. To the family, I love ya (hello little Maxwell and Lila!) To Susannah´s family, I am taking good care of your daughter/sister and we are staying safe!

VIVA MEXICO!

Jake

Mexico City...Day 1

hola from Mexico! We arrived here safely after a short delay in flight from Houston to Mexico City. As we approached from the air, we were astounded by the hazy cloud of thick yellow smog that covers the teeming city streets below. 0
We were hustled through the airport, assigned a taxi, and taken relatively quickly to the Centro Historico, where our lovely and colorful Hostel Moneda lies sandwiched between a beautiful cultural museum and the breathtaking cathedral. We checked in - well, Jake checked in while I remained quiet and attentive - and plunked our bags down in a small and humid room on the third floor. After each showering in blissfully warm water, we suited up and prepared for a stroll around the district. About 100 yds from our hostel is an excavated site that was apparently once considered to be the center of the universe by the Aztecs. As grandiose as it may sound, the site resembles nothing more than a heap of ancient stone and newly sprouted grass surrounded on all sides by a crowded market. Talk about merging the old with the new. We walked for about an hour, trying to orient ourselves a little, saying polite 'no thank yous' to the many merchants that line the sidewalks selling everything from flip flops to tostadas. We arrived back at the hostel about thirty minutes ago and made our way up to the rooftop bar and restaurant. Dinner was complimentary, and Jake and I are finally settling down a little with the help of a few insanely cheap Negro Modelos. More to come tomorrow... I'm still reeling from the fact that, for the next fifteen days, I won't have to set any sort of alarm. Vacaciones...que bueno! Love to you all back in the states.. and to Mr. and Mrs. Hafkin - Jake just yelled across the terrace to 'tell his parents he says hello!' .....and a hello from me as well!
Hasta luego, amigos!

Packing up...

Well...the countdown has officially (pretty much) ended. I've stopped telling people we're leaving "in a few days" and started to become a little short of breath when asked what our departure date is. Jake, the master of last-minute packing, has made a few comments about the backpack propped up in the corner of my room. It's already bursting with flip flops, toiletries, sun dresses and books, about two days ahead of schedule. My response is that I am an Ayliffe and Ayliffes pack three ways: too early, to excess, and in preparation for some kind of apocalypse. Yes, I should probably pare down. Am I going to? Certainly not. What would Mexico be like without my favorite rock collection?

On a more logistical note, here is some flight information for you guys that like to know when and how things happen. We fly out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport at 8:45 in the morning on Thursday, April 24th. Our airline is Continental, if anyone's interested in tracking us. After a short layover in Houston, we'll arrive in Mexico City around 2:30pm, central time. We'll be spending a couple of nights in the city, catching Lucha Libre (fingers crossed!) on Friday night, and then movin' on. More to come...wish us a safe flight!

-Susannah