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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!