Bel Air Hotel Oaxaca

... The guy dived out the back stripped the 6mm bolt I needed from something and fitted it for me. He wanted nothing for it, great people. I gave him some small change but felt it was a bit insulting.<br>I needed something to eat so stopped at a roadside cafe. There were 3 guts just finishing their meal but they stopped to help or maybe cause trouble with the senoras running the place. They were in hysterics with my Spanish but severed up a great meal, a sample of the chicken ...

... We had seen so many really beautiful things in the street markets in both San Cristobal and Oaxaca but i was still yet to purchase anything. The thing that i had to bear in mind was that anything i brought would have to carried for a further 4 months on my back so what ever it was going to be had to special. What it was not going to be was one of the many tshirts that were thrown my way with OAXACA splashed across it garishly nor was a going to be one of the local open breasted shirts ...

As you may be able to tell, i'm getting quite lazy with this so i'm going to try to get away with minimal writing. From Guadalajara I shot down further south to Oaxaca which is a big, old colonial city. Really nice centre to it and great markets for eating in. There was a whole avenue inside one market with huge slabs of steak and sausages on both sides being cooked and everyone hassling you to come and eat in their stall ...

... It is an outcropping of rocks where there is a small depression that many, even today, believe to be a footprint of Jesus. Our guide, Pedro, said that during Holy Week there are thousands of pilgrims who come to pray for some need, leave an offering representing that request, then touch the footprint for a blessing. He also talked several times about the need for the church to control people and how many of the holy places were ...

... a vertical drop. Plus, there is no safety, nothing to stop your fall, so I was a complete scardey pants and poor Mark had to hold my hand and tell me how well I was doing to keep me going. Admittedly, the smaller temple - temple of the moon - was a much worse climb then the temple of the sun, which was at least double the size! That night we arrived home knackered and chuffed at seeing and being in such amazing places. The whole of that week the weather had been pretty ...

... rather than the destination! But wait, I think I spoke to soon! Cresting the rise and laying eyes on the colonial town of Oaxaca - we were both taken aback...it reminded me of some of the small picturesque pueblos outside of Madrid, Spain - Segovia and Toledo quickly came to mind and I found myself daydreaming of Spanish conquistadors, silver and jewel exports to Europe and the end of thousands of years of Mayan reign. Oh ****!...city traffic ...

Alright this morning for breakfast I had papaya then sub bread with beans and cheese spread on it and tomatoes on the side. Sub bread with beans sounds gross but it was actually pretty good. I went to school after and today I had a new teacher, Miguel, he is really nice, I had conversation class all day, which I'm thankful for because I am tired of grammar, so I basically talked about myself all day in Spanish! With my second teacher though we decided to go to the market so I could ...

... how we are contributing to the expansion of each other´s waists. I prepared some shrimp and pasta the other day and brought some down to her. Never, does she not return the volley. She came up stairs about half an hour later with a jar full of what I consider to be, and this is no lie folks.....the best hot pepper condiment I have even eaten in my life. Yes, you heard me right......the best. Y´all know ...

... of where we would stop for the night. In the little village of La Reforma we found a spot along the road where the local residents told us we were welcome to spend the night. They couldn't have been nicer. We find a wonderful friendliness and people willing to help tourists everywhere in Mexico. Getting ready to leave the next morning Betty wondered what Ken was doing as the Motor Home was ...

... never do anything about it. We like to haggle, and if we can get a bang for our buck instead of just a pop, we're not going to care about who we disenfranchise. The consumerist, economist western mind: we're all winners but sometimes we can win too much ... Oh, but I enjoyed Tlacolula. For the experience if nothing else, it opened my eyes wholly to the lives and fates of the people who inhabit this country. But I won't return - once was enough ...