Hostal Los Pilares 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.
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 ...

... the tequila we know at home, but much more bitter and strong. We needed this tequila to give us strength to climb the mountain, we were told. Over lunch and after a few more tequilas, our crazy yet lovely driver called Oscar and some other tour guides decided to dedicate a song to me, which was quite fun if a little embarrassing. We then had our first taste of Boing (I think maybe to sober us up?), a fruit juice drink over here. Funny names they have for things like that ...

... roof and a small sign outside reading "Hay queso de chivo" (we have goat cheese). The two small Mayan ladies living/working there told me that they don't have a menu, you just eat what they cooked that day. Our options were "Chuleta de puerco con arroz, o caldo pescado" - Pork chop and rice or fish soup...we opted to share a pork chop dish (they only had one chop so we didn't have a choice), and although there were flies buzzing on, beside, and ...

... on a cowboy hat, chaps, boots, and spurs typical! So anyway I went and met up with the guys tonight, Avery and Nathan, we went to this bar Martin told us about where they have live music every night. Tonight it was jazz music and there was a saxophone and drums. It was a really cute place. Then we decided to go check out another bar I knew about but it was closed down. So then we went in search of another bar to go to ...

... flowers in the vases attached to the crypts. The variety of sites, and the elaborate nature of them definitely indicated the wealth that the family had when they buried their loved ones. The dichotomy from poor to rich was plainly evident and in some cases, made me feel sad for those who could not participate in this aspect of their culture as they might like to. I can only imagine what All Saints ...

... 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 ...

... perfect competition". Seeing that Vendor #1 is doing well from selling a certain product, Vendor #2 stops selling their product and begins to sell Vendor #1's product. Through Vendors #3, 4, 5 etc., this trend continues, until there are a number of different groups of vendors that all sell the same range of products. In keeping with competition, prices need to get lower and lower to create an income for each vendor as prospective ...