We've traveled to many different places in Mexico over the last ten months, but none has felt more like home than Oaxaca. It's a true soulmate - when you know, you know. But...I'm not quite sure why. Part of the allure of this city is people we've met, that goes without saying. The expat culture here is not just a vibrant and friendly community, but the friends we've made all came here for different reasons, and all have stayed for a version of the same one - it's just...what is it? Hard to describe. This week our friend Carl came to visit on his way to Guatemala. We had a great time exploring town with a newbie, and checked off a few items on our ever-expanding "to do" list. The Ethnobotanical Gardens was at the top of the list, and so well worth the two hour tour. I typically don't enjoy tours that last more than 30 minutes, and prefer to just learn a bit and then explore on my own. But at the Garden all visitors are required to join with a guide, which is how we met Diego, the best dressed guia wearing the most neon in all of Oaxaca. And he knew his shit about plants and the history of the city. The Museo de las culturas de Oaxaca is a huge museum next to the Santo Domingo church. It's worth checking out for the photo exhibit of nuns doing everyday activities (like riding the subway, or ironing clothes) in their nun-gear (amongst so many other things). We have less than six weeks left in this city, and I know that time is going to pass quickly. In the interim, I plan to document street art, eat veggie tortas/tlayudas, and hang out at the pool with friends as much as possible.
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We've had the best time in San Cristobal with David and Laura (who we met in Oaxaca). They decided to book an extended stay in the apartment above ours, and it has been so fun to have good friends nearby! A few weeks ago we all drove down to Lagos de Montebello, a set of lakes in Chiapas on the border of Guatemala. We did the thing you do when you visit a body of water in Mexico - jump in with your clothes on to go swimming, then hire a local guy to take you out to the secret island on his boat. After swimming around all day, we made a quick detour to see some Mayan ruins on the way home. "Let's check out these ruins" is just a standard phrase in our vocabulary these days, like checking out the new Trader Joe's down the block. Just like that.
I've posted enough pictures of ancient ruins to be able to jump over stating some of the obvious differences between Mexico and the USA. So what are some of the not so obvious idiosyncrasies between these two countries?
1. People in Mexico love snacks. Perhaps it draws on the street food culture in many of the towns here, but there are always vendors selling all sorts of snacks from bicycle powered carts and woven baskets. 2. It's very rare that you will see a person exercising in public. There are certainly professional athletes (I've seen road and mt. bikers in every town we've stayed), but the average soul out for a jog? It just doesn't really happen. 3. The dress code is much more traditional than I'd imagined it would be. Sure, you'll still see ladies walking around in backless tunics with their bras exposed in Tulum, but that's an exception. Most other places in this country women wearing anything that hits above the knees is a rare site. 4. The food isn't spicy. You can always add picante to everything, but the food that arrives on your plate will very rarely have any heat. There is a difference between spice and flavor - el sabor de comida is typically unique and insanely delicious. 5. It is loud here. The cars are loud, the collectivo (shared public transit vans) drivers are always yelling out the window at people on the street. The gas truck, the water truck, they play music at top volume as they drive slowly through town. The birds in our garden are loud! Every time I'm on a call for work, my co-workers comment on how they can hear the birds very clearly. There's always a dog barking somewhere. There are fireworks going off 80% of the time. People never stop talking. The vendors are always approaching people and to sell their goods. And there is something comforting about that noise. Now quiet has become a strange sound. The first time I went back to the States for a visit I noticed two things: 1. Everything seemed very bright. Isn't that weird? I don't know how else to describe it. 2. Everything seemed incredibly orderly. Traffic obeyed the signals, people stayed in their lanes. The streets were clean. The buildings were built to code. We were living within a grid, there were social rules that were subdued and assumed. In Mexico, it's chaotic. Taxis weave all over the place. No car stays in their lane. At a restaurant, the waiter will never ask if you want your check (I love this). You'll need to say "la cuenta" or you will sit forever. Children will try to sell you gum, and, scarfs, and cigarettes. There is so much beauty. Gosh, I feel like the luckiest person to have the opportunity to spend time getting to know Mexico. |
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