TLAYUDAS, EMPANADAS, MEMELOS, TEJATE, CHOCOLATE Y PAN, CHAPULINES

Memories of wonderful street food in Oaxaca. I probably would not have learned about or tried all these things if it weren't for my friend Irma. She loves to eat at the markets and at the puestos on the street, and she knows the good ones.

One night, we went to the market -- I believe it was the Benito Juarez market -- and I learned that chocolate y pan is a favorite late night snack. You can have chocolate de agua or chocolate de leche. Chocolate de agua (chocolate mixed with sugar and water) is more traditional for Mexicans, but chocolate de leche is more to our north american taste. Along with it you get pan de yema, a big puffy roll that is yellowish inside (yema is egg yok). You dip big chunks of bread into the hot chocolate and eat it --- usually there is some left to drink too. Yumm.

Another night we went to the same place -- Abuelita's -- and ordered tlayudas which are gigantic crisp tortillas topped with beans and meat or chorizo or cheese. We each ordered one, but neither of us could finish the whole thing. Unusual -- for me at least.

One day, on our way to find the right vehicle that would take us to Ocotlan, south of the city (more about that later), suddenly Irma spotted a stand that she knew (she has a good eye for food) on the street. So, other plans went on hold for the moment, and we sat down and ordered empanadas ... and then memelas. They are similar.... but different masa and different fillings, different shapes. This time we ate it all!!

Tejate is a very traditional drink originating from prehispanic times and each maker guards her recipe carefully and won't allow outsiders see her make it. It doesn't look very appetizing to a gringo eye but I developed a taste for it -- mainly because Irma never seemed to pass up an opportunity to have some, and I always followed her lead. It looks sort of like pond water with foam on top and the taste is hard to describe, but it is very thirst quenching and refreshing. Toasted maize flour, fermented cacao beans, mamey pits, and flor de cacao are ground into a paste, like a sort of mole, and then mixed with cold water by hand. When it is ready, a pasty foam formed by the flor de cacao and oily mamey pit rises to the top. It is served into cups out of huge pottery bowls. Each cup gets a bit of sugar water, then the tejate topped with a little of the foam.

Chapulines -- grasshoppers. You find them in every market, fried with lime and seasoning -- whole or chopped up. I started with the chopped up version, and then moved on to the whole ones. I have to say it was a bit easier to eat the whole ones when they were wrapped up in a nice warm tortilla. Good protein source and surprisingly tasty!!

I found a spanish "dicho" that fits my food experience in Oaxaca: "Atascate ahora que hay lodo" or "Pig out while you have the chance".

EL ORGULLA VA ANTES LA CAIDA

That's my best effort to translate our english saying "Pride goes before the fall". And it refers to the fact that I have been sick. I should have known better than to brag to people that I had been in Mexico for 4 months and had never been sick. I always knocked on wood promptly when I realized I was tempting fate by saying it out loud, but finally fate had her way.

I got back to Queretaro early Monday morning after an all night bus ride (Irma's very good suggestion), and got busy immediately unpacking, admiring all my wonderful Oaxaca purchases, washing clothes and getting the house ready to turn back to her owner for the month of January. I have to say the house is looking much more colorful now -- when I arrived everything was very beige.

Tuesday I went to the market for some fresh fruits and veggies and did other errands. By afternoon I was really dragging and thought I just needed a siesta before going to see Kikey's performance in the Pastorale at the theatre. But then I started having chills, body aches, and a headache and then vomiting and diarrhea (TMI?). Needless to say, I didn't go to the Pastorale, and I thought for sure I was in for a week of H1N1. But Wednesday morning I didn't feel worse which was a very welcome surprise.....however, not well enough to keep my appointment in Tequisquiapan (an hour or so away by bus) to have my hair cut. Today I finally got out of bed and showered, ate some breakfast, and ventured out for a very slow walk to go buy my bus ticket to the Mexico City airport Sunday. I was surprised how exhausted I was when I returned home.

On my walk today, I saw how the city was preparing for the New Year's Eve Celebration tonight. There is a tianguis set up next to Jardin Zennea with comedors (eating places) and vendors selling dulces. Opposite Jardin Zennea is a huge bandstand and next to it are lined up a bunch of brand new bicycles and tricycles ..... my guess is part of the entertainment tonight will be giving away those bikes to some lucky kids. I am supposed to meet Sylviah and her mom at Plaza de Armas at 9:00 tonight to see the sights and then go to their house for la cena (late supper)to celebrate the arrival of the new year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR -- PROSPERO ANO NUEVO!!!!

ADIOS OAXACA

Tonight I leave Oaxaca on a night bus. Hopefully, I will sleep the whole way and wake up in Mexico City at about 5:30 AM where I will get a bus to Queretaro. Leaving at night gave me a lovely Sunday to enjoy Oaxaca, and I will get to Queretaro (again hopefully) before noon, so I have the day there too.

I realize that I haven't stayed true to my vow to write more regularly. The problem has been that I want to do and see everything, so I leave in the morning and often don't return until late at night when I'm so exhausted that it's all I can do to brush my teeth, take a shower and fall into bed. When I AM here in the hotel (Casa Arnel) in the morning, I don't have WiFi in my room so to write on the blog or check email I have to be in the patio downstairs or the terrace upstairs where I tend to get into conversations with other very interesting travelers from all over the world: Australia, South Africa, Vancouver, France, California. So my efforts to write are short-lived.

Today, after spending 2 hours figuring out how to pack all my purchases -- 3 small rugs, a bedspread, a huipil and skirt, several blusas, and several things requested by friends -- into the bags I came with, I went to Irma's house for breakfast with her and her mother and cousin. Irma is a great cook .. we had queso in salsa, fruta (mango, chicozapote, and papaya), churros to dip in hot chocolate, and carrot/orange juice. Mmmmm, muy rico.

Then we went to the Oaxaca Textile Museum where there was a spectacular exhibit of Guatemalan textiles in a beautifully restored old building. From there, we walked over to the Zocalo where the Sunday afternoon concert was underway. All kinds of people there enjoying the music and, toward the end, dancing the "Danzone".... a formal kind of particularly Mexican dance -- sort of a combination of waltz and rumba. After the concert, we walked up Alcala, the andador (no cars), to look for a large canasta (basket) for me, because I hadn't quite been able to fit everything into my suitcase. We ended up at Marco Polo Restaurant where we found the rest of Irma's family. Marco Polo happened to be the first restaurant I went to when I got here two weeks ago, so it was sort of a nice touch to end the trip there..... great pescados y mariscos.

EL CONCIERTO

Last night we, Irma and her family and I, went to a concert in Teatro Alcala. From what I understand, the musicians were from different places and this concert was the first time they had played together. The conductor was from Israel and was quite young. We got there an hour ahead of time to get good seats, so we were all sitting in the 5th row.

In Mexico, the government subsidizes arts and culture so that most people have access to this kind of performance. The tickets were 20 pesos (about $1.50), and the seats were not reserved, so what seats you get depends on how early you get there to wait in line. Last week we went to a performance of Rigoletto (in Italian with Spanish subtitles). The tickets were a bit more expensive.... I think about $15.00.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It made a big difference to me being able to sit close to the stage which I've never been able to do at the Flynn. The cellist had two solos (accompanied by the symphony) and he was brilliant. I don't go often to symphony performances -- this experience changed my attitude toward them. The audience was wildly enthusiastic about the performance -- the energy was contagious.

ME ENAMORO DE OAXACA

I am in love with Oaxaca!! I have been so busy walking around exploring, eating, drinking, visiting with Irma and with Ellen and Ron, listening to music, and watching parades that I haven't taken time to write.

Today is an example. I met Ellen and Ron early and we walked up the hill to the west of the city for good exercise. Then I picked up my laundry at a place a couple of blocks from my hotel, Las Mariposas, and then hightailed it back to change my clothes and get to my cooking class on time.

The cooking class was by Nora Andrea Valencia and was advertised to be vegetarian. I wouldn't have chosen vegetarian, but it was the only class I could find that wasn't already filled. But what luck!!! It was spectacular!! We first went to the market, El Merced, which is a small market for the barrio. Nora explained that many of the venders at this market come in from the outlying pueblitos with vegetables and herbs they have grown in what we would call an organic way, but it is the way these families have been growing things for generations. The vegetables and herbs are small, but have great flavor. They are referred to as "criollo" foods. She pointed out and described the uses of many different kinds of grains, vegetables, herbs, chilis, cheeses, and, of course, chapulines (grasshoppers) and gusanos (worms).

We then returned to her home -- which was quite beautiful by the way -- and began to cook. The menu was Empanadas de Verduras, Sopa de Hongos, Salsa de Miltomate con Gusanitos de Maguey, Frijoles Con Hierba de Conejo, Guacamole de Molcajete, and for dessert, Tamalitos de Pina. Nora was an excellent teacher and an inspired cook. Everything had a depth and complexity of flavors that she attributed to the great variety of herbs and chilis used and her methods of preparing them.

Oaxacan cuisine is the best I've had in Mexico. I would call Oaxaca the New Orleans of Mexico -- because in my opinion New Orleans has the most distinctive, varied and delicious food in the U.S.

I didn't get back from the class until about 4:00 and was exhausted so napped for a couple of hours. Then I left to walk to the Zocalo to see what was going on there. On the way I happened on a little musical group in front of the Temple of Santo Domingo playing things like Pachebel's Canon in D. I stopped and listened until they finished and then continued down Calle Alcala where I ran into a little parade of a group of men in lovely Spanish looking costumes singing "Cielito Lindo". They passed and I continued on to the Zocalo which was filled with people as usual and about 3 different musical groups.

On the way home from the Zocalo, I found another parade -- this one was for a wedding -- complete with large puppets (Monos) and a gigantic cloth globe (marmota), a band, folkloric dancers and men handing out small cups (a little less than a jigger) of mescal.

Just another day in Oaxaca during the season of Navidad.

CALDO DE PIEDRA

I think we all know the childrens' story "Stone Soup" --- as I remember it, the poor family has nothing but a pot and some water, so they put a stone in it and invite everyone they know over to have some "stone soup", but everyone has to bring something to put in the pot. So in the end everyone enjoys a soup full of lots of yummy things.

Well, this stone soup -- caldo de piedra -- is altogether different. It is a prehispanic ritual meal prepared only by men. As I said in the last post, Aurora , Javier and I arrived in Oaxaca earlier than expected -- in fact we arrived at the time most Mexicans eat their big meal of the day, at about 3:00. So Yolanda, Aurora's and Javier's friend, directed us to meet her outside of the city, and she took us to a restaurant that specializes in this particular meal. The man who owns the restaurant had gotten permission from the elders of the pueblo where this dish originated to make and serve it in his restaurant, and a certain percentage of his income goes back to the pueblo.

It is the preparation of the soup that makes it so special. One man puts the ingredients into bowls made from gourds that grow on a local tree: tomato, onion, cilantro, salt, chili pepper, whole shrimp (heads and all) and a chunk of local white fish. He hands the bowls to other men who line them up on a bench in front of an open fire where river stones are being heated (reminiscent of the temezcal). They fill the bowls with water and then add a stone from the fire to each one. The mixture instantly boils and when it settles down, they add another stone, and continue this way until the seafood is cooked.

The bowl is then set down in front of you, held by a little donut shaped straw thing (because the bowls are round on the bottom) with the final stone still resting inside. It's quite steamy so you have to wait a bit to dig in. While waiting for it to cool, we enjoyed quesadillas made with the huge tortillas particular to this area.

What a feast!!!

LOS PEREGRINOS EN BICICLETAS

Here I am in Oaxaca several days earlier than I had planned. Last week, Aurora and Javier found that they needed to go to Oaxaca for a project they are working on with a community here, and there wasn't funding for plane tickets. So they asked if I would like to ride with them Friday instead of taking the bus on Monday as planned. I had to scramble to get some things done that I wanted to finish before leaving, but I managed to get myself ready in time.

It was of course much more pleasant to have the company of Aurora and Javier than to ride alone on the bus. We evidently made record time, arriving in Oaxaca in 8 hours, because of a new highway that entirely bypasses Mexico City. Along the way we saw many, many groups of bicylists riding along the shoulder of the highway led by trucks decorated with shrines. They were either going to or coming from the Basilica de la Virgen de Guadelupe in Mexico City. Saturday, December 12 is El Dia de Guadalupe in all of Mexico, and many people make yearly pilgrimages to her church in Mexico City. The Basilica was built on the hill where Juan Diego saw the vision of the Virgin Mary in the 1500s. So many people from all over Mexico make this pilgrimage that they have to assign different days to different pueblos to make their visit.

One cannot overstate the importance of La Virgen de Guadelupe to Mexicans and to Mexico. Back when the Conquistadores arrived, they had two objectives: finding gold and treasure and converting the indigenous people ("pagans") to Christianity. Many orders -- Dominicans, Franciscans, Jesuits and others -- found rich ground to impose their religion. But the indigenous peoples were pretty resistant; they had no choice but to go along with what was being imposed on them, but they continued to believe deeply in their own gods which were mainly related to nature: corn, water, animals, fire, earth, the sun. The vision of the Virgin appearing to Juan Diego, an indian, helped the people incorporate Christianity into their own belief systems. When you study closely the shawl of Juan Diego onto which the image of the Virgin was imprinted and which hangs in the Basilica, you see many symbols and images which are definitely pagan and not Christian. Surrounding the Virgin are rays representing the sun, she stands on the crescent moon, and on her cloak are stars and the number of stars has importance. There are other symbols too numerous to go into.

The Spaniards built their cathedrals and churches on top of the places of worship of the indigenous peoples, but they couldn't completely bury the soul and spirit of the people. The indians were forced into slave labor to build the grand cathedrals, but often they carved images that, unbeknownst to the bishops, were from their own belief systems. Viva la gente!!

LO SIENTO

I apologize to all my followers -- not that there's that many of you -- but I did promise some time ago that I would make an effort to make a posting every day, and I have not kept that promise. Not even close. I notice my last posting was November 30 -- two weeks ago!!

I'm afraid my habit of procrastination has followed me to Mexico. Every day I think I'll have more time and energy tomorrow, but of course, something else interesting comes up the next day, and so it goes. Also, I think I've been too ambitious about posting lots of photos. It takes a lot of time to get them to appear where I want them in the text, and so it does take a lot of time. So, folks, only one photo per post and sometimes none.

I do want to get back to more regular writing because usually I don't have anyone to talk to about what I'm doing, so it's my way of sharing and enjoying again in the telling of my adventures.

Here's a random market picture just because I'm hungry and waiting to go out to supper with a nice couple I met here at Las Mariposas who are from Moscow, Idaho.