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.
Irma and Oaxaca will miss you A LOT! Gracias por tu compañía, que de alguna manera unió mis dos mundos, mis dos vidas e identidades :)
ReplyDeleteVolveremos a Oaxaca el próximo año para celebrar mi cumpleaños, won´t we? Thousand hugs.
Nancy, Irma, Oaxaca, música, museos, bandas, danzones, quesos en salsa, pescados, textiles, andadores y yo aquí en Essex, con niebla luego de una noche de lluvia, cero nieve en el piso, y una temperatura que más se parece a Querétaro que al mismísimo Vermont.
ReplyDeleteLas echo de menos, heme aquí disfrutando de la música y de un amanecer lento.
un beso,
mario
You are having WAY too much fun. Will we ever be able to lure you back to Vermont? It's new year's eve. So, Bonne annee et bonne sante! See... I, too, can wow you with my command of foreign languages. Keep up the fun.
ReplyDeleteSuzy