Mexico Journal: 12 Abril 06

Amy wrote:

Oaxaca! We got to town tired, hungry and ready for a drink after an eight-hour bus ride from Veracruz. Oaxaca is just as I remembered: Lively with an inviting feel. We see more tourists from Europe and the United States than we have in other cities. The zocalo is alive with children, balloons, dancing and women selling flowers from baskets on their heads.

The main cathedral on the zocalo.

The moutains outside Oaxaca as seen from the bus.

Moments after I shot this the guy walking toward us told me in Spanish that this was going to be a beautiful picture.

Morning in Oaxaca's zocalo.

For the foodies:

We stopped at a cafe on the zocalo after dropping our bags. Had sangria, quesadillas (with Oaxacan string cheese, mushrooms and squash flower -- tasty, who knew?). Then we had a mixed plate with Oaxacan black beans, grilled flank steak with tortillas and chiles and more queso. Again, all great!

A nice Mexican couple next to us bought some of the fried grasshoppers that are so popular here from a street vendor. Of course, they offered us some. I tried one first. Seth, reluctantly, went second. The woman called them "rico." They did have a surprising amount of flavor -- only slightly crunchy and very nutty. Glad to say I tried them.

Chapulines, or the famed grasshopper sold all over Oaxaca. Seth now knows if he were a character on "Lost" he could survive on these. Must be a decent source of protein. Toothpicks, though, are handy afterward. You've never felt uncomfortable at the dinner table until you've had a grasshopper leg stuck between your teeth.