Oaxaca, Day One

Well, kind of like the Semrad habit of going to look at houses right at dusk, it has become a Sewell habit to arrive in strange cities after dark full of certainty we can navigate to our first night's lodging with no problems.  We forget between vacations how little signage exists outside the US.  Last night we finally paid a taxi driver five dollars to lead us out of a maze of one-way streets into another maze of cobble-stoned alleyways to our dear sweet haven.  Plain black iron door in an alleyway opened up to this lovely courtyard.

Had a hot shower, jumped in the bed and woke up to a beautiful day.  God bless Ev, he was game to get back in the car and take me to La Cuna de Alebrijes:

This little girl had a pet parrot named Tito who followed her everywhere.  She took it upon herself to be our personal tour guide of her family's workshop and demonstrate their wares while I struggled to make decisions.

The towns around Oaxaca each choose a day to host a big market. We drove to Thursday's market, had lunch, and checked out the food.  Vats of mole paste, mounds of bread, slabs of chicharron.... See the sweet little face in the bottom of the image below?  I was speaking to her in Spanish, asking her to advise me on which paste to buy and how to prepare it.  She was answering me in a language I'd never heard.  Later found out it was Zapotec.  Never mind,  we understood each other perfectly.

 The drink came from the big vat to the left of my elbow-made of corn juice and chocolate.  Not worth the calories, had to wash it down with a Corona.  We had lunch at the counters behind me-I had a chile relleno and black beans.  Ev had chicken mole.  Excellent meal.

Tonight we walked down to the zocalo and listened to a band playing Strauss waltzes.  Churches and payasos.

It's bedtime, and I have a date will Wallace Stegner tonight.  Monte Alban tomorrow.