cuetzalan

A couple of days ago we took a trip to Cuetzalan, a small mountain town located in the Sierra Norte region of Puebla. We went on a Sunday, the day of its bustling and colorful tianguis (market), where indigenous people from surrounding villages (mostly Nahua, I'm told) come to gather to buy, sell, and trade goods.



When I have more time I'll add captions to the photos.

birthday adventures

Tacos árabes con queso, limon, y salsa roja para el birthday boy.

A taco árabe is a chewy, pita-like tortilla (pan árabe) loaded with roasted pork that is thinly carved from a vertical rotisserie. The dish was invented by Lebanese immigrants and have become a tradition in Puebla.

On the recommendation of a local, for dinner we tried the taco árabes from Antigua Taqueria La Oriental. Unsurprisingly, it was really good. To go with the tacos they served two different kinds of salsa—a smoky and spicy red (TJ's favorite) and a limon-y green (my favorite) speckled with oregano (at least I think).

Next we tried some ice cream from a shop located a block away from El Parian crafts market...

Make mine uva (grape) con vanilla! TJ had galleta (cookies and cream). I think the flavor in the upper right corner is chicle . . . interesting. But so many flavors to choose from . . . good thing we're here for four more days.

Before the feast of tacos árabes and ice cream we took a day-long trip to Cuetzalan, an indigenous mountain town about 2-3 hours away from Puebla City. I'll get around to posting pictures from that adventure soon.

Tomorrow: hitting the talavera shops and candy street.

photos from oaxaca

We recently returned from our weeklong Mexican adventure. We had been planning the trip for several months, lured by the promise of great food, magnificent architecture, mysterious archaeological ruins, and colorful art and culture.

We weren't disappointed. In Oaxaca, we discovered a vibrant capital city filled with dancing, parades, music, balloons, and friendly people. Buildings painted in candy-colored hues line every street, where vendors sell ice cream cones, hot dogs, and elotes, and indigenous women offer their beautiful crafts—intricately embroidered blouses, woven baskets, and bookmarks.

Attending church in Oaxaca was a particularly lovely experience. Everyone was eager to say hello and welcome us to the ward. The bishop invited us to have lunch with his family; we helped his wife prepare meat and cabbage for the delicious pozole we ate, and we had an interesting conversation with his son, who had just returned from a mission in Hermosillo. He said that the narcos would give the missionaries rides all the time.

While we were able to see a lot of Oaxaca in one week, including the historic sites of Monte Alban, Mitla, and the crafts villages of Teotitlán del Valle and San Bartolo Coyotepec, there still remains much more of this wonderful place to explore. We can't wait to visit again some day.

Below are a ton of slideshows from various parts of our trip. Sorry if you can't see the big play buttons to start the slideshows — I don't know what's up with that, at least in Firefox on our MacBook. But you can click on the slideshows to open up a larger version in Picasa.

Parks



Oaxaca City has many public spaces for people to gather: parks, plazas, and gardens. Here are just a couple of them.

Primavera



In Oaxaca City, you're almost guaranteed to stumble across some kind of celebration. On our first day, we saw a group of kids dressed up in various animal costumes, riding their decorated bikes around Conzatti Park. The parade was part of Primavera festivities, which celebrate the arrival of spring.

Monte Alban



The ruins at Monte Alban, one of the first cities in Mesoamerica. The ancient Zapotec metropolis emerged as the center of political and economic authority in the valley of Oaxaca. It was founded around 500 BC and flourished until AD 750.

Chocolate



Chocolate shops on Mina Street in downtown Oaxaca City, which grind and mix their own chocolate. Each shop offers samples of delicious chocolate in many flavors, including canela, vanilla, leche, nuez, and moka.

Teotitlán del Valle



We visited a workshop in the Zapotec village of Teotitlán del Valle, which is famous for its colorful weavings made with natural dyes such as indigo for blue, pericón flowers for yellow, and cochineal beetles for red.

Mitla



The ruins of Mitla, which served as an important place of burial during Zapotec and Mixtec times. At its height in AD 1350, Mitla reached a population of about 10,000 people. The walls of Mitla's buildings are characterized by distinctive geometric mosaics.

Food, Glorious Food



Oaxaca is well-known for its amazing culinary traditions. We sampled at least five different moles, tlayudas (giant, crispy tortillas covered with cheese and other delicious toppings), tamales, ice cream, the best pizza ever, tacos, chiles rellenos, and chapulines (grasshoppers, a Oaxacan delicacy). Fortunately, our daily feasting was offset by the miles of walking we did everyday.

Markets and shopping



Oaxaca's busy streets and markets are filled with stalls where vendors sell food, clothing, bags, leather goods, and a variety of other items. A favorite place to shop in Oaxaca City is MARO, a store run by native Mexican women artisans dedicated to preserving traditional handicraft techniques.

Iglesia de Santo Domingo



Built mostly between 1570 and 1608, Oaxaca City's Igesia de Santo Domingo is named for the Spanish monk who founded the Dominican order. The massively impressive Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca is housed within the monastery buildings adjoining the church; from the open windows you can get great views of the city and the monastery's garden.

Wedding at Santo Domingo



We were just walking around when we came across a traditional wedding celebration at Santo Domingo church, complete with big band, dancing, dancing giants, and a big balloon with the happy couple's names.

Baseball



We attended a few innings of a Mexican League baseball game between the Oaxaca Guerreros and the Pericos de Puebla. The game was nearly sold out when we got there and we could only get seats beyond the outfield in a section called los jardines. It cost about 10 pesos (or 75 cents) per ticket. We didn't stay for the whole game partly due to the fireworks being launched right behind our seats after each homerun, but Oaxaca ended up winning 8 to 6.

El Tule



In the small town of Santa María del Tule is El Arbol del Tule, a massive cypress that is thought to be at least 2,000 years old.

Around the Zócalo



Views around the zócalo, the primary public gathering place in Oaxaca City. A great place to relax and get your shoes shined. In front of the Oaxaca Cathedral, located in the northwest corner of the zócalo, you can always see children tossing and chasing around their globos (large tube-shaped balloons) in the open space next to the cathedral.

Miscellaneous



Pictures that I couldn't/was too lazy to fit into the categories above.

Wedding pictures

Thought we'd post some wedding pictures for anybody who hasn't gotten to see them yet.