EXPLORING THE CITY

Tonight will be our 7th night in Oaxaca. We have been exploring the city by walking about 3 hours each day. The weather is much hotter than we expected. The last couple of days provided beautiful blue sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 80’s. When we are out walking, we are constantly crossing the street looking for the shade. It was so bright that Sam had to wear her visor as well as her sunglasses. The evenings are very pleasant and it is easy to sleep. We have no heater, fans or air conditioning and we don’t really need them.


During our walks we have discovered:

There are few gringos here and very little English is spoken in stores, restaurants, etc. This is not a touristy place and not for those tourists used to being coddled.

Zocalo – this is the town square where one can do some serious people watching. The zocalo is beautifully decorated with a couple of thousand of Noches Buenas (poinsettias). It is about a 25 minute walk from the house. It is a traditional town square with many tall trees and, of course, an old church, strolling musicians, restaurants, stores, street vendors, etc.

Scotiabank – this is where we can cash our very important traveler’s checks. It is located downtown near the zocalo.

Pan & Co – a very good bakery to buy fresh bread. The bakery is about a 15 minute walk. One day we bought a loaf of freshly baked ciabatta bread for less than one dollar. Another day we purchased focaccia bread with caramelized onions for a little less than three dollars…a little pricey but very delicious.

Markets – we have visited several markets that sell fresh fruits and vegetables. Some of the markets also have fresh chickens and meats. We haven’t been brave enough to buy the meats. Some also sell fresh fish and seafood. There are others that sell clothing, household goods, etc. Many of the indigenous people come to Oaxaca to buy and sell their goods from the local villages.

Chedraui – this is the local supermarket. It is about a 45 minute walk one way. The other day we decided to walk to Chedraui’s to see if we could find it. We only did a little shopping because we only had one backpack with us. Of course, Bob refused to take the bus or taxi home. By the time we got home, we were very tired. We are familiar with this store chain from our travels in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico.

The Lending Library – it is an English library with over 30,000 books. It costs 130 pesos (a little less than $10) to join for one month. This is very expensive compared to the library in San Miguel de Allende. However, you can buy used books for 5 pesos (about 40 cents) each. So we found three books that we hadn’t read and purchased them.

Wine – we have been able to find wine in several different stores. So, Bob doesn’t have to walk too far. He has been able to even find the “box wine” which is inexpensive but good for a table wine.

We are getting to know our neighbors (Gerardo, Marielena and their five year old son, Mateo) who live above us and our housekeeper (Elpedia) who cleans for us five days a week. The neighbors are leaving tomorrow morning for Puerto Escondido to enjoy about a week at the beach. It’s a six hour drive and they asked us to join them. We declined because we want more time to explore Oaxaca.

All in all we are finding our way.