January 15-24, 1998
No mas mezcal, por favor!
My very first trip out of the US was to Mexico with my cousin. We didn’t travel to the traditional places but rather spent the first few days in Oaxaca which is known for its art scene and food culture. Suffice it to say that we fully embraced the food and liquor traditions.
Oaxaca
January 15-19, 1998
Our first day was spent around the Zocalo (city center) and the market.
We visited the Camino Real which is a 400 year old convent that has been converted to a hotel. One evening we went to a traditional folk dance dinner called a Guelaguetza at the Camino Real convent. We were enjoying a nice evening dining on a traditional delicious meal until suddenly I saw a leg of an insect in the potatoes and quickly learned about Chapulines – grasshoppers! Later on in the trip we got over our fear of the chapulines and snacked on them like beer nuts as we sipped margaritas.
The next day we took a tour of some of the other local highlights. We took a day trip to Monte Alban to visit ancient Zapotec Ruins.
San Jeronimo Church is a 16th century church that’s interior was painted by Indian ancestors using indigo and red dye extracted from beetles that feed off a cactus plant native to the region.
In Teotitlan, we took a tour of a rug weaver who also uses the dye extracted from the beetles to hand color the wool they spun from their home raised animals.
We also took a tour of the mezcal factory and did a tasting. It’s delicious!
The Tule Tree is one of the biggest and oldest Montezuma water cypress trees. It is estimated to over 2000 years old.
Temple de Santo Domingo has real gold throughout the entire church.
On our way back to Oaxaca we visited a wood carving shop where we each purchased a few wood carvings called “alebrijes” which are brightly colored Mexican folk art wooden sculptures.
Huatulco
January 20-24, 1998
Huatulco, to this day, is still a somewhat unknown beach town. It was very picturesque and a complete contrast of Oaxaca.
We spent a lot of time outdoors soaking up the sun in various ways such as enjoying the ocean views…
…snorkeling for the first time, ever…
…and horseback riding on the beach..
Click here for the full size gallery.
Sorry for the bad quality of the photos, as these were taken with an old film camera.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that we made lots of friends that helped us pass the evening time in La Crucecita, while in Huatulco.
Viva el Festo!