Oaxaca!

Oh Oaxaca!

We just spent the last five weeks in this spectacular city. After not travelling out of our own country for almost two years - a very long time for us - we landed in Oaxaca City, Mexico. Getting off the plane late in the evening, with the warm air, the smell of garbage rotting and the open sewers. While not something you usually enjoy in a place but somehow it brings us back to the travel life, and is somehow comforting. Those sensations, along with the aromas of the taco trucks, and the buzzing nightlife, we knew we were going to love this place. We got set up in our new hostel that was pretty close to the Zocalo (town centre), and set out to find a cold beer and some street food. There is nothing better than a cold beer and a spicy taco after a long day of travel; well, any time really. A good nights sleep and we were ready to explore this new city we were going to call home for the week, since we only booked one week stay in this hostel.

Oh and did I mention this was the week of Dia de los Muertos as well? The city was all dressed up in marigolds, crosses, festival lights and Catrina in all sizes. It seemed like every time you went down a different street there was a new parade, with candy and mezcal being passed around, people getting sugar skulls painted on their faces, and live music and marching bands scattered all over town. If you get the chance to be in Mexico for ANY festival I suggest you do, all the things we were taught as kids with the safety of fireworks, forget it. There are random firework placements and roman candles being fired off all over the place and in every direction, all times of the morning, afternoon and evening. It’s amazing and really keeps you on your toes - and often up in the middle of the night.

After our first two days of exploring, we knew we’d need more time in this great city, and decided to stay another four weeks. We looked online and found an apartment that we could rent for the month that was a great price and great location. The colours of the city, the smiles on everyone’s faces, and the food. Oh, the food! We spent the rest of the week just taking pictures and gawking at all the beautiful ways the city celebrated the lives of the deceased, and realized that back home we’ve been doing it all wrong.

The next week we moved to our new home about 25 minute walk from the Zocalo, and explored what the rest of Oaxaca had to offer. We went to see the ruins of Monte Alban, did the ever daunting Mezcal tasting (which we still haven’t acquired a taste for), rode the rickety bus to the petrified waterfalls at Hierve el Agua check the video here (copy and paste the link) : https //youtu.be/7Lj2Nuh4kPs , and Arbol del Tule, boasting the thickest tree trunk on earth; Of course any visit to Oaxaca isn’t complete without experiencing the beautiful Tlacolula Sunday market, when the indigenous men, women and children come to sell their handicrafts, vegetables and fruit, animals and anything else you can think of!

I can say this is the longest we have stayed in a city at one time on all of our travels, and I feel like we just scratched the surface. I would definitely suggest to come and visit this beautiful city for yourself to see what it has to offer you!