Oaxaca is a midsize city in the center of a valley, agriculturally fertile and rich in history.
At one time it was the center of the Zapotec civilization and was a hub for trade and culture, as it still is today. People from all parts of the valley come to Oaxaca to sell their goods.
The city itself is very colonial and charming, but is currently trying to recover from it's tumultuous past couple years. What started off as teachers protesting and camping out in the city center demanding higher pay and benefits turned into an all out war with the government. People died and the city has been battered and bruised and the scars from the conflict can be seen across city walls in the form of political graffiti, or the constant reminder of it under paint inconsistent with that of the buildings.
We ate good food, saw old friends and enjoyed the good nature and spirit of the Oaxacan people.
It's not uncommon to be approached by good intentioned Oaxacan's wanting to go on a walk and get to know you.
For the celebrations of Good Friday, the church squares were filled with live music, traditional dancing, and free drinks and ice cream, or as the call them aguas frescas and nieves. I must have drank my weight in jamaica, tamarindo, horchata, and cherimoya juice.
Click to enlarge photo:
Santa Domingo church. This is the Good Friday scene, maybe the biggest in the city, but could be found at any number of squares. People also prepared drinks in their house or business and handed them out to people walking by. We have enough trouble letting our kids take candy when Halloween comes around, I can't imagine something like this!
One of many stalls handing out aguas frescas.
Ruins of Monte Alban. Found on top of a mountain, this was the center of the Zapotec civilization where nobles, priests and other important people lived. They had to carry water up to the top everyday flourished, roughly, between 600-200 B.C.
Church, next door to which they sold wonderful ice creams. My favorite flavor being "burnt milk," leche quemada. In the photo is my wonderful traveling partner Marissa
Pedestrian street in Oaxaca city.
1 comment:
she is very pretty traveling partner. sounds like you are having fun. wish we were with you .
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