Tonight I’ll be on a 9-hour overnight bus to Pochutla, a city near the Oaxacan coast. From there I’ll take a short bus ride to Mazunte where I’ll be spending a few days by the beach. After being in two big cities, I’m looking forward to being somewhere more secluded. October is one of the least busy months for tourism, and many hotels and hostels close. I spent about an hour online yesterday looking for a place to stay and finally found a hostel that seems pretty laid-back. All I hope is that there are other people staying there so I can make friends!
There are four things I’ll miss most about Oaxaca City:
1. Music and dance: I have seen live music on the street every day for the last week. The brass bands play upbeat, traditional Mexican music, and crowds quickly start dancing. It feels like there is party everyday!
2. Pride of indigenous history and traditions: Oaxacans take great pride in being multicultural and seem to hold on to their indigenous roots. Most museums and galleries have signs in three languages (Zapotek, Spanish and English), a lot of people wear traditional attire and landmarks around the city acknowledge the region’s complicated history. Plus, Benito Juárez, Mexico’s first Indigenous president, was from Oaxaca. Streets, plazas, parks and restaurants are named after him, and he is seen by many as a revolutionary who gave rights to a marginalized community.
3. Colors: The houses are painted in bright blues and oranges, the flowers on windowsills are bright red and the women’s shawls are shades of yellow and purple. The joyful colors make me happy!
4. Markets: I love markets, and Oaxaca has several vibrant ones! Today, I went to Central de Abasto which is the city’s biggest market. There you can find anything you could possibly want. I walked around for about 2 hours and saw everything from party decorations to medicinal herbs. I even found a stand that sells tiny tacos for 2 pesos!
Trails And Travels 