DAY OF REST...TOMORROW THANKSGIVING

     I am getting spoiled with this maid service.  I look forward to seeing the house all sparkling, clean sheets, empty shitty wastebaskets (we can't flush our toilet paper in Mexico..or drink the water, or...), clean floors , etc.  I left to drop of my shirts and pants for cleaning and pressing...about the same cost as in the US.  Laundry is CHEAP...so wash and wear is the best.  

NOT SURE BUT IT'S FREE AND AT THE MAIN MARKET...PUPPET SHOW.

      I enjoyed breakfast at the local Cafe in A Sol where Peter, (Canadian friend stays).  I met him leaving and we walked to the market together.  I stocked up for the week and returned to my clean house.  
     I was low on drinking water so went to see my Landlady. 
      Last night she offered me a discount if I paid her then because she needed cash in a hurry. The rent wasn't due for a week.  I paid the full price and threw in an extra 50 pesos for her selling my microwave for me while I was back in Norte Americana.  
      She said she wanted to show me what the money was for and took me to the first condo that Helen, my friend from Rochester, stayed at.  Helen introduced me to Los Nogales..the Oasis in Oaxaca. 
     The condo had been mostly transformed into a modern, tiled , beautiful place with a kitchen island, microwave, stainless steel refrigerator, even a large kitchen window replaced the old small one so the place was full of light both up and downstairs. The outside area had been cleared for a semi private patio to add to the appeal.  

        The workers had finished the job sooner than they told her so this is what my rent paid for...my new digs next year!  Yes, I can stop looking...I have a nice place, in a good neighborhood, quiet, with lots of light, cheaper than anything comparable...I booked it and took my water home.  
     I am returning on Friday to take photos for her and me.  I took some today but the paint hasn't dried to put in all the curtains, bedspreads etc.  Can't wait.

     The Thanksgiving Dinner was at 2 pm at the library so I arrived next door a bit early to pick up Juanita's Pumpkin Tamales she prepared for me.  Lucy, her bilingual , very intelligent daughter, met me with the HOT Tamales and asked for 300 Pesos.  I gave her 400 Peso but after felt guilty I didn't give her more. They were in a plastic bag that fit perfectly into my disposable Pot I brought from Mi Casa with a label "Pumpkin Tamales" then added it to the desert table at the library.

 
     I took a seat and saved one for Lisa who was joining me with her Mediterranean bean salad she made at Mi Casa last night and picked up this morning.  We were having some wine and appetizers at the table when she joined us.  We got in line but they ran out of DRESSING by the time I got there.  Everything else was tops.  The tables all had linen tablecloths with floral arrangements by Ted who had a Florist Shop in Vancouver B.C. before he retired to run a Gay B & B near my neighborhood in Oaxaca.  The laggards from the hike we were on day before yesterday were at our table...they spent yesterday recuperating like me.  We had a fabulous dinner...all 97 of us...the library only expected 60-70 but handled everything very professionally.  We finished our desert ( I had to move my Tamales up front as more deserts arrived after my placement and I got back seat. .. I ended  taking 8 out of 19 home with me).  It was too much fun to be bothered by such trivia...so we all went up to the roof and bought shots of Mescal from Jose our friendly "Mescal Boy" who came around to the tables encouraging us to have Mescal Blanco or Mescal Monte Alban...both he pulled out of his apron and filled little plastic shots with.  My Doctor Z playing the drums, and his GREAT Blues singer with a couple of good guitarists got us all up on the dance floor in short order.  It was great...except I forgot my camera!!!!!  I borrowed Lisa's phone and took a few photos before the battery went dead.  

     Her and I packed up our dishes and left just before everyone else.  We caught the bus and were back at Mi Casa washing up  and putting away leftover Tamales...and having one last call before she left and I crashed at 9:30.

FRIDAY      I slept until 9:30 am very soundly. Tamales for breakfast worked...then I did some Black Friday shopping on the Internet.  I went over to take some photos of the newly remodeled condo with furniture and drapes but the maid was still cleaning up and hadn't got the beds make or curtains up.   I returned to take a shower and then took the bus to Los Tacos.  On the way I ran into a Limo for a Wedding at the Basilica.

This is a place I've passed on the street that was always busy and it was indoors.  Most restaurants have open patios so when it gets cold, like today 69%, I want to sit in a warm place to enjoy my dinner.  I did.  Francis, born in Oaxaca, and three years working at Wrigley field in Chicago, was a great waiter.

 I did a couple glasses of house wine with my Chicken in Wine Sauce with salad and French Fries...then had Cornbread sauteed in an Iron Skillet with butter and topped with Ice Cream and Mexican Vanilla...with Carlo I Brandy from Spain.  

         The bus dropped me at my Mescal Bar so I walked in, raised one finger to Daniel the owner , and pointed at my table.  I couldn't do two Mescal's after the wine and brandy...but this time he filled my glass full...which is two Mescal's for the price of one.  I walked it off on the way home to run into Fernando, the landlord,  just after I came in the gate.  The young Swedish ladies were outside enjoying the cool air on their laptop.  This morning they were sunning themselves in the garden when I emptied the garbage.  All in all this has been another Oz adventure.   

SATURDAY         I returned to take more photos of the remodel condo but the Landlady was still waiting for a furniture delivery so we agreed to do it next week.   I left and met Lisa at the library Cambio where the Gringos and Mexicans practice language skills.

 She  introduced me to Dolores, a retired traveler from Manhattan.  We all had coffee.  I had a nice Spanish Torilla with Chorizo and Queso.   Dolores was practicing her Spanish. She was doing a 300 km bike trip with a group next week!   Last spring she hiked the Santiago Pilgrimage trail in Spain.  It took her 6 weeks.  She was planning a return to  Oaxaca in February.   
          I left them to pick up my Dry Cleaning and return home.   Lisa stopped by later that afternoon to drop her Backpack off for storage at my place while she heads to the   beach for a week of sun then off to Oakland for Christmas.  She returns here to stay February 1, 2015.           Hungry, I bussed it to Viejo Lira Italian Restaurante for another Pizza Primivera and Wine.  I will try more on that menu...so good.   The town is starting to decorate for Christmas.

         Surprise, no water when I returned home.

SUNDAY        Well, still no water so I emailed the landlady. She got the message and I have water.

YAGUL AND MY CHALLANGE

 Tuesday morning I was up at 7 am packed, out the door and arrived at the Library to catch the tour to Yagul .  Thirty of us boarded a caravan bus and Larry's (our leader and organizer) Van and arrived around 10 am at the site about 30 miles out of Oaxaca.

Our Leader

    Larry filled us in on some of the history that dates back 3000 years before the birth of Christ.  It wasn't until around 700 AD when the Zapotec City of 6000 was flourishing as the palace of the King.  He just sitting up there sipping a Mescal and watching the world go by.  

    Somewhere around 1200 the Zapotec's abandoned Yagul and moved to Talacalula near by.
    Don't quote me on any of this.  Larry sent us off to explore and requested we be back in an hour to start our hike.  There was a trail leading up to a summit overlooking Yagul but I was hesitant to CLIMB anything other then a ladder.

 I did it but it took me a few stops along the way to admire the view.  The hour was very interesting and we had the entire World Heritage Site to ourselves.

THE BALL COURT

     Now we started down the road then off on to a trail that became no trail and we reached a dead end after what seemed an hour.  We had a German couple that works as guides for the US National Park system and leads hikes throughout the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains all summer from Denver to San Francisco.  They back tracked and found where we missed a turnoff to cross a stream to connect to the real path.  

THE PATH IS HERE SOMEWHERE?

      I was doing OK.  Stopping on occasion when the pain in my legs got severe...then starting up again.  Two other lagers were with me.  I thought out of sympathy.  One was an Marine that did two tours of Vietnam in 68 and 72.  He said he just killed everyone and let God sort it out.  Now he was close to my age and more mellow.  Turned out his High School sweetheart, the other lager was not sympathizing but was started to dehydrate.  I noticed she wasn't drinking her water so encouraged her to do so.  It was hot and there was no shade.  At 6000 feet the sun has more intensity and even Marine guy was stopping along the way.  When we were up to 3 miles, the rest of the crowd had left and were in the village.

 The guides split up...one to get Larry to drive what was now a road, back to pick up the lady.  The other guide stayed to assist.  He gave her an umbrella to shield her from the sun and more water.  I was up ahead determined to make the Pueblo up ahead when I spotted Larry's van. He went to pick up the guide and the lady then returned to pick up the Marine and I.  

BRO WAS IN CHARGE OF CARRYING LARRY'S CHIHUAHUA

     Once in the village we were OK after some more water while the rest drank beer.  I ate my sandwiches and after 1/2 hour milling around a strange town that seem modern in the square but way back in time outside of the center.  Oxen pulling plow with the farmer tilling the soil.  People riding by on donkey's and horses.  Boys herding sheep in the fields.  Somethings that I never would have seen staying in Oaxaca.  I doubt I'll ever do another hike with the group as that was the one with the least effort and the shortest time...but you never know.

1920

EL BARBERO DE SEVILLA AND MORE

          Every month or so, the  Teatro Macedonia De Alcala  , features a Simulcast from the Metropolitan Opera in New York.  It is Closed Caption in Spanish..so like a language and cultural lesson at once.  Saturday I got to see The Barber of Seville with Isabel Leonard as Rosina.  

      I bought a ticket for what I thought was the upstairs loge, so I could sleep if necessary.  There was a Spanish lady there, so I assumed I shared the box with her. She informed me I didn't.  I then checked with the usher and discovered I bought the seat below her on the first floor and ended up sitting with an acquaintance.  He was a retired lawyer from Louisiana who took a case to the Supreme Court and won.  He was also an Opera buff that started going when he was 15 years of age.  He had toured the MET in NYC and saw many Operas there in his day.  He listens to WXXI out of Rochester. N.Y. every Sunday on his computer because they play Operas.  It was a spectacular performances by all the cast.  I left after the first intermission.  The Theater is air conditioned and I didn't dress for that.  It was still worth the $10 ticket.
        I went to lunch at La Quinque.  It is a popular restaurant I used to frequent but this was my first time back since last visit to Oaxaca.  The Chef greeted me and took my order for Fresh Baked Salmon with Seasoned Spinach on top.  It was delicious.

I already ate half.

         SUNDAY       Today there is a final concert marking the end of the 21 day International Music Festival.  I am off to see that.  People ask, what do you do in Oaxaca.  Everything I possibly can.  There is an abundant selection of all kinds of activities and great weather year round.  There is a lot in the evenings that I don't attend.  Not because it's not enjoyable but I rather be home relaxing and in bed early.

Belgium Brass Band

Oaxaca's Orchestra

Soprano Singer

      The concert started out with speeches about the Festival.  The Belgium Brass Band played followed by a full orchestra doing Mozart.  A soprano female joined and did another set then I left during intermission.  There was a classical Guitarist coming on but I was tired already.

MONDAY     Bill had my Mi Pad ready when I arrived at the library this morning.  Enrique's labor charges turned out to be 300 Pesos instead of the original 200 he estimated. Seems China confounded him and it took longer than expected.  $20 was not bad for 1 1/2 hours on a computer by a pro. 

        I met my connection for  lunch and finally stocked up for  the next 5 months.  I was almost out.  That costs me lunch, a few beers and another 300 Pesos.  I returned home a satisfied customer, retired early after preparing my lunch for  tomorrow's hike to Yagul.  My casa is named Yagul...coincidence?

SLEEPING ON THE JOB
 I had been doing more walking in preparation for this hike.  It was 4 miles and flat land, which is the easiest hike of the year and first stop is the ruins to explore before walking to the local village.  A 12 year old could do this...my first 5 mile hike when I was 12 with Boy Scouts and a back pack for  a  weekend outing in the woods. Guess what...I did it then but couldn't do it now!  

      I did buy a pair of shoes, having left mine at home, but they were leather, casual, and not for hiking.  I put on heavy socks and my Columbia Sandals, shorts, short sleeve shirt and a baseball cap.  I used my computer carrying case for water, sandwiches and and orange. 

      Oh...she is back at work!