BENITO JUAREZ…Mussolini was named after him.

Thursday I visited Casa Juarez, the home of Benito Juarez the president of Mexico in the mid-1800’s. I met Helen, her friend Karen, and Courtney at Biznaga but during the meal, Helen received the news Gil, her friend of over 30 years, had a stroke two days ago and the Plug was pulled on him today. He just left here last week. Gil and his wife, who just passed away 6 weeks ago..were dear friends of Helen’s . Courtney and I went to a rooftop bar and ended our day with a beer and Mescal…toast to Gil.
Saturday Courtney and I went to visit the Railroad Museum.

It was housed in the original Oaxaca Depot and was also an Organic Market on Saturdays. We walked quite a distance to discover …it was gutted and under reconstruction. The train doesn’t come to town anymore but lots of people sat waiting for it, including us and about 20 policemen. I took the bus home.
Sunday was an adventure. Courtney had visited Tlacolula and met a lady that invited her to meet her family in a village not far away. She wanted to return to give them a family portrait she had printed from the day of her visit. We visited a church,

Battery Operation Offering Candles

then a huge market in Tlacolula but by the time we were ready to travel to the village I was exhausted so took a Taxi back while she went on.
I should have had some water….I realized that after. Felt OK but tired…dehydration I think…and the pain in my legs. The taxi driver was born and raised in Mitla, spent three years in La Jolla California before taking a job as dishwasher at the Outback in Seattle where he rose to cook and worked for 9 years. Spoke fluent English and was joyess man…very religious…blessed himself TWICE when he drove by the church at 60 mph. Twenty Pesos…and I was home.