Author: David Taylor

     Helen, a long time traveling friend of mine from Rochester New York, had recommended Las Mariposa B & B when I came back in February this year.  That is where I found my landlady, Teresa, the owner of the Mariposa and my condo.  Marjorie had left to return to Scottsdale and Helen was planning a winter trip.  She requested I look into a place this week that she was considering.

Mercado near Helen’s possible Apartment

Knock,Knock, Knockin on Heaven’s Door

Soledad Basilica

Organ Concert

$4.50 …I went back and time 1957

    Yesterday I decided to visit the area , get a haircut, pick up my application for Residency, have keys made for emergency, get some paint to finish my Coat Rack, and have a nice lunch.  I was late to pick up my application at Immigration but pleased that I got all my errands done.  As I approached home I was daydreaming about painting the coat rack when I realized I was almost at my stop so jumped up and exited the bus …then realized the paint was on the seat.  Tomorrow I will return and do it all over. Living outside of town does have it’s drawbacks.  These are my neighbors:

Took 15 minutes to make me 22 copies for Residency but she’s my neighbor.

It’s Tlayudas…ayuda is “help”…OMG

My Laundress…excellent but too much softener.

     My condo still lacked a Micro-Wave…essential in Mexico with no oven.  The two gas burners made it possible to cook Spaghetti, scramble eggs, etc but the Micro-Wave is faster and easier for heating up the leftovers or morning coffee.  A taxi would be necessary to haul it as well as a couple chairs and groceries to stock into my new/used refrigerator.  
    There is a huge Plaza de Valle in the south of Oaxaca.  The bus took me to a Kentucky Fried Chicken where two breasts of Chicken at $3 total served as a satisfying lunch before a two hour shopping spree at Sam’s Club.  The plaza has Sears, McDonald’s, Domino’s, a large Mexican Grocery store, car dealerships, the usual.  Most of the shopping list was procured. I then took a taxi for $100 pesos or $8 to take me to my front door.  The ride on the Bus with another transfer to go South took almost one hour.  The ride home …around the outskirts and right to my front door took 10 minutes.

Political Rally

Obsolete Confessional

      I finished unpacking and arranging everything the next day and took a bus into the town for a doctor’s visit.  I visited Dr Z, the local recommended doctor, a few days earlier to establish my records with him and meet my new doctor.  He discovered my Blood Pressure had gone off the wall and added new Meds to my list.  I was returning to get a long term script for them.  They solved the problem.  The Medicine was Over the Counter in Mexico and costs $3.50 for a months supply…I bought 6 months supply. 
        Later that evening I had a nice dinner and was waiting for a bus when along came one to San Lucia…my last stop to my house.  I didn’t recognize the Route but it was going to San Lucia so I jumped on.  San Lucia was 1 mile from my last stop which is where the bus turns to go to the village.  This bus was taking the similar route that my Taxi took so if it let me off in the center…I could walk to my stop and on to my house.  
      It was getting dark and rain was threatening.  San Lucia was a bigger village than I was aware of.  There were political rallies going on, the street were crowded with people and I had no idea where to get off.  I was hoping the bus would end up at my stop but instead it went through the town and miles to the other side.  I finally got off and started walking while asking directions.  No one understood and seemed confused by my requests.  I saw a main highway and flagged down a taxi. When I gave him my address,  he looked at me and asked if I had been drinking?  Mescal! Right?  No?  Then why are you here, miles away from your home?  I tried to explain I was trying to take a bus shortcut.  50 Pesos and 5 miles later I arrived home in the middle of a rain storm…but home and safe.  

     The organizers of this annual event arranged for those with cars to stop by the Library and give a lift to those who didn’t.  There were more who didn’t than did so we pooled for a taxi with four of us.  $1.60 a person and we were not far from where I lived.  

Apropriate…Red White and Blue

He just looks mean.

    The celebration was being held at a gringo’s B & B of over 7 years.  It was a paradise of expansive gardens set back at the end of a road with a nice view of the Mountains.  Lots of Objects of Art both indoors and out.  The rooms I did get to see were nicely decorated.  There was a raffle to raise funds so everyone bought tickets.  There was a table with linens for sale..tablecloths , napkins, wall hangings, etc.  A live band played 50’s and 60’s music.  My Doctor was the drummer and singer for the band.  He had his son, around 25 years old, there to share the day.  They looked like twins. I knew a few people and met a lot.  

West Point

My Doctor

Spirit House

   
      One lady stood out with a West Point cap on.  She was in her 80’s so I inquired about the hat.  Her father, husband, son were all West Point graduates and her nephew is the Superintendent   of the Air Force Academy.  Most people were accomplished retirees but friendly, easy going and had living full or part time in Oaxaca area for up to 30 years for some.  
      They had a cash bar set up and grilled hamburgers were served along with assorted salads and an American Flag cake.  There was a flag displayed that dated to 1819 with 21 Stars…the 21st being the admittance of the State of Illinois where the flag was purchase by Chuck’s father year’s ago.  Chuck is a retired lawyer from Monroe Louisiana and had successfully taken a case to the Supreme Court in the 60’s and won.
    Late that afternoon the party broke up and I took the back of a pick-up truck to one of the main roads, taxi to the bus stop, bus to my road and a MotoTaxi to my house…only to discover I still had no water. 
    A road crew had been working on a water line and shut off my water so I took a cold shower that morning.  They assured me it would be completed by 8 pm that evening.  I returned to town for dinner then back around 8 to find NO one around and no water to flush the toilet or shower.  10 pm that evening it just came on?
Happy Fourth of July

        We took an afternoon to visit the ruins then had dinner at my favorite place before bidding good-bye.  The Fourth of July was coming up soon.

It has been almost a month.  The weather has been wonderful. Returning to Sam’s Club I bought a Microwave, a couple chairs, cushions, and stocked up on more food.  This adventure required a taxi for $100 pesos ($8) to haul me and my stuff home.  
      It is election time and there are large celebrations going on with political rallies in districts in and around Oaxaca. Marjorie and I have tickets for the 4th of July party outside of town.  Meanwhile I returned to Monte Alban, a former city dating 600 BC.  This time I was with Marjorie as she hadn’t been there and was leaving shortly.

51 Chevy

One of my MotoTaxis…seats 3 in the back seat.

Terrace View

  Oaxaca…one of 31 states in Mexico…I am in Oaxaca, Oaxaca….the capital city of the state….one of three of four of the largest states in Mexico…bordered by the state of Veracruz, Pueblo, Chiapas, and the Pacific ocean, a 4-6 hours drive from here.   The city population is around 250,000 with another 250,000 in the country.  It is an international destination for foodies, history buffs, archaeologists, folk art fans,  photographers, weavers, and just plain tourists trying to add another World Heritage Site on to their list.
Beautiful Historic Oaxaca
           I am doing well but have been spending my time getting things of comfort for my apartment…a clock, extension cord, trash bags, new pillows, etc….my refrigerator broke down so landlord sent another almost new one.  

    Living in the country is quieter with fresh air and a fair view.  It is very private place.   Sunbathing is permitted at my place.  
       When I had finished moving in, I contacted Darcy, a Couchsurfer that I met before.  I visited his house in the country on the last visit.  This time we went back to his rental again but it was really clean and organized?  He had a Couchsurfer from Montreal who ended up renting a room for three months until she found another while teaching English.  She had taught in Thailand too. She liked to clean and organize.  I returned to the other side of Oaxaca and my Casa.
       Travel to and from my Casa to Oaxaca has proven to be easy.  There is a MotoTaxi service that takes you to the bus stop for 5 pesos and then the bus into the city for 6 peso…about 50 cents.   A taxi would be about 80 pesos or that have Collectivo taxis that you share and can be 1-8 pesos depending on how many fares  they have. This can be inconvenient when you have to shop for a lot.    I bought shelving for the bath, a large dispenser for 5 gal water as well as large trash bags, and some more “stuff” .  The bag lady didn’t have a large bag so I thought I’d put the small stuff in their bag and just carry the dispenser and a the box with all the metal shelving.  Upon arrival at the bus stop the box broke and all the poles , bolts and connecting shelves went on the ground.  I took one of my large trash bags out of the box and threw all of it in the bag.  The bus was jammed and I’ve carrying a bag with all the shelving box and miscellaneous crap along with this large dispenser while trying to hold on while the bus lurched forward.  It was standing room only and I was doing my utmost to remain standing when an old timer offered me the inside seat by the window.  I struggled with no leg room and sat there with this tower of baggage a foot over my head with everything in my lap.  The old timer took my bag with the box to help.  I was very thankful.  The traffic was slow and the bus was now jammed so every stop they people had to cram closer and closer all the way to the back.  It was hotter than hell.  Then the old man ,he was probably my age, left when we got to the McDonald’s  (yes, they are everywhere providing clean restrooms, wi-fi, air conditioning and food if you like) stop and I tried to put the dispenser on the floor under my seat but no go. I was back to being buried in my own mess and now with a woman next to me.  Then my stop came and I bumped and fell against 5 people trying to exit before the bus took off.                      
            When I arrived for the MotoTaxi, there was a lady with 8 bags like mine so I waited for the next  taxi and finally arrived around 4:30 exhausted.
            I get a little sun in the mornings if I wake in time.  I can go naked inside during the day but at night it is like a fish bowl but I really don’t think anyone can see my place from far away.  The terrace would need a hedge or some plants.   
          The sink plumbing broke and the plumber was there that day to fix it.  I wasn’t sure I wanted to live out here but now I know my landlady is supportive and a friend, I am starting to put a little money into things to make it comfortable.  I am buying a Microwave.  There is a two burner gas plate to cook on.  In town you can step out the door and eat what you like. Here I have to cook.  Just stocked the refrigerator yesterday.  It has a good freezer too. 

       I go to town most days on the bus.   A group of men get together once a month for Happy Hour in a different local bar.  We were doing it twice a month at a long time expat’s home but he didn’t want to continue.  “Smoke” is cheap and shared along with the booze and food.  My last Men’s Happy Hour, I stopped for a Latte at a coffee house I frequented on my last trip. The lady remembered me and my drink.  I used to go there in the morning for double strength Latte so I had one.  The caffeine buzz had me talking the entire evening…yap yap…I must have sounded like Gueso the dog next door.  He is a yapper.  

         The Oaxaca Lending Library is a focal point for information, activities, and socializing.  I’ve been there twice for an Oaxaca orientation and to take out DVD’s.

      I attended a performance of the Russian Ballet Company  at the Opera house. It was Esmeralda. I don’t see Marjorie much at all. She accompanied me to the ballet and we are going to a Fourth of July fund raiser put on by the Library.   Occasionally we have lunch or happy hour together.  She is off in the villages crusading for educating children…what she does best.  She takes Spanish classes and gives English classes to children. She will be returning  in another two weeks.  

 Marjorie, my friend, was coming along on the trip to Oaxaca to study Spanish in an on going effort to get into the heart of Mexican Culture and assist the people of the community in any way possible.  We arrived in Mexico City on the 28th of May and took a bus from the airport to Cuernavaca where Marjorie brought her children to live when they were adolescents. All of them left a year later with the ability to communicate well in Mexican and with an understanding of a culture different from the one they left and the one they returned to.

      I awoke to an empty room.  Marjorie showed up with coffee to announce she was off to the pool for a swim.   I returned to the bed and sleep. 

      When I did awake, I opened the drapes and doors to a beautiful patio and sunshine.  We were on the side of a mountain with lush green foliage around a lawn with colorful plants and flowers everywhere.  Ah…Mexico.  Marjorie was in the pool below and came up when she saw me.   She called Gerardo, her host and left a message.  We returned and found a bell to ring.  Gerardo  apologized after hearing our story and showed us to an two bedroom apartment on the second floor over him and his live in girlfriend.  He thought we were coming the next day. 

      We walked around the neighborhood while Marjorie reminisced about how things changed and the way they were back then.  It had to be a powerful experience to take home with you and not return for over 20 years.  We stopped at a local place Gerardo had recommended for lunch then returned to his home. 

      Gerardo left us the next day so we could relax.  That evening he took us to visit Laura Hutton Woolworth’s estate in Oaxaca.  It was built over a 4-5 year period just after she married her 7th husband, a Vietnamese.   I think this was around 1959 or so.  It was modeled after a Japanese Temple with a Kabuki Theater, Zen Garden, beautifully landscaped terraces throughout the property with streams running through and lantern hung everywhere.  

     It was now a Hotel but separate from the Japanese grounds and integrated with them.  You would not think you were in Mexico.  We had a drink , took some photos then continued the tour through an old neighborhood were they all first met and attended school.  Gerardo drove up to a lookout in the area to show us the view of a city transformed from 200-300 thousand people to over a million in such a short time.  

      We started the following day with breakfast nearby.  Marjorie wanted to show me a restaurant they used to go that had Peacocks roaming around the grounds.  We had to see the Cortez Hotel first.  It was quite a drive.  I visited the Cathedral in February and left with the impression of a quaint historical village nestled into the valley along the sides of a Mountain.  Now I’m traveling through a major City of over a million.  We arrived about 1/2 hour after we left to a very imposing Gate with a wall that surrounded what was originally Martin Cortez’s Hacienda, now converted to a Hotel. The Sha of Iran stayed there in the 60’s or 70’s.
     We spent an hour touring around the grounds before heading for the “Peacock” restaurant for a drink and snacks.  We retired early that night and the next day Gerardo had a taxi waiting to take the three of us to the bus station and on to Mexico City.  Gerardo came with us to assist us with the luggage in the subway to the main bus station to Oaxaca.  There we boarded a VIP bus.  I watched Mel Gibson in the Gringo, an action packed movie that took place in a Mexican prison in Juarez Mexico and the surrounding area.  We checked into the Las Mariposas B and B owned by my landlord.  
      Then Marjorie settled into her sublet and I into my country apartment.   Finally back in Oaxaca!

http://embed.ted.com/talks/judy_macdonald_johnston_prepare_for_a_good_end_of_life.html

       My last day so thought I’d try and catch the On/Off Bus Tour of the City and maybe get off at Frieda Kahlo’s Home to check it out. There were two routes and the station I was at was for route 1.  I had to take it from stop 9, where I was until stop 4 to catch the connection to route 2.  There were 21 stops so I had to ride to 21 then continue back toward my stop and get off at 4.  I thought that was great. I will sure get my moneys worth.
       While standing in line I noticed an Oriental with a Cheers Hat from Boston. I asked if he was from Boston and he said his work has him traveling 60% of the time so he got the hat on a business trip.  He lived and worked out of Singapore.  I mentioned I was in Korea and China last September and had hope to get to Hong Kong but never been to Singapore.  He said he had worked for 8 years in Hong Kong for Motorola.  I said I was from Phoenix and knew a lady that worked in Hong Kong for Motorola.  He worked for her and we exchanged names to say hello for him.   Small world.
            I rode through all the stops on the roof top where I could take photos and get some sun . I departed at around 10 a..m. and by 1 p.m it was starting to get hot and I was still a long way to my connecting stop.  It was interesting but I never got off to see anything as my goal was to get the connection and see Frieda Kahlo’s Museum House.  We finally arrived at the connection but it was already 2 p.m.  I would have had to do the same thing on route two to get to her house and none of the stops were even close to where I got on.  I would have had to wait until the end and get off at the connecting stop and get back on route 1 bus. It would be 9 p.m. by then and the Museum closed at 5 so I doubt I would have 1/2 hour there.

         I decided to stay on and go to my starting point.  The traffic now was at a standstill so I moved to below where I could at least get out of the sun.  I could have got out and walked faster but was hungry and tired so stayed put.  I looked on the map to see if there was a subway stop close that I could exit and walk to.  They only let you out at their designated stops so I just staid put.  Finally at 3 p.m. I got back to where I started and headed for the hotel to get my boarding passes printed.
        They wouldn’t do it but gave me a buddy pass to the Holiday Inn down the street to use their computer and printer.  I did and they were very gracious and helpful.  I was hot and sweaty so changed my idea of just wearing the same clothes while traveling tomorrow.  I took a shower and changed then repacked.
         I lost my newspaper on the bus so stopped at Starbucks to pick up another. I didn’t dare have coffee as I sleep light enough before a flight. I ordered some Mango smoothie but after about 10 minutes they advised me they had none so I had the Raspberry.  I got the newspaper and went to the outside terrace to pick up where I left off when I realized this was in Spanish.  I went to the local news stand and bought today’s even though I would have gladly payed double for yesterdays…it had all the Oscar results.  I returned to Starbucks and finished my smoothie while relaxing over the world news.
           Hungry as I was, I headed for a nice Cafe where I’ve seen a lot of Mexicans lined up to eat.  I had the Comidia which comes with Soup and a Beverage. It was alphabet soup…I felt like a kid.  The Chicken plate looked great but it wasn’t.  They precook the Breast and refrigerate them then when a order comes in they cut the breast in half lengthwise then into quarters and place it on a plate. They add beans with cheese on top, Rice with some carrots and peas, and pour a tomato sauce with vegetables over the chicken and put the whole thing in the oven to warm it up.  The plate, rice and beans were fairly hot but the chicken which was cold to begin with was still cold to warm.  I ate it, paid and left. I had to have an ice cream to make up for it.  I decided to get healthy and had a yogurt and fruit instead then retired for the night with a wake up call at 6:30 a.m.
        The State Dept issued another warning to be at the airport 3 hours ahead because of increased security due to a threat.  My flight boards at 9:10 so I’ll get a cab at 7 a.m. and be at the airport at 7:30 a.m.  If an hour and a half isn’t enough…I’ll head back to Oaxaca. Meanwhile I hear what sounds a lot like machine gun fire outside my hotel.  I opened the window to look out and no one seemed to notice or care.  Must have been a jackhammer but not like any I’ve encountered.  The noise is going off into the distance like a car chase…I’ll find out in the morning. It must have been a lot of fireworks because shortly after and huge crowd was marching down the street shouting something that of course I don’t understand.
       It was a jackhammer and continued after the  protest.  Just as I was tucking myself in a Bossa nova band started playing across from the hotel.  You could hear the drum beat echo through the canyon of highrises and into my window.  It was nice for a while then they stopped. I thought the hotel reported them waking guests but 20 minutes later they started up again .  It was just a break.  I finally dozed off to wake at 6:15 a.m. and was at the airport at 7 a.m. We left at 9:40 and now in L.A.X, for a 3 hour layover.  It is Noon. I will be glad to get home.  Trip is over….till next time david