We’ve been sneaking out of our hotel for a few hours each day to see some sights in Oaxaca. We can’t don too much on any given day because of rigorous nap scheduling and unstable gastrointestinal systems. We’ve seen the cathedral Santa Domingo, had dinner at Danzantes and Rory played in a fountain. Yesterday we visited the ruins of Monte Alban outside of the city. That was a big adventure for all of us and it gave Mira a chance to haggle over the purchase of colorful glass “jewelry.” Today Robert finally found a liquor store where he found a bottle of Tequila for less than 100 pesos ($8). The Mescal that he loved so much during college and which sold then for about $1 a gallon has for some reason become the boutique sensation of Oaxaca. Bottles actually sell for $40!! Not a red worm to be seen.

We’ve been sneaking out of our hotel for a few hours each day to see some sights in Oaxaca. We can’t don too much on any given day because of rigorous nap scheduling and unstable gastrointestinal systems. We’ve seen the cathedral Santa Domingo, had dinner at Danzantes and Rory played in a fountain. Yesterday we visited the ruins of Monte Alban outside of the city. That was a big adventure for all of us and it gave Mira a chance to haggle over the purchase of colorful glass “jewelry.” Today Robert finally found a liquor store where he found a bottle of Tequila for less than 100 pesos ($8). The Mescal that he loved so much during college and which sold then for about $1 a gallon has for some reason become the boutique sensation of Oaxaca. Bottles actually sell for $40!! Not a red worm to be seen.

Our second day in Oaxaca. Again a rather warm day, so we did not get too much done, but we’re starting to relax a bit. We ate breakfast again at our inn with Mina and Navina, a mother and daughter pair from Pasadena. Then, it was off for a walk into town where Mira did some shopping for gifts and then to the mercado for a lunch.

During lunch Mira was able to convince a girl who was selling some things to give her a back massage instead. So Mira got a back massage during her lunch while Robert watched Rory play with the flexible pipes than run through the market carrying what he hopes is water.

After naps we met Serena, Mira’s friend from Sonoma who has lived in Oaxaca for about five years. She is a very determined woman who Robert thinks can inspire Mira about living abroad. We had pallettas in a park while Rory ran and ran in circles. Then we stopped for coffee.

After leaving Serena, the Pierces strolled down the street to a shop selling Mescal. After a few sample shots Robert and Mira stumbled out for a good meal of soup, quesadillas and jugo. We found desert at a corner shop where Robert bought the family two bags of stale cacauates japonese.

After Mira went to sleep with Rory-post-overtired-meltdown, Robert snuck out with Mina and Lavina to the restaurant across the street to sample some barbequed meat folded into a tortilla. He’s never had that before . . .

Our second day in Oaxaca. Again a rather warm day, so we did not get too much done, but we’re starting to relax a bit. We ate breakfast again at our inn with Mina and Navina, a mother and daughter pair from Pasadena. Then, it was off for a walk into town where Mira did some shopping for gifts and then to the mercado for a lunch.

During lunch Mira was able to convince a girl who was selling some things to give her a back massage instead. So Mira got a back massage during her lunch while Robert watched Rory play with the flexible pipes than run through the market carrying what he hopes is water.

After naps we met Serena, Mira’s friend from Sonoma who has lived in Oaxaca for about five years. She is a very determined woman who Robert thinks can inspire Mira about living abroad. We had pallettas in a park while Rory ran and ran in circles. Then we stopped for coffee.

After leaving Serena, the Pierces strolled down the street to a shop selling Mescal. After a few sample shots Robert and Mira stumbled out for a good meal of soup, quesadillas and jugo. We found desert at a corner shop where Robert bought the family two bags of stale cacauates japonese.

After Mira went to sleep with Rory-post-overtired-meltdown, Robert snuck out with Mina and Lavina to the restaurant across the street to sample some barbequed meat folded into a tortilla. He’s never had that before . . .

Today was our first day in Oaxaca, the city of Oaxaca. It was a pretty uneventful one. Last night we made a late night check-in at the Casa de los Sabores, which is a kind of bed and breakfast with a cooking school built in. Seems okay. Tidy and the people don’t seem to mind our screaming kids. Mira seems interested in some cooking classes.

The weather here is great. About 90 degrees and blue skies. It is going to take time to get used to this, but we will.

We did manage to take a visit at lunchtime to the zocolo and the central market, where we had some lunch. Mira has not toughened here shell yet, and was convinced to purchase some wooden spoons with the name “Oaxaca” branded into their handles. Pehaps one lucky reader out there may receive one of these spoons come Christmas time. They do look like great stocking stuffers . . .

We had another pretty fancy dinner at La Olla restaurant. After a couple margaritas, everything went well. Rory is a real trooper. Waiting such a long time for dinner and staying up late. He’s the superstar of this traveling troop.

Tomorrow we may climb a mountain.

Today was our first day in Oaxaca, the city of Oaxaca. It was a pretty uneventful one. Last night we made a late night check-in at the Casa de los Sabores, which is a kind of bed and breakfast with a cooking school built in. Seems okay. Tidy and the people don’t seem to mind our screaming kids. Mira seems interested in some cooking classes.

The weather here is great. About 90 degrees and blue skies. It is going to take time to get used to this, but we will.

We did manage to take a visit at lunchtime to the zocolo and the central market, where we had some lunch. Mira has not toughened here shell yet, and was convinced to purchase some wooden spoons with the name “Oaxaca” branded into their handles. Pehaps one lucky reader out there may receive one of these spoons come Christmas time. They do look like great stocking stuffers . . .

We had another pretty fancy dinner at La Olla restaurant. After a couple margaritas, everything went well. Rory is a real trooper. Waiting such a long time for dinner and staying up late. He’s the superstar of this traveling troop.

Tomorrow we may climb a mountain.

Day three in Mexico City was a Sunday. It is also the day that we needed to leave by bus for Oaxaca. We got up early looking forward to getting juice and breakfast on the street near our hotel. It had all looked good for the last couple days and we needed to break free of the Cafe Popular. Well, we were up so early that we beat all the street vendors. So we stopped into a large panaderia where Mira and Rory had Mexican Breakfast. Robert ate doughnuts.

Then we took a walk through the National Palace off the zocolo. Every visit to Mexico City needs to include a peek at the Diego Rivera mural of the history of Mexico in the stairway of the National Palace.

After the walk, it was back to the room for packing. We have about 1000 pounds of luggage on this trip, so most of it needs to stay in Mexico City while we are in Oaxaca for 10 days. So, we packed it all up and left it at the Hotel Zamora. Hope it will be there when we get back.

We took the 4 pm bus to Oaxaca ($40/seat), which took us a little less than 6 hours. The ride was comfortable. We saw The Hulk, another cartoon with a lot of fighting, and then a documentary about El Nino. Rory slept well after some fuss. Mira chatted up an 18 year old student sitting next to her while admiring the volcanoes that passed by her window.