Dancing Saddle

I had finally made it to Oaxaca. It took so much longer and was so much more challenging than expected. Often times I had to take more rest days than I thought I would need. Oaxaca was the end of the second leg of the three-part Mexico journey. I had planned to have a long stay in Oaxaca and take some Spanish classes while here. Many people had told me that Oaxaca is one of the most beautiful cities in Mexico and because it was the end point of the Trans Mexico Nort it was a perfect place to take a long break.

When I saw this street sign I was estatic. I had finally made it. Hanging out with the ladies at the hostel.

On my first evening in Oaxaca, I had Tlayuda for dinner. One of the famous local dishes of the state and city. The next morning, I had breakfast at the hostel and then went exploring. Everywhere I went there were stunning murals painted on homes and businesses. They were beautifully portrayed and some of them really hit home on a personal level as well. I would stop every five minutes at another emotional mural trying to take it all in.

My first time enjoying Tlayuda. It was amazingly delicious. One of the first murials I saw and one that spoke the most to me.

Oaxaca is also well known for being a café city. There were so many hidden little gems within a short walking distance. I ended up having many little favorites depending on what I felt like on the day. And of course, I spotted many more murals as I continued to explore this beautiful city.

One of the many cafes I visited and the delicious food and coffee. Another example of one of the many beautiful murials I saw around the city of Oaxaca.

While exploring around Zocalo Plaza I stumbled across a traditional Oaxacan wedding while they were performing the La Callejineada and the La Vibora de La Mar and included the traditional white balloons and giant marionets. During this time Oaxaca was getting ready for the Guelaguetza festival that runs through the month of July. Guelaguetza or Los lunes del cerro is an indigenous cultural event that takes place in the city of Oaxaca and nearby villages. The celebration features traditional costumed dancing by gender-separated groups. Each costume, or traje, and dance usually has a local indigenous historical and cultural meaning.

Hanging out at Zocala Plaza enjoying the atmosphere and the delicious palettas. Watching a traditional wedding right next to Zocala Plaza. Lots of dancing and music.

Over the next couple of days, I did some more exploring throughout the city. I continued to see beautiful murals and finally got to try the famously delicious mole. It was as good as hyped. And I would have it many more times after that. I also got to try the famous Oaxacan hot chocolate. I am not the biggest hot chocolate fan and it was not bad but I can imagine other people loving it.

One of the several times I tried mole. Most of the time it was delicious. I didnt enjoy the hot chocolate that much but I can see how other people would love it.

For the next week my good friend from South Africa, whom I met in South Korea, though she now lives in Mexico City, came to visit. She showed me around her favorite parts of Oaxaca. We got to see some beautiful galleries and visited Mercado 20 de Noviembre. And she introduced me to sweetly delicious Marquecitas. It is a crepe filled with your choice of delicious. I went with carjeta and crème cheese.

Hanging out with my friend from South Africa. Walking around the El Llano talking about life, love, the future and everything else. Most importantly enjoying Marquecitas.

On Thursday nights our hostel hosted Bachata classes. The hostel owner’s husband is a salsa dancer and instructor. We all had a great time laughing and just being free to express ourselves. I am not a dancer in any way shape or form but I love dancing bachata and I look forward to doing many more class in the future. Maybe I become half good at it.

Having a great time learning Bachata and trying to look too focused while dancing.

On the Saturday of her visit, we did a Mezcal Distillery tour. We got recommended The Mezcal Journey and in the morning we headed off to Mitla Pueblo to visit their plantation where we had our first taste of mezcal from an espalda. Alfredo was our guide and he was brilliant at his job. We learnt all about the agave plant and how they are grown and utilized to produce mezcal.

Alfredo teaching us about Mezcal. My first shot of Mezcal of the day. First of about 15 shots if I counted correctly.

Next, we went to the distillery of Mal de Amor Palenque, where he continued to show us how Mezcal is produced. The cooked agave pina on its own was delicious and I kept going back for more. It tasted liked smoked sugar cane. We got to see the whole process from the cooking of the agave pina to the fermentation of the cooked agave to the distillation process as well as how they know when methanol and not ethanal is being produced.

The cooked pina of the agave plant being removed from the fire pits. The fermentated agave going through its first distillation. It actuallhhy tasted very delicious. You could still taste the sweetness of the agave.

It was now time for the tasting. We got to learn about the many different types of Mezcal as we were drinking. Espadin, Destilado con Pechuga, Joven, Anejol Ano, Cuishe, Tobla and many more. By the time we got to the final high end shot we were all very tipsy. We had a great time chatting with other members of the tour group and to hear their stories on how they got there and what they are doing.

Just some of the many bottles of mezcal we tasted that day. They were delicious.

Finally, it was time for lunch and a group of very tipsy foreigners made our way to the restaurant where we had Mocajete. We also got serenaded by a mariachi band, got to wear sombreros and of course got given even more Mezcal. It was a great day and a group of exhausted foreigners made our way back to Oaxaca.

Lunch was a group of very tipsy and chatty tour members. Though on the bus on the way back half of us were passing out already.

On the Monday my friend left to head back to Oaxaca and we went to our favorite café to hang out and chat and have a final good laugh. While traveling you get to make many friends and you also get a chance to cross path with the new friends that we make, hopefully more than a few times. There is something extra special about meeting a friend from before your journey and I appreciate the time spent hanging out and catching up.

Thank you for the amazing chats and thoughtful conversations and great recommendations.

At the same time, I was also taking Spanish lessons. Parthy, my tutor, came highly recommended and she was amazing. She was patient and had a great way of bringing across the language. Twice we got to explore markets and she showed me things around the markets that I would have totally missed. Thank you so much for the wonderful classes. I hope to continue to learn as I head south.

My spanish tutor and some of the many items we saw at the mercados.

I also got to go climbing, which is one of my favorite hobbies. I hadn’t had a chance to go climbing for a while now and I missed it. Climbing helps me focus and distracts me from any negatives in my life and helped me a lot through covid and a rough 2023. The climbing gyms was brand new and the settings were tough. I was rusty but was still able to send some tough climbs. Hopefully I can get in some more climbs soon.

Doing one of my favourite hobbies. The first chance I have had since my journey begun.

My last few days were spent enjoying all the festivities of the Guelaguetza festival. Every day and every evening there was an event going on. The atmosphere was addictive and I loved watching the parades going down to the main plaza with all its decorations. It was great to be part of another festival.

Just two of the many awesome moments of the Guelaguetza Festival.

I was lucky enough to meet up with a fellow bikepacker, that I first met in Baja. Our paths had crossed again in Oaxaca. There have not been many other bikepackers on mainland Mexico so it is always great to catch up and share stories. I will always appreciate those moments.

Hanging out with my fellow bikepacker. See you in Guatemala.

One last story from Oaxaca. On the day of my departure, I was able to make it about 20 km from Oaxaca when I broke another spoke. I did a quick search on google maps and realized that the best option was going back to Oaxaca for one last night. I didn’t mind as it was hard to leave in the first place. It was an easy return as it was slightly downhill and I had a tail wind. I could enjoy one more night in beautiful Oaxaca. It is a truly special place.

Returning to Oaxaca with a broken spoke.