Oaxaca, where it's all happening!

This is my third day in Oaxaca, I think. Great food! So beautiful around the historic centre. And every day, it seems, is a fiesta. 

The day I arrived there was a parade down the street with all the kids wearing traditional Oaxacan clothes. Very cute (when you're not listening to them scream aboard a long-haul flight.) It's a paradise for photographers here. At least, I've taken so many photos, I haven't had time to edit them all, or even look at them again. That's why I've been slack with updating the blog. Between running around taking photos all day and not able to sleep well at night, well, I'm tired and a little slack. Then, on Saturday, there were three weddings and a 15th birthday party, all with their own parades down the street. It seems it's traditional here for the weddings to have a humungous bride and groom in the parade. (You can see the much smaller person controlling the groom peering out from his belly button.) I just thought this groom was a cracker. He's got such a beautiful smile. 

Today I went to a big market. Very hot and very crowded. I wanted to eat, but I didn't want to risk Montezuma's revenge, so I'll eat here in town again. 

Yesterday, you tried to call me Sophie, but apparently I don't have the right plan to receive and make calls to Australia. Please contact me on the new number from WhatsApp. It's not a scam. I have sent proof to Emanuel. (I don't want to put the Mexican number here because the blog is not as secure as WhatsApp.)

Yesterday I spent a couple of hours over breakfast, sitting in a cafe. I took photos of the zocalo from the shadows of the cafe which is right on the square. I had my Spanish lesson, with Breyner, there. 

I'm thinking of doing a day trip tomorrow, but I'm not sure about the sleeping situation. It's a bit tiring to be out all day and it's exhausting in the Mexican sun. Everyone dives for shade wherever they can. 

Ok, I'm going to sign off so that this entry can  go to you. 

Coyoacán

Was able to sleep almost normally last night. I didn't eat after a snack on the plane that morning, having bloated myself with the airline food the day before. This morning when I woke I had a great hunger and thirst.

Took an Uber to Coyoacán, famous for being the barrio where Frida Kahlo's house is. I remembered it as very pleasant, lots of trees and parks, with good restaurants. I found one of those and hung there for a couple of hours, eating and drinking and taking photos from the shade of the restaurant out on the parade of people passing and the hawkers selling hats and blankets, in the bright sunshine outside. 

When I couldn't squeeze in another mouthful, I walked down to an artesanal market. After that I found a bench in the shade and sat there for another hour. In the sunshine, it's pretty exhausting. 

Everyone finds shade and walks in it, if they can, or sits in it. I guess I'm still a bit tired, but there is also something about being at this altitude that wears me out more. 

Then I dragged my weary body to the church: Parroquia San Juan Bautista.

Tomorrow, I'm going to El Palacio de Bellas Artes, where I hope to see one of Diego Rivera's famous murals. Alex has recommended a restaurant there, too. I'm afraid I'll be wearing bigger muffin tops by the time I get home. 

In Mexico again!

 Finally arrived here in Mexico City after a 21 hour journey. The flight from Sydney to LA took 13 hours, during which time the seven or so children sitting in my vicinity screamed and cried, almost without pausing. When one stopped, another one started. That wasn't the worst though. One of the little darlings was kicking the back of my seat. I gave her and the mother a few dirty looks through the crack of the seats but the mother didn't take the hint, so I said: "Can you please stop your daughter kicking my seat? It's uncomfortable." I heard her explain to the child: "The lady in front is unhappy about you kicking her seat." Gimme a break. She should have said something like that the first time she saw it, and slapped her on the legs the second time. That would have given her the picture and I wouldn't have had to suffer for nearly 13 hours. 

However, I'm trying to put that behind me. Eduardo in reception has been really helpful about telling me where to eat around here, and other good advice. Got a new (Mexican) sim for the phone so I won't have the problems I had when I first arrived. For some reason, the Booking.com information about the place I booked was missing. I was trying to find the address on the internet, but the free wifi kept cutting out on me. 

I've already been out on my first photowalk around here. It's 7 pm and starting to get dark, but I'm so tired. I feel a little breathless, too. Probably due to the altitude of Mexico City and the fact that I haven't slept for 30 hours now. 

So, I'll make this a short one: I'm enchanted with the city. Here are a few photos from my short photowalk this afternoon. 

Testing, testing, testing. . .

 Just about to set off from Oz, again. Just wondering if you would like to follow me again. Here is the link, I hope. Every time I do it, I have to learn again, so we'll see if I have remembered. I will leave for Mexico on ANZAC Day, and I won't see you again until June.