We are currently in: Ciudad de Mexico, DF, Mexico
When we detailed some of the differences between tequila and mezcal last month, we failed to give due credence to another drink native to central Mexico, pulque. Like its more famous descendants, pulque is made from maguey plants; however, whereas the other two are made from the baked heart of the plant and distilled, pulque is … Read more
We’ve started to call the area north of Oaxaca de Juárez the “Etlas”. Our house is in San Sebastián Etla, but there is also Villa de Etla, where we make weekly visits to the market, San Pablo Etla, where we enjoyed a jam session last week at a ranch with some expats, San Augustin Etla, … Read more
Without a doubt, the center of activity in Oaxaca de Juarez is the Zócalo. Officially La Plaza de la Constitucion, plans for the Zócalo were completed in 1529. The plaza has undergone various face lifts through the centuries, but the space itself has been the city’s heart for nearly 500 years. Today a bandstand sits directly in … Read more
Just six miles west of the center of Oaxaca de Juarez lies the large pre-Columbian archaeological site of Monte Alban. Founded around 500 BCE and continuously inhabited for over one thousand years by the Zapotec culture, the site itself sits atop an artificially leveled ridge (i.e. they chopped off the top of a mountain!), 1300 … Read more
A week ago today we left Guanajuato and began the 10 hour drive southeast to Oaxaca where we will spend the month of March. Oaxaca (pronounced wa-hawk-a) is one of the two southernmost states in Mexico and is known for its indigenous population and culture. Its capital, Oaxaca de Juarez (often simply called Oaxaca), was … Read more
Guanajuato was a magical place, enchanting, wonderful, and easily one of our favorites of the last six months. The limited number of drive-able streets created an active lifestyle as we walked through neighborhoods and into the centro via romantic callejons. No matter where we went it seemed as though we were always amidst a party. The plazas … Read more
As we’ve touched on a few times in the last month, much of Guanajuato’s history and wealth can be traced to the nearby silver mines. Our daily walks through the colonial streets of the city were captivating, and we were eager to wrap our heads around the industry that made it all possible. On our … Read more
Our place in Guanajuato was a perfect little place in a perfect little location. Essentially an open split-level studio, the upper level consisted of the bedroom and bathroom overlooking the living/working area and kitchen below. Highlights include: Speedy internet. After spending a month dealing with rationed satellite web access, it was a great relief to … Read more
This is a series detailing some of what appear at first to be more mundane details of a place, but will hopefully be illuminating as insights into the grind behind the “glamour.” Streets, Callejons, and Tunnels Understanding the transportation grid is vital in trying to wrap your head around the gem that is Guanajuato. The … Read more
We’re magnets to street food. Even if we’ve just eaten, we find ourselves drawn to the small stands selling various consumables for pocket change. Many days we took our snack to go, added an avocado, and called it lunch or dinner. On one lovely Saturday, we carried our camera along with us to document the … Read more
