Popocatepetl erupting - This one's for you, Wendy.

 These views of the mountains and the valleys just floor me.  So amazingly beautitful, majestic and imposing.

Adios!  Hasta la proxima. 

Some more photos.

This is a funerary urn from Monte Alban.  There's an opening in the back to put ashes of the person who's been cremated.  You can see his face under the mask of the jaguar (which looks more like a pig to me). 

More funerary urns.

Big tree at Monte Alban

  
I loved this guy.  He was selling stuff and we started to talk.  He used to work in the US and hated it.  We agreed that life in the US is not as good as life in Mexico, keeping in mind that most people just don't have a choice. 

Here's a restaurant I ate at called Casa Oaxaca.  A bit upscale and pretty good.  

 A Mescalini - mescal with passion fruit.  It was really good but I still think that mescal tastes a bit like stinky feet.

Oops, these are a bit out of order.  This is a woman who I bought some stuff from in the market.  I asked if I could take her photo and she didn't mind. 

You see this a lot.  A son holding his mother's hand as they cross the street.  His head got cut off - I took the picture quickly - but he's a young guy.  So sweet.

My entree.  Lamb chops.

Gotta go.  My flight is landing in Atlanta.

I did a lot of walking today, which was good.  But, I also got way too much sun on my face, which is not good.  I have to say that I'm not much of a beach person (unlike you-know-who)...  you know who you are!!  But, walking on the beach is so nice and eating on the beach is nice, too.  And, looking at the beach while reclining in a hammock in the shade while I watch an episode of The Fall (which is an excellent detective thing with Gillian Anderson, btw) with the ocean in front of me, feeling cool and relaxed is fucking great.  I've included some pictures to give you an idea.  

This place I stayed is a tad out of the way, but not a problem for me.  Plus, it's sweet and a bit stylish and I like the people who own it and who work here.  There were flowers in my room and on the bed and thre breakfast is delicious and you get a free ride here from the airport (and back) if you need it.   Here's a link.

But, alas, tomorrow back to Oaxaca and back in that tiny plane!  My mission tomorrow (or today if you read this on Friday) is to go to the organic market in Oaxaca.  They have a cold chocolate drink there that someone told me about that I hope to find. 

I realize that I didn't post many pictures of Monte Alban or Oaxaca.  I'll try to do that before I get home! 

Wow, we're getting a bit of a downpour outside!

 This was my view at lunch today. 

 Here's my cute sink and the cute water spout.  Janis, I thought of you...

I can't help it... I feel bad posting these when I know you all are having such awful weather!  But, here you go... 

Here's the beach. This is where I hung out yesterday.

 Most of the beach is pretty empty.

 

 

That is a big glass of tequilla on the left and a huge glass of fresh orange juice mixed with fresh carrot juice.

Where I had dinner last night.  I love eating with my bare feet in the sand.

To Puerto Escondido!  Up at 5 AM to get to the airport by 6:00.  Plane was supposed to leave at 7:00 but we actually left earlier.  We just got in, put on our seatbelts and off we went.  The picture I have is blurry but it'll give you an idea of how small the plane was.  Sunrise over the sierra.  Really gorgeous.

Luis, who owns the place where I'm staying, picked me up at the airport and took me on a little tour of the area.  After he showed me my room his wife and he made me an amazing breakfast of papaya with yogurt, fresh OJ, eggs with tortillas and red sauce, and coffee.

 Leaving Oaxaca

 Puerto Escondido

 To the left of Puerto Escondido

There was one row behind me.  A guy was sitting back there who was coming to a yoga retreat from Pittsburg.  He looked terrified. 

It's 5:00 AM and I'm about to go to the airport to fly to Puerto Escondido.  Here are three photos as a sample of my day yesterday.  More later.

 Monte Alban.

 Santo Domingo monastery in Oaxaca.  There's a museum there with pre-columbian items and everday items from the colonial period.

As I walked home last night.

I'm sitting outside on the terrace and just finished some work for the office.  I had a margarita while I did it, so hopefully it will make sense!

I had a wonderful lunch in the market today.  First a tamale with chicken and a very sweet black mole then a chile relleno, stuffed with chicken.  So so good.  While I ate the tamale, I sat next to a couple from South Korea and helped them order some vegetable soup. 

I bought some chiles to bring home and some gorgeous panela, which is a block of brown sugar. 

I found out that it will take me 9 hours on the bus to get to Puerto Escondido, where the beach is.  After speaking to the old guy at the coffee shop today I decided to fly there instead.  He said it's a small plane that goes up over the sierra then down down down to the beach.  That will be "fun."  I'm going there on Wednesday and will be back here on Friday so it just doesn't make sense to drive. 

Tomorrow I'm going to Monte Alban, a Zapotec city from about 100 BC.  Here's some more info about it, if you're interested. 

Here are the photos from the market today. 

 This is the first place I ate.  I had a tamale.  You can see them stacked there next to the big tostadas.

Here's the guy I bought chiles from.  He even put a label in each bag because I had never heard of these types.  He told me one type was really good to blend with balsamic vinegar then with olive oil to make a salad dressing.  Yum!