Two Oaxacas

Judy. Returning to Oaxaca is like seeing an old friend again. Yes, things have changed, and Ted will address that in another blogpost. One of the biggest changes for us has been taking an apartment in the Mexican part of the city, on a commercial street, behind iron doors, and above a business.

Entrance to our apartment

The "courtyard"

Stairs to our apartment

Living room --with air conditioning!

First of all, let me point out that it's quite safe. And quiet, something we couldn't say about either of our other apartments. Our downstairs neighbors in the business are kind, and have helped us out with any problems we encountered.

What's really different is that we live where we see few Gringos. The people we encounter on the street are going about their daily lives, eating from street carts, heading to work or to the mercado or Soriana, the local grocery nearby.  Nobody is shopping for or selling local arts or clothing, and people are dressed as they would be in the US, not in colorful native costumes.

Mural on the corner

Street to our little mercado

But great playgrounds for the beloved children

Fruit and vegetable seller near us

Mercado IV Centenario--our market

The mercado is a good place for a cheap, tasty lunch

Two blocks east and two north, we cross what we call the Gringo line. Streets are cleaner, delis and coffeeshops begin to spring up, and Oaxacan native clothing begins to appear on the doors of the shops. It's quite lovely, and prices begin to go up accordingly. 

Once you reach the Zocalo (main square), to our east, the main mercados--Mercado de 21 Noviembre, with food for sale, and the Mercado de Artisianas, with aisles and aisles of beautiful Mexican textiles and artwork-- you begin to see more white faces mixed with the beautiful indigenous faces. There are street booths offering traditional clothing, alebrijes (carved and painted fantasy animals), belts, and other souvenirs. 

Mural near the Templo

Street booths

Further north, up the Alcalá avenue, the huge artisan shops appear, street musicians ply their trade, and beggars hold out their cups. Coffeeshops offer both coffee and the famous Oaxacan chocolate. The Templo de Santo Domingo, the most famous cathedral, is home to numerous weddings and the traditional parades that follow. 

A good area for quinceañera photos

Templo de Santo Domingo

One of many wedding parties on parade

Go further east, and you reach the barrio of Jalatlaco, the first place we stayed in 2017. It's shiny and clean and full of gorgeous murals. It is my favorite part of the city.

Bouganvilla in Jalatlaco

There are murals everwhere in Jalatlaco

Clean, lovely streets, cafes, restaurants, and shops

I love all these places. I really do. But I also love smiling at busy Oaxaqueños going about their busy life. They make it a point to say "Buen dia!" Not too many folks across the Gringo line do. 

So, while a sweet casita might be a pretty place to stay, our quiet apartment in the middle of the business district has won my heart. I can always walk northeast.