OAXACA / june 25-july 1

oaxaca is absolutely enchanting & altogether different from any other place we’ve been in mexico. we arrived on a sunday afternoon, found the most charming hotel right off the zocalo & enjoyed one of the best dinners of our lives with the most incredible view. on monday however things got a bit crazy as demonstrators (we soon learned) returned for another week of striking after having spent the weekend at home with their families. the streets were full of people & everyday we were there more arrived. the teachers of oaxaca, we discovered, have been demonstrating peacefully since early may – living in the streets all week long. on the 14th of june, a week & a half before our arrival, police raided with tear gas – two demonstrators were killed and six disappeared.

it was strange being there as a tourist – i felt so silly/ashamed carrying my recent purchases around while so much pain & suffering was occurring around us. hundreds of people were living in the streets – eating only when a car pulled up with a heap of beans & tortillas for everyone. we had to step over old men to get out of our hotel. for three blocks stretching outward in every direction from the zocalo there were crowds of people and tarps hung between buildings for shade. graffiti covered the walls; every day new entries. more than a few said stuff like “tourista go home”. however most of it was directed toward ulises, oaxaca’s governor, who the demonstrators were holding responsible for the june 14th attack. we decided to leave tuesday morning (after two nights) upon hearing rumors of demonstrator plans to shut down the airport & highways. we bought bus tickets for the 9:00 p.m. ride to san cristobal de las casas. however that afternoon i came down with a bad fever & was out of commission for two days. all in all, we spent six nights in oaxaca. though the circumstances were less than ideal (political unrest & illness), we saw some INCREDIBLE things that i’d like to share with you now.

first & foremost: iglesia de santo domingo

the ex-convent attached to iglesia de santo domingo (now the museo de las culturas de oaxaca) left jeremy & i speechless.

the plaza & neighborhood of iglesia de santo domingo was gorgeous & entirely tranquil. the second thumbnail picture is amate books – the coolest bookstore ever.

basilica la soledad was another beauty. next door is a “funky museum of religious art . . . the museum houses an astonishing array of objects—model ships, religious figurines, shell-and-pasta figurines, homemade cassettes, and a stuffed cat—sent from around the world as gifts to the Virgin, who is said to have appeared here in 1620″ — let’s go.

there was little tranquility in our neck of the woods. this was shot from the roof of our hotel. we were right in the thick of it.

we will most definitely be returning to this gem in the near future. in fact, jeremy is seriously considering filming his third year thesis film here. i cannot say how much i hope he does. anybody want to crew? :)