We visited Oaxaca for a few days 12 years ago and vowed that we would return, spend more time there and maybe enrol on a Spanish course, which abound in Oaxaca. And, finally, we did it. As we wanted somewhere nice and tranquil, where we could study comfortably after Spanish classes, we booked accommodation before we left the UK, on Airbnb. The photos and description looked too good to be true; loft-style apartments in a disused limestone factory, with furniture and fittings from recycled industrial materials and artefacts. We arrived in Oaxaca (pronounced 'Wa-ha-ka') at the ADO bus station at 7am, desperate for coffee and a wash. We phoned our host on Alan's horrible mobile phone (we won't bore you with the story about this piece of basura, purchased in Cancun, but let's just say that it needs not just one, but 2 chips, some days it will not send texts, others it won't receive them, usually refuses to allow us to make phone calls, but, que fantastico, it WILL accept texts and phone calls at 5.30am from companies in the UK telling us that we have been mis-sold PPI! We have been to every TELCEL shop - TELCEL being the Mexican telecommunications company which produced the beast, the owner of which is one of the richest men in the world - and no-one can make it work). Anyhoo..... we successfully phoned Luis Jesus, the owner of the apartments and he offered to come to pick us up from the bus station; he'd be coming in a red car. We bought strong coffee and waited by a red car which had seen better days. Eventually, Luis Jesus strolled up to us, greeted us very formally and properly and gestured to his very new, shiny, sporty red number. We soon realised how unlikely it would be for him to be the owner of the first car!
We arrived at La Calera, (meaning 'lime chimney') and were amazed at how gorgeous, tranquil and leafy it is. There is the eponymous chimney standing tall in the middle of the outside area, a huge workshop in which the old machinery sits idle, though still containing the white powdered lime as a testament to its past and various works of art in the form of modernist statues. La Calera has its own carpenter, who makes all the beautiful 'rustic' furniture in the grounds and in the apartments, in addition to several other trabajadores (workers) who keep the place going and, as we soon discovered, bring to life the several projects envisioned by the dynamic and philanthropic Luis Jesus. Our apartment, Loft Azul, was so stylish and comfortable, with a small kitchen and a little seating area outside with a fantastic cactus fence. Very soon after checking in we met the most beautiful cat, very small, but very pregnant, with sky blue eyes. 'Se llama Tonita' (her name is Tonita), we were told, apparently she just adopted them and is adored by everyone.
Outside our apartment at La Calera, with Tonita
Inside the apartment (spookily the same colour as our dining room back in Brighton)
Very comfy bed, recycled furniture etc
Tonita, very pregnant, always hungry and always in our apartment!
Outside our apartment in torrential hailstones the size of marbles
La Calera is outside the city, a 20 minute bus ride away from the centre, in a residential area known as the Barrio de Marquesado, well away from the tourist area. We soon learned how to travel by bus, a flat fare of 6 pesos each (there were around 24 pesos to the pound), with the locals, often standing as the bus hurtled into town, the driver battling to reach the bus stop before the other buses, in order to pick up the passengers, flinging his own passengers about in the process. We discovered that bus drivers' wages equal the number of fares, but.. from the gross takings they have to pay the owner of the bus a large set amount, plus diesel, and must return the bus at the end of the day washed and with a full tank.
We spent our first week becoming acquainted with the city. Santo Domingo, the huge Dominican church in the centre, is beautiful. It's a great place for people-watching and just hanging out. Aside from the young couples canoodling, the women in the dress of their indigeous group selling brightly painted wooden letter openers, combs and alebrijes, (carved and painted fantastical animals), men selling paintings on leather or parchment, jewellery sellers, several varieties of snacks, including chapulines, (salted dried grasshoppers flavoured with chilli), women and children selling lollipops and chicles (chewing gum), there are protest groups campaigning against the construction of a convention centre on one of the green hilly areas on the outskirts of the city, which would mean the destruction of many, many trees. All over the world....
Santo Domingo (centre) in its beautiful hilly setting, with modern Oaxaca city in the foreground
One rainy Saturday we just sat on the wall under a tree and watched the wedding processions and chatted with the local people doing the same. A huge 'model' couple dances through the streets, leading the real bride and groom and wedding party, the globe bearing their names twirled by a young man, all accompanied by loud and joyous music from a brass band.
Outside Santo Domingo, waiting for the real bride and groom to emerge!
These processions are known as calendas. The calenda is traditional to Oaxaca and consists of a festive street procession, accompanied by a band, fronted by a man carrying a huge globe and dancing along the route, chinas oaxaquenas - women dressed in brightly coloured traditional clothing, carrying on their heads baskets of elaborate religious or animal-related floral arrangements, and the aforementioned monos de calenda (giant puppets) inside which is a small person peeking out at belly level. These calendas pop up at any time, it seems, to celebrate not only weddings, but graduations, end of the school year and, as we were told once in response to our 'What's the celebration?' - 'It's July'. We witnessed and joined many of these parades while in Oaxaca. You have to keep your wits about you, though, as firecrackers and fireworks whizz off into the crowd, often from the contraptions on the heads of the dancers. The bull is the most lethal - a papier mache animal set atop a bamboo frame laced with firecrackers on the head of a male dancer. The crowd whoops and cheers when he appears, chanting 'Torrito, torrito!' ('little bull, little bull!') until he ignites the bangers, mock-charging members of the crowd as he does so. Local people go armed with umbrellas to defend themselves! Apart from this excitement, often sweets, cakes, fruit and even small ceramic ornaments are thrown into the crowd with gusto, also the dancers stop to give mezcal, the local hooch made from the agave cactus plant, to the crowd. As we were visitors to their city, the lovely Oaxacenos frequently passed on the booty they caught to us. It was not uncommon for us to stagger home after joining a calenda, Alan with the weight of the gifts and Anna with the effects of the mezcal! (It seemed rude to refuse.)
'Torrito, torrito!' (Be afraid, be very afraid!)
This one may look pretty.......
Were we and the little boy on the left the only ones to notice Elvis?
Enough merriment! Now for some serious culture: next to Santo Domingo is the Cultural Museum, which provided us with a great introduction to the huge cultural diversity of Oaxaca. The state, of which the city of Oaxaca de Juarez is the capital, has 7 regions, all very different according to the altitude and terrain, from mountains to sierras to the coast. There are 16 indigenous communities, with 22 documented languages and 150 dialects. It's said to be the most culturally diverse state in Mexico. We discovered that there is an annual extravaganza which celebrates this diversity and.... it's held in JULY! Hoorah! But, this year the dates for the Guelaguetza, as the festival is called, was on 20th and 27th July and we were due to leave on 20th, after 4 weeks in the city. We extended our stay (initially) by one more night so that we could join in the fun. Were we glad we did!
Oh yes, there's the small matter of Spanish classes....
There are so many language schools in Oaxaca, all with comparably good reviews on Tripadvisor, so which one to choose? Our plan was to visit our top 3. However, poring over the map on our way to investigate the first, we met a very friendly ex-pat Californian with a big hat and an equally impressive white beard, who has lived in the city for over 30 years. After attempting to recruit Alan to the bridge club, which offers bridge classes to the local young teenagers, he recommended, without question, Oaxaca Spanish Magic School. We headed straight there, met the friendly administrator, Miguel, in the lovely little garden where the lessons take place, took a very difficult written test (oh, the humiliation), and signed up for classes starting the following Monday. Off to our favourite coffee shop, El Volador, to celebrate/comiserate our Spanish classses/impending lack of carefree days!
Fantastic coffee, self-grown and ground, also amazing date pastries and brownies, a cool, friendly barista and only 8 seats - enter by the door or the window!
Next post: Why Oaxaca?! (part two) including Guelaguetza and looking for cassowaries in the carpark!
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