Thursday 27 September 2012

Day 82: a rest day in Oaxaca, Oaxaca

Hello everybody
(Is there anybody out there?)
It was a rest day in Oaxaca today which as you will know is a big city in the state of Oaxaca in Mexico. If you want to know more about it, have a look on Wikipedia here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oaxaca,_Oaxaca
It is a very politically active city as you may have gathered from my blog yesterday.
We sprung out of bed at about 8am this morning and breakfasted at the hotel. I had practised saying, "En desayuno esta includio?" meaning "is breakfast included? (in the tariff) and was rewarded by a blast of very fast and almost incomprehensible espanol. As Dick pointed out, I should take this as a compliment! Obviously the waiter thought I was fluent. And it was an excellent breakfast too, cooked there right in front of my very eyes. :-)
I wanted to do some maintenance today. Firstly on Ebony and secondly on my face. The girls had spent the night tucked up nice and safe in the hotel lobby.








Very cosy but we had to put them back out in the street. Bother. I then went walking to find some oil. if you look at a map,of Oaxaca, you will see that the Centro Historico is set out in a rigid grid pattern so it was a matter of "three blocks that way, turn right then seven blocks. Which is exactly what it was. I was surprised by how much oil Ebony took. I added nearly 500mls, the result I guess of all that slow hot inner city driving.
I then went off to look for a barber. First I wandered past the butchery section of town.




Some more popular than others?




It also took me past the spices sector.




When I found a barber I asked him to give me a beard trim just like his! Kewl huh. (I am much more handsomer than him though.)




I wasn't too sure about the poultry though.




And some were already finding it a long hot day.




and not everyone liked having their photo taken?




I then walked up to the square where there were the most amazing array of things on sale:








Hats anyone?












I sat and had a coffee and watched the hammock seller at work. He was trying hard.








Scarves?
















Even a Rastafarian trying to put the world to rights.




Anyone for spice?




Meanwhile the political rally was beginning to heat up. Again it was about opposition to proposed labour law reforms.












The crowd were more middle class than the one yesterday. Teachers and civil servants I would guess.




Also something about political prisoners?




It was all quite exciting with lots of chanting and cheering and everyone feeling quite jovial.

And now for some motorbike shots! This is a Yamaha Vulcan 900. Not sure it would be my choice but de nada.




and this must be the new three-seater Chineeouk.




I had a siesta then because it started to rain. Then then fireworks started so I thought I would wake up and go visit the botanical gardens. They were closed.

But along the way I went past.....
People,sheltering their goods from the rain.




A very passionate couple practising reef knots with their tongues.




Yet another church.




A school




And a stadium.




As I came back from the prematurely closed botanical garden I came across this flag lowering ceremony in the square. People being very patriotic with hands across their chests. First the children.




Then the army and airforce.




With the dignatories on the stage out of the rain.
It was about then that the opera began. As the national anthems were being played and sung we could hear chants of protest coming down the road.




Past the army truck




and into the square.
















I would estimate between 3-4,000 in the march, and as you can see all pretty relaxed.
And so that was about it for the day. Dick finished his board meeting at six so we had a beer and then went out for a lovely dinner in a balcony restaurant overlooking the square. I had lamb and a glass of red wine. Perfecto!
Today's run: 0kms
Cumulative: 22,628kms
Tipovers. 3

Location:Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico.

2 comments:

  1. Hi Ken, just wanted you to know that I'm still here. And look forward to each post. It turns out that I will get a mini adventure this year. A guided five day off road ride across the Mojave desert, in mid October. An early birthday present from my bride. And my first off road trip on the GSA. It's part of the BMW off road academy, so I can pick up some new skills as well. Please keep the story coming, I'm loving every minute of it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hiya - yes I am here again too - haven't been for a week or so,though, so have just done a speed read to catch up. Should be able to keep up now that I am unemployed!
    Left the job finally on Friday, had a great weekend with visitors, WOW show and a 3 hour tramp up (and down of course) Hemi Matenga behind Waikanae.

    You lot are sure covering the ground, and so many fabulous pictures. Well done all of youse. I would like to see the fancy beard like the barber's!.

    ReplyDelete