Dog Bites and Bee Stings

My early impressions of Oaxaca: I thought it was going to be a cool place and it has exceeded my imagination. A clutch rebound after the BRICK that was Tijuana. There are quaint little shops everywhere you go here. Things smell good, they smell loved and well-cared for like my mother’s house. The people seem relaxed, living at an easy pace, not out to get each other. Early impressions though…subject to change. It has a big hipster vibe and there are many old retirees (white) and dirty hippie backpackers (white with red hair and sunburnt skin.)

I went out this evening with the intent of finding food and ended up at Tacos Roy. I’m an amateur judge but the corn tortillas were too big and they didn’t use two of them like they do in CDMX. The taste was still great. You think they have their arguments about taco preferences down here the way eaters back home have arguments about blue cheese vs ranch? Yeah, I’d say so and they are probably just as annoying about it too.

On my way back to my lodgings, I saw a hot dog stand and said why not. They didn’t have change for my 50 peso bill so I told them to keep it. You can destroy some street vendors change with a big bill but fifty is not a big bill. The gringo gets scammed again! And the woman who took my money put her hand in an empty hot dog roll bag and used it as a glove when she took it from me. And I said, biiiiiiiiiii….no I didn’t but I was like damn yo, disinfect it too while you are at it. I took a few bites of the hot dog and then spilled a bunch of toppings on my hoodie. They put so many toppings on their hot dogs here. I think it’s just fun to pick up bottle after bottle and spray something on there. It’s like adding a bunch of ingredients to chili, makes you feel like a chef.

After the dog I started a leisurely journey home and stumbled onto some night markets. Hats and crafts – all mass produced garbage, not a craftsmen in the bunch I’d guess! And then I saw big tents with bright lights and large signs listing food for sale. The grills were filled with meat and tortillas, I was thinking “Damn, this is where the real Mexicans eat!” The benches were packed with customers or just friends and family waiting to go home. They’d probably spit on me if I sat down or put me on their Facebook page and I’d be a meme on the Mexican internet in no time. I’ll get there one day. 

I walked out of the market and back on to the streets. The sun had already been down and things started to look unfamiliar. I straight up got lost as hell with no internet service for a good half hour. It’s a giant grid this city, everything looks the same. If you use “the big old church” as a reference point, well that turns into a problem because there’s like six big old churches.

Made it home, good adventure.