December 23
A beautiful sunny day. Winter weather is cold at night and warm in the afternoons. Morning started with a bit of stress with one of my rentals. When I checked my email at breakfast I saw a message from a guest who had checked in two nights earlier. She had a housekeeping problem that could easily have been resolved upon arrival but I hadn’t seen her message, and the meet and greet person had not reached out to her. I got it resolved over the phone and $200 in gift cards to Grand Marlin Restaurant smoothed things out.
The exhibitors at the famous Oaxaca Radish Festival (Night of the Radishes) were setting up their ornate displays. We got a preliminary peek at many of the exhibits but we didn’t have time to wait until the official opening because we had tickets to a dance performance at noon.
Most of the displays are nativity scenes. Besides the large carved radishes there were also displays made of straw.
I am good at finding local cultural events when we travel, mostly by reading posters around town and reading local papers and tourist magazines. We purchased tickets to a noon dance performance called Guelaguertza at the beautiful Teatro Macedonio Alcala, a classic theatre built in 1909.
It was quite a show with elaborate traditional dances and colorful costumes. The show ran close to two hours with maybe 20 different numbers and almost as many costume changes. Max arrived at the theatre early and struck up a conversation with a lovely young couple from Ft. Collins CO. We ended up running into them three more times during our busy short filled stay in Oaxaca.
Max took us on a tour of the Quinta Real resort, a former convent and jail before it’s transformation into a world class hotel in historic center of Oaxaca. He had worked on the renovation of this property for two years early in his career as an architect.
We met up with Alberto for lunch at La Biznaga (The Cactus). An excellent choice with healthy Oaxacan inspired soups and salads plus some Mezcal and Bueno Nocha holiday beers.
By now we needed a rest before the evening adventures. At lunch Alberto told us about a free Christmas concert at the Basilica de Nuestra Senora de la Soledad. The church itself is beautiful, especially lit up at night, sitting high on a square overlooking the valley. It’s also well known for it’s recently restored 17th century organ which was part of the evenings performance. A small group of talented singers accompanied by the organist played classic Christmas hymns and carols.
Lines for the radish Festival were miles long. There is no way I would wait hours to see the exhibits at night. The streets were packed with people, many families and lots of vendors out enjoying the festivities and mild weather.
We found a nice little Oaxacan restaurant, Tierra del Sol, on the walk back home that was open and had empty tables, our only criteria at that point where in the evening. Our server made a custom salsa and guacamole at the table where you choose your ingredients and spices, with insects being an option. I reluctantly tried one but the idea of eating what looks like the termites I sweep off the floor in the summer was not appealing. I tried one more time at the market when Max had bought a whole bag of something tasty but gross.
I learned about hot chocolate drink that is traditional in Oaxaca that is mixed at the table in a pottery jug and served in a bowl. Rich chocolate with a hint of spice. Yum.
I tried a mole negro dish but it was too heavy for me tonight.
One of the very sweet customs in Mexico that makes you smile is when other restaurant patrons pass by your table as they leave, they greet you with a smile and good wishes.
All in all, an excellent first day in Oaxaca.