Oaxaca (wha-ha-ka) was very nearly the spot for our initial Spanish-learning phase in Mexico (but for Google images). It has such a lovely name and was touted as "a wonderful Colonial city" (Monty Python and Venice come to mind). We thought, while heading east, we should stop in and settle for a while for more classes to build on our rather shakey (especially mine) foundations laid down in the now absolutely wonderful Guanajuato.
>The town didn't suit us - either too up-market-US-neat or too local-grundge, and a wee bit hot for me despite it's altitude. Well, maybe not really too hot but it's decent level of heat combined with a recurring bug I seem to have had since leaving LA resulted in a very sick night for me (poor Mary did very well searching for treatment clues and administering to me Florence-like). We had sourced and almost booked a 3 day hike between pueblos in the mountains (around 2-3000m) north of Oaxaca for a B'day treat but abandoned for a cooler clime in the cloud forests of mountains halfway between there and the (Pacific) coast.
>
All very gorgeous. We got a cute little cabin with spectacular, constantly changing views, an open fire, decent shower and a desk of own's own.
>
>
Boring as (insert colourful Ambulance term) food (I'm done with bistek (beefsteak), frijoles and tortillas) but a nice km stroll to the nearby pueblo for alternatives.
>
The mountains plummet to valleys which almost every evening host an upward swell of mist ending with clouds settling below us. We had a lovely week of cool fresh air, reading by the fire, studying Spanish, walking in the pine-forested hills and making friends with burros.
>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
