A trip to the "Hamptons", and lot's of Oaxaca streets

First sign of spring comes to Oaxaca

 

No trip to Oaxaca is complete without a trip to San Andrés Huayapam, a small village of about five thousand,  twenty minutes by cab from central Oaxaca. Our friends Doug and Joanie have lived there for many years now, renting a lovely house, high on a hill overlooking the central valley. They lovingly refer to the village as "The Hamptons", due to the growing influx of expats looking for a quieter living situation away from the congestion of Oaxaca central. Lot's of open space, small farms, great walking and fresh air make it an attractive place to be. 

Our trip this year included a visit to a new high end restaurant. Located high up on a hill, we took a tuk-tuk ride up, and planned for a nice stroll back down after comida.

 

Greetings from San Andrés Huayapam!

Doug, Joanie, Judi, Jacqui, Barry and Marc

We had a good meal and enjoyed the company of our friends in a relaxed setting.

We grabbed a cab with the only taxi driver in Oaxaca who didn't know how to get to where we needed to go, so after an interesting tour, we elected to walk back to our apartment. We were rewarded with a rare event - rain in Oaxaca in January. We enjoyed the experience, and I had a chance to get some photos as we walked back home.

At the bus stop

 

  

 

The News Stand

Playing in the rain

Back in the city during the week, there were lots of photo opportunities to be had. Our neighborhood, Xochimilco, is a small area close to Centro, with some nice small restaurants. It's hilly streets offer nice walking once we have adapted to the altitude. Lots of interesting murals on the buildings have been created by the very talented artists of Oaxaca, and it's really a joy to see how they beautify the area.

These paper cutouts, Papel Picado, are often seen suspended over streets and inside courtyards, and add another dimension of brightness to the local scene

Papel Picado

On Friday, after a busy morning shooting pool, I took a long walk in the heat of the day to my friend Oswaldo's studio, and saw a few interesting sights along the way:

Hot Siesta

And a few loose shots to finish the week:

The tomato table at Levadura de Olla Restaurante

Judi found the Potato Chip vendor, now at Llano park

Water delivery and ices for a hot day

Blues and Yellow