Ben and I fall in love easily.
Oaxaca City has easily charmed us with its colorful streets, colonial architecture, murals, churches and overall walkability.
Dias de Los Muertos is over, the handful of tourists that were here for the festivites have mostly subsided.
We have a studio Airbnb smack in the historic center not too far from the main market. Sharon and Aaron (our friends from Chicago), have their own little rental, a block away. Ours is however noisy at night and theirs has no charm.
After a few nights in our respective abodes, we decide we need to upgrade. How about looking for a big comfy house to rent together…
We look, we find and we move to a new neighborhood, that of Jalatlaco and we “settle in” to a very comfortable and beautiful large modern house with all the amenities such as a big kitchen, king beds and a large roof top patio with views of the surrounding mountains in the distance.
Our yoga mats are rolled out on the roof top patio. It also becomes an outdoor painting studio for Sharon and I.
Aaron finds himself a gym and rents a bicycle. We find a neighborhood park for Esco to run off leash in, a cappuccino place for Ben and an organic food market nearby.
After a few days of life in our Jalatlaco “palace”, we have to make a decision, the four of us. Do we stay here in Oaxaca city for the duration of Sharon and Aaron’s time in Mexico, or do they prefer to join us on the first portion of a road trip adventure of fluid direction and timeline?
Sharon and Aaron vote for staying put for the next three weeks.
As for Ben and I, we are on an open-ended road trip of our newly adopted country; we have time flexibility. We choose to spend more time with our friends in Oaxaca city, and then will keep going with our road trip once they return to the U.S.
Truth be told, our friends are here in Mexico out of a desire to hide under a rock for the gut-wrenching U.S. presidential election process and associated last minute inevitable roller coaster. They prefer not to talk about the elections, are not following it and certainly do not want any updates until it is all over.
Ben and I however, are watching everything as it unfolds, hour by hour, minute by minute, like hawks. We ‘bite our tongues” so as to not share moments of euphoria and moments of angst as the post election drama plays out. We respect and understand their preference to not get stressed and adhere to a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
And finally… the much awaited, hoped for ray of sunshine… with a clear Biden win! The four nightmare years are about to end.
An enormous sense of relief and time for celebration…
All the museums are closed due to Covid. Most of the galleries are closed. The archaeological sites are closed. Even the Botanic Gardens are closed. The only exception ~ the Church of Santo Domingo.
Over the three weeks, we have a nice, slow tranquil rhythm to our days.
Oaxaca de Juarez is revered as a culinary heaven of Mexican food. Oaxacan cuisine is the result of a convergence between two worlds: ancient ingredients such as corn, beans, cacao, tomato, chili, grasshoppers, worms and those ingredients brought here by colonizers which included pork, beef, chicken, cheese….
One of the specialties of the region is mole, which is a complex, multi ingredient layered sauce that has many different flavors. Though each mole is distinct, they are all made from a combination of chilis, herbs, a thickener like corn flour, bread, nuts or seeds and often chocolate.
No matter all the closings due to Covid, Oaxaca City is very much an open air gallery. Colonial architecture, bold colors and murals give us plenty of interesting visual stimulation.
In addition to appreciating the city we are plenty creative and productive too.
It all starts on the roof top. A few paint brushes, a few boxes of paint.
Our sketchbooks are but the starting point….
Ben makes a passionate pitch for Sharon and I to move to a much bigger canvas. Why not paint the car?
This idea was initially not met with too much enthusiasm… Way too daunting a task. But with museums and galleries closed it seems not unreasonable for us to create our own mobile art gallery. The euphoria of the results of the U.S. presidential election gives us just the right impetus and spurt of energy to get started….
This collaboration between Sharon and I is something that flows. Easily. Soon the car has dozens of squares and rectangular panels at the ready for the next stage ~ which will be many distinct paintings of visuals we have seen that have inspired us. This car painting project keeps us both busy almost daily, and we’re lovin’ it……!
Stay tuned for the next blog post which will feature our art gallery on wheels….
You’re certainly making the most of these days. Love all the colour.
This brings tears to my eyes, and a rush of nostalgia. We weren’t just out of the country, we were in a magical place with spirit guides and a project. It materialized out of grey and crushing existential dread, forcing us out of our inertia. You welcomed us into your nomadic life, full of sunshine, color and possibility. A whole different world, language, smell. Peta, you gave me a husband and sister and I’m forever grateful. Now you gave me a joyous coda to a very difficult year. Thank you, great post, and a cliffhanger ending!
Sharon so meaningful to read your beautiful sentiments about our time together. Yes indeed the impetus was getting out of the U.S. but you embraced the Oaxaca magic with an open heart and mind! Key!
As we told you in person, there are not many people that we would willingly spend three weeks with each and every day and share our adventures… (other than our kids!), but with you I always now that things will flow easily and so they did! Thank you for sharing this slice of life and creating an unforgettable memory together.
I so ENJOY getting in to MY side of the car and seeing all our work every day!
xoxo
Pete
Oh my gosh, this post does my heart good! I recognize every location and every mural where you took pictures (your “Woo hoo” was done in the doorway of our favorite pizza restaurant). I would love to get the name of your Airbnb in Jalatlco… that looks like a perfect set-up. Judging by Sharon’s comment above, they got back to the U.S. only to discover it’s still crazy here… and not getting better. If it wasn’t for Covid, we’d be in Oaxaca right now.
Oaxaca Centro Casa Matías on AirB&B
He gave us a good discount — hadn’t been rented in 6 months.
Thank you! I’m definitely adding that to my Oaxaca travel notes.
ok good that does lead to the link so no need for a follow up email ! Thanks Sharon
The “woo hoo” photo was taken in the doorway at the entrance to the vegan pizza yes, but it was also the doorway to our first Air bnb loft space. If you look back at the post, the green building houses both the pizza, the art gallery and store below and then above, our loft. We kept meaning to go back for the pizza because while we were there it was closed. Good to know for next time that it is as good as it sounded.
Janis Sharon wrote the name of the Airbnb and I will send you the link via email. The location was very good.
Yes, even now the crazy has not stopped yet… But at least it feels more like the last gasp of a fallen dictator.
Peta
After the car gets Peta-Sharon-ified, can’t wait to see what’s next.
P.S. I want a close up of the rear view mirrors which appear much less tamer than the rest.
Haha Judy I like that “Peta-Sharon-ified”. Don’t know about tame… but yes there will be a close up of Sharon’s rear view mirror portraits and so much more.
Peta
Thanks for sharing all the wonderful photos. I just love the colors. Happy Hanukah.
Be safe.
Steve
Thanks Steve. It was hard to choose which photos to post as we have SO many wonderful ones with so much color and so many murals, this is merely a sampling to whet your taste buds.
Chag sameach to you too.
Peta
This is such a pretty, colourful town and looks like a lovely place to base yourselves for the time being.
Yes Oaxaca City could definitely be a base for an extended stay and we certainly considered it. In the end the lure of Yucatan adventures and being on a road trip in our newly adopted home country won out. We will be back to Oaxaca City though for sure.
P&B
I love reading about Mexico since it is next to my home state of Texas. My daughter has friends that live on the west side of Mexico but I can’t think of the name of the region. The husband and his wife have been buying and remodeling old homes and doing very well.
Anyhow the colors and the plants of Mexico has splendid scenery. I found your pics very interesting and I believe I like Mexico the best of all the countries that you have visited.
As far as the election goes it continues to be a fight and I am sure that you are aware of that. My fear is that the current president will somehow find a way to null Biden as the winner. I will not rest easy until January 20th.
Yvonne we have been amazed by the wonderful scenery and flora pretty much AS SOON as one drives out of Oaxaca City. it is glorious and we have a post coming up on that after the one on our car project. So much to write about and share.
Hard for us to choose a “BEST” country, but Mexico is certainly proving to be one of our best adventures so far and a solid one of many favorite countries.
P&B
As I was looking at all the photos, I was also thinking what fabulous inspiration for painting – and then the last photos are of Peta and Sharon painting the car! What a wonderful experience it must be to stay in Oaxaca! You two, Peta and Ben, make close friends wherever you go – I think the entire world must be your mishpachah. Am glad to see that Esco is accompanying you. Happy Chanukah!
Sharon there is indeed inspiration everywhere for painting. The process began in the mountains before we arrived in Oaxaca where Sharon and I were experimenting with some new gouache paints we both were using. We started by painting little squares of toned surfaces in our sketchbooks and adding images and that is how the inspiration for the actual shapes of the squares began.
Ben had the idea of my painting the car (blank canvas) from the minute he bought the car. I was dubious but turns out it was a great idea. Sharon and I had a blast! Such a fun project together.
Ah yes Esco refused to leave us and is now a permanent member of the family.
Chag sameach to you too.
P&B
An “open air gallery” indeed. And your wonderful images are a great catalogue. What a lovely place, off the beaten track. Thank you for sharing this.
Johnny the interesting thing about the images on the car is that some of them were inspired by visuals from research of Mayan culture. And then… we hit the road and saw the originals in the Mayan archaeological sites and somehow we felt an immediate connection to these images as we had already painted them (on the car). More pics a coming…
Peta
I can’t wait to see how your gallery on wheels turn out, Peta. I love all the bold colours and murals of the city.
The gallery turned out awesome and in addition it was such a fun project for us to work on during the stay in Oaxaca. The city is an absolute treasure of architecture, colors and murals. We never did tire of it and will be back for more at some point in the future.
Peta
How wonderful to have the opportunity to connect & spend such precious time with your friends. Looks like you have once again landed in a beautiful area to explore. Can’t wait to see the painting results! Love & hugs.💕
Thanks Lynn. The best part about painting a car is that we get to enjoy the paintings every time we go in it. Even the doorhandles are painted with images. We have loved exploring Oaxaca and it was just the entry point to more beauty in the state as we drove on. Lots to share in the upcoming weeks.
xoxox
P&B
A feast for the soul! Wonderful photos showing the energetic vibe! A lightness all about it which reminds me, Happy Hanukkah to you both. Keep on truckin’ – so enjoy your posts xx
Thanks Susan that is a great compliment. We feel very grateful to be able to travel during Covid by carefully selecting places where the numbers are low and the activities are outside.
Happy Hanukkah to you too.
P&B
Dear Peta and Ben – Your photography here is truly breathtaking. Thank you for the virtual travel. I needed it desperately!
Thank you Donna. That is a high compliment indeed. So satisfying to be able to share our travels as we are very conscious of how many are unable to travel at this point in time and even others that are in lockdown in their own cities.
P&B
You certainly blend in well wherever you happen to be. LOve the mustard yellow trousers and wall especially. How great to spend time with good friends. I can´t wait to see the art on wheels! Will you all be together for the holiday season?
Ahhh it was so much fun finding walls to match what I happened to be wearing on any given day. It was not hard at all!
Sharon and Aaron returned to the U.S. after a month of time in Mexico and we started off on our rockin road trip. So much more to come.
P&B
Hi again guys. Ah these photos and this narrative brings back so many good memories. Loved Oaxaca, loved Puerto Escondido, loved the food most of all. You must be staying very close to where we stayed, in Jalatlaco. Great neighbourhood. We also loved visiting Monte Alban, and the market at Ocotlan, make sure get there if not done already!
Hi Phil and MIchaela. Yes, Jalatlaco is a fabulous neighborhood and we loved it. Unfortunately Monte Alban was closed due to COvid although we have made up for it by launching into a Yucatan adventure which is chock full of Mayan ruins. We read in the newspapers that the ruins near Oaxaca opened a few days after we left. Oh well, we will just have to return.
We loved the market at Ocotlan and fortunately were there early before it got crowded, at which point we left.
P&B
What a fabulous city of color and art! I love street art, and I love the way you use the murals as backdrops for your creative portraits. Oh, how I miss being close to friends…we’ve been lucky to have friends to visit outdoors, but there’s no sitting close or hugging or sharing a home. Your time with Sharon and Aaron sounded so spirit-nourishing and fun. Can’t wait to see the reveal on your mobile art gallery!
Oh, and mole…yum! I made chicken mole a couple of weeks ago and it was SO good. I’m intrigued by your photo of the four different types of mole so now I’m off to find more recipes.
You know we share your relief that Trump will soon be out of office. There’s a lot of healing to be done. I hope our country is up to the task. And I hope that somehow, Trump and his cronies will be brought to justice for the devastation they’ve wrought.
Laurel it was so much fun using the colored walls as back drops for photography. It was wonderful to have time with our friends, especially during the pandemic. Now they are back in Chicago and sticking to home for the most part.
Now lets talk mole…. There is black mole, yellow, red… all so different. Tasting all the different flavors was such a treat and so mind expanding. The mole testing really enabled the appreciation of how distinct each type is. HIghly recommend you check out mole amarilo which is not yellow in color but has s flavor similar to Kansas City BBQ. Interested to know how your mole making turns out.. it is a very time consuming endeavor apparently.
P&B
Looking forward to seeing the finished car! What a great idea.
A lot of work a lot of fun and a terrific end result! Coming up soon!
Peta
What a beautiful place, Peta, and it certainly seems to work well for your way of life. Happy days, and all the best for the festive season and year ahead, however you might be spending it.
Yes we enjoyed a month with our friends and a lovely three weeks of relaxing and painting and now we are on the road again doing a road trip in our newly adopted home of Mexico. Loving it, so many wonderful surprises along the way. Happy holidays to you and yours as well.
Peta
I left a message yesterday, but it seems to have u-turned into cyberspace. Great to know things are going so well. Love all the colour.
Color everywhere and it makes us happy walking these interesting streets daily. Loving the architecture too. Definitely reminiscent of Granada Nicaragua where we lived for six years.
Peta
Great pictures as usual! It is delightful to have this quick re-live our time in Oaxaca. I miss you guys. We’re thrilled that you’ll get to see some of the archaeological sites we missed. How long do you think you’ll be travelling in Mexico go before you “settle down” somewhere else?
Not to do a Talmudic dissection of your intriguing question but let’s break it down …
Mexico is our home base since March 2020. Like we did in other countries before …we will probably alternate between extended stays of several months in favored locations and road trips like this one where we slow travel to discover the country. Plenty more to keep us busy exploring Mexico. Mexico is home.
Now the second part which is to address the concept of “settling”… is unsettling. We can either say if by settling we mean the feeling of inner tranquility of where we are, well consider us settled.
If by “settling” we mean geographic non movement then only time will tell. We are reminded that we moved to Nicaragua for 6 months and that turned into 6 years.
The one concern I had about the viability of continuing our nomadic lifestyle was Esco and so far he has been a real trooper and has not had any negative impact on our road trip.
Wonderful to experience Oaxaca with you guys!
Ben
Your first sentence yanked me in (not that I needed an extra reason to catch up on your life)! For good and for bad, I fall in love VERY easily with almost every place I go, which often means I am hard to peel away from my destinations. This one looks enchanting, and having good friends and very comfortable accommodations would be enough to root me there for a good long while. I know I’ve commented on the painted car before on Instagram, but let me repeat that I adore the idea and its execution, and I look forward to seeing more pics soon.
(Absolutely amazing interconnections with Sharon’s and your families!)
Yes when one falls in love it is hard to move on. We learnt a good travel lesson many years ago when we moved on from a place (Essaouira in Morocco) too quickly. And regretted it for years until we returned again to make up for it years later. So now we know, if we fall in love, we stay as long as we can.
The car is Ben’s brainchild but Sharon and I did the bulk of the work with a guest appearance from him. Ahh maybe that’s not fair, he did do the whole roof and front hood. Excited to unveil the car on the blog!
Sharon and I used to joke about how fun it would be if our siblings married each other.. and then they DID haha.
Peta
Thanks for the lovely comments.
While we have continued traveling this year and we’ve seen some beautiful scenery, we have missed the social contact we usually have and it has been quite lonely at times. We, too, have good friends like yours who we could spend weeks with and never tire of their company. I am so, so jealous that you were able to have this opportunity, in this gorgeous location, to spend quality time with quality people. And I’m happy to hear your dear friends got what they needed in terms of a break from the endless anxiety surrounding the election. What a relief. All of it.
Can’t wait to see the car!
Sometimes things just work out very smoothly and this was the case with this trip. We had planned to go to the mountains and to Oaxaca and when our friends said they wanted to visit us they were only to happy to “tag along” with our fluid agenda. We decided that once we got to Oaxaca we would only then decide whether to continue on the road trip or stay in one place. It was great having downtime with them and discovering the city and surroundings together.
Photos of the art gallery upcoming.
Peta
I particularly love the bursts of colour everywhere Peta and wow for painting the car! Can’t wait to see the end result :). Your story with your friends was so positive and fun to read I almost felt like I was there with you! Take care 🙂
Thanks Debbie. Oaxaca City was remindful of Granada Nicaragua where we lived for six years (especially in terms of all the color) but the architecture as well. Both are colonial cities. We had a wonderful month together and now we are continuing on our road trip and they are back in Chicago.
Glad you stopped by to read us and thanks for your comments.
Peta
There aren’t too many places in the world that can beat Oaxaca City when it comes to being colorful! Such a lovely post, in which camaraderie, peace, enjoyment, creativity, and love shine through. It’s amazing how much Peta and Sharon look alike on the couch in one of the photos. You could be blood family.
I saw some of the photos of the car paint job on Instagram. An incredible job. I think you made the right decision to spend a month in one place. It feeds the soul! Love that house you all rented as well.
Thanks Liesbet for the lovely sentiments. You sum it all up very well. I did notice that Sharon and I are mirroring each other in both the couch photo but also the one in the park. Must be like when people start to look like their pets or their spouses… haha.
The house was a treat. Thanks to Sharon and Aaron for shouldering the brunt of the cost ~ it was luxurious for us. We are enjoying the luxury as well of having time. No rush. It is definitely fun to alternate short stays with longer ones in the places we really resonate with.
More car pics coming up soon.
Peta
So much colour and joy in this post. wonderful that you could spend time with your friends (extended family). you’ll have to add matchmaker to your resume Peta! Your house rental looks perfect, much better than noisy nights. I do feel for vendors at markets all over the world who must be suffering a great deal.
I enjoyed seeing the car painting on social media. Brilliant idea and always easy to find the vehicle in a crowded parking lot. Safe travels you two. Living vicariously here in lockdown.
Thanks Sue for your upbeat feedback. Yup this is definitely the best match I have done yet. Actually I had no idea they would get married but knew that they would hit off and enjoy each others company and they still do!
Yes it is great having a car that is very easy to pick out no matter where we park. We also get a lot of attention, thumbs up, claps and its a great conversation starter as well. Now Ben thinks we should buy a bus so there is more “canvas” to work with. Um no…!
Peta
Wow for Oaxaca City…colourful and exciting. Great idea to join forces with your friends and rent a place together. The creativity has been overflowing with your “mobile art work”, I enjoyed following the results of this endeavour on social media. Loving all the photos on this post. Keep having fun guys and enjoy the end of year celebrations. Health and adventures aplenty for 2021:)
Thanks Gilda. Sharing one big house made logistics easy and was also great fun for all of us. We had lots of space to spread out and the space was perfect for us. Yes, those who follow us on instagram or facebook, got the benefit of seeing the results of the art gallery on wheels ahead of other blog readers. Coming up, watch this space soon.
Wishing you two a wonderful 2021 full of adventures, good health and tranquility.
Peta
Ahhh…. All is well! I’ll be back later to absorb all this richness.
Thanks for your patience. We almost lost our entire blog and for about a week no one, not even us could access it. End result the website got changed from .com to .org and we were able to save it.
Peta
Peta, I was one of your readers trying to access your blog in January and I was so afraid you had lost it. I’m thrilled that you are back as .org.
I have travelled a bit in Mexico but didn’t make it to Oaxaca, unfortunately. I do have a small piece of black Oaxacan pottery that I purchased more than 30 years ago and still have to this day.
Painting a car has always been on my bucket list. I’m eager to read your blog post on that with the pix.
Jude