Oaxaca 19 Dec

	Nora (photo by Robert Bloomberg)		Sunday 19 December Mis Recuerdos is Nora's original family home, and while you are a guest there, you very much feel that the family has opened their home to you. Breakfast is from 8 to 9, served in the dining room which is filled with rich colors and local crafts. Every morning we will discover the tables laid with another eye-pleasing set of placemats and linens, and Nora herself a vision of ethnic Mexico. Each morning there is fresh-squeezed juice and an assortment of Mexican breads, along with a small individual plate of fresh fruit. And each morning Nora cooks a different little specialty. She never repeats herself in the eight breakfasts we enjoy at Mis Recuerdos. Scaled down versions of tamales and flautas, omelets with homemade salsa -- all of it delicious. David will later say that one of his favorite things about the entire trip was Nora's breakfasts.
		Our Room
		Our Room
We meet our friends at breakfast (except the two who will arrive a few days later) and some interesting new acquaintances as well -- Peter and Shirley. This is their third stay at Mis Recuerdos and as we linger over our coffee and Mexican hot chocolate, they fill us in on some of the family history.
			They also tell us there is a procession at 11, from Santo Domingo to the zocalo, with musicians and native costumes. This band is just the first of many we will enjoy over the next week.

GOOD FOOD
We have lunch at Maria Bonita's, a tiny place on Alcalá, a few blocks north of Santo Domingo. Authentic Oaxacan food and very inexpensive.

For some of us, it is our first taste of chapulines, the local delicacy of grasshoppers mixed with chile seasonings. The fried squash blossoms are so good that the rest of the trip I keep trying (unsuccessfully) to get back to this restaurant for more.

After lunch we wander about, checking out shops, photographing the sights, and easing ourselves onto Mexico time.


		The Audience: David, Suzy, Jane
Non-Tourist Detour: For Bob, the opportunity to have his hair cut by a caterpillar proves irresistible. The Haircutter		The Audience: David, Suzy, Jane




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GOOD FOOD

For dinner we decide to try Los Danzantes, a trendy restaurant with a striking logo of three masks on the wall outside. It looks like the sort of place the local Eurotrash would hang out, should there be any in Oaxaca. Dark and stark inside, with a sculpture that looks like someone put a Chevy through a trash compactor and the sort of unisex bathroom where it takes you five minutes to figure out how to open the stall doors.

But the menu features trout in a mustard and citrus sauce, and all five of us agree our dinners are delicious. The cost is under $20 per person, including margaritas and tip.

	Los Danzantes Logo (photo by Robert Bloomberg)

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