So we've been in Oaxaca for a couple of weeks, and will be here until a few days past Day of the Dead, so looking forward to that! Our place is smaller than the big place we had in Chapala (altho probably close to the same size if you throw in the large patio), but actually costs $600 a month compared to $500. BUT this place also includes weekly cleaning, which is awesome! And of course we're in an urban area which is always pricier (about a 25 min walk/10 min bus ride from Centro). Including some pics of the space below, but first, here are some fun facts about Oaxaca!
1) The Oaxaca Valley has been inhabited since 11,000 BC and is the birthplace of corn and squash. First inhabitants were the Zapotecs, displaced by the Mixtecs, then the Aztecs, and then.........the Spanish.
2) Oaxaca's colonial center is a UNESCO world heritage site - pics to come!
3) Oaxaca is a well known gastronomic capital. "The land of the seven moles" is also famous for their hot chocolate and mezcal. We've already tried memelas and tlayudas - and we both LOVE the latter. I did have something with a mole sauce years ago but wasn't too enamored of it - it felt weird to me to have a chocolate flavored sauce on enchiladas. But maybe I'll like a local, authentic version that's spicier maybe. We'll see!
4) Oaxaca (state) is the most culturally and linguistically diverse in the whole country.
5) Oaxaca’s often mis-pronounced name comes from the Nahautl-speaking Aztecs. After establishing their garrison around what is now called Cerro del Fortín, they named the site Huāxyacac, meaning “place of the guaje trees.” But how did “Huāxyacac” become “Oaxaca”? Enter the Spanish conquistadors who transliterated the pronunciation of the x in Huāxyacac from “sh” to the modern Mexican Spanish “j”. Today, Oaxaca is pronounced “waˈhaka” instead of its original Nahautl pronunciation of “waˈshaka”.
6) Why is the city often called Oaxaca de Juarez? Born into an impoverished Zapotec family in the Oaxacan countryside, Benito Juarez went on to become a lawyer, politician, and the first president of indigenous descent in Mexico. Besides his indigenous roots and political success, he is most famous for leading the fight against French occupation in the 1860’s. Upon his death, the city of Oaxaca proudly added “de Juarez” to its name to honor him and his contribution to Mexico’s freedom from foreign rule. His name also appears on various buildings, streets, and institutions all over the city and state and his birthday, March 21, is now celebrated as a national holiday, an honor no other Mexican individual has received to date.
And now for some pics of our place:
No comments:
Post a Comment