Ever since we arrived in Oaxaca, people have been giving advice as to what to do while we are here. There is ‘El Centro’ which is the center of the city where all the action happens. In ‘El Centro’, there are many parades, restaurants, various venders, many tourist attractions, and tons of beatiful scenery. There are also many things to do in the area. There is Plaza del Valle (know to many locals as ‘Plaza Americana’ because there is a mall, 2 movie theaters, McDonalds, etc.). Also, there are many tourist attractions outside of the city. A place that we haven’t visited but will next weekend is called ‘Monte Alban’. I don’t know much about it yet, but it is a site on top of one of the surrounding mountains on which there used to be a city that was eventually destroyed by some guys who didn’t like them…again, I haven’t been there yet, plus, I’m NOT an historian! Also, many villages or pueblos in the area offer a real-life taste of Old Mexico as well as a wide variety of artistic treasures.

We had also heard many times about San Felipe Park on the northern edge of the city. It is somewhat difficult to access as you have to take a bus or taxi to the edge of the city and then walk maybe a mile to the entrance of the park. So, Sarah, Adia, & I decided to go this weekend. We were quite excited about the trip because we basically moved from one concrete jungle (a.k.a. New York City) to another here in Oaxaca. Oaxaca isn’t nearly as large as New York, but there isn’t a whole lot of grass to find. This is why we were so excited. We pictured ourselves (and especially Adia) running around in this beautiful green park with a playground, plenty of grass, maybe a couple of ponds, and possible a siesta in the shade… Quite honestly, we pictured ourselves having a fun-filled, yet relaxing, day in Central Park! We even brought a picnic lunch.

We arrived near the entrance of the park and didn’t quite know where to go. We found ourselves on a dirt road and finally to a sign that marked that we were on the way to the park. Then, a few stray dogs ran by (quite common in this city), followed by 2 different teams of burros carrying something on their backs. Finally, we reached a ranger station at the entrance of the park. We looked around and the park didn’t look much different than the rest of the area…very dry, brown (not green), and no playground! This is probably the first time Sarah said, ‘We’re not in Central Park!’ followed by, ‘What were we thinking?’ which turned out to be the 2 popular phrases of the day! Don’t get me wrong, the park is very interesting…have you ever seen burros walking through your park? At first, I think both of us were a little disappointed, or maybe caught off-guard, but we really had a great day…we just had to quickly change our mindset. We walked around the park for a couple of hours enjoying the countryside walking on dirt paths. (I have a much better understanding of why Jesus and his disciples were washing their feet all the time!) Sarah saw a scorpion. We ate lunch and had a great day! If you come to Oaxaca City, I recommend San Felipe Park, but don’t expect Central Park!

One last thing…I have a new nickname, ‘chilero’. Our host family is quite impressed (even by Mexican standards) by my ability to eat chile peppers, both quality & quantity.

Eso es todo… ¡Hasta Luego!