But the biggest problem is I can’t fit my trekking poles in my bag. Solution?

Some quick research  does not make me feel good about carrying on my trekking poles… it’s probably safe to make them fit in the checked bag, somehow. I don’t want them confiscated by TSA. Perhaps I will have to use a BIGGER backpack. Luckily I have one.

I am going to end up carrying my trail pack on the plane filled with camera gear, water bladder, and whatever else I’ll need. I ALSO have a day pack that comes with my bag.

I pack light, this is ridiculous!

Here’s how the hike will break down:

Day 1:
Elevation gain: 1312 feet
Distance: approx 7.5 miles
Approx walking time: 5.5 hours

Day 2:
Elevation gain: 1640 feet
Distance: approx 7 miles
Approx walking time: 7.5 hours

Day 3:
Elevation gain: -2788 feet (with ups and downs)
Distance: approx 10 miles
Approx walking time: 8 hours

Day 4:
Elevation gain: -820 feet (with ups and downs)
Distance: approx 3.5 miles
Approx walking time: 2.5 hours

Huevos Divorciados | Cafe de Olla, 65 pesos ($5.40)

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Huevos Rancheros | Cafe de Olla, 65 pesos ($5.40)

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Nido de Grillos, Rancho Zapata Restaurante | 90 pesos ($7.50)
Grasshoppers with chips and guacamole

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Tamal Oaxaqueña, Rancho Zapata Restaurante | 60 pesos ($5.00)

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Comida Corrida: Albondigas | 40 pesos ($3.30)
Comida Corrida is a set meal of 3 or more dishes. This one included pasta soup, rice, and agua de jamaica.

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Mole Coloradito | El Escapulario, 60 pesos ($5.00)

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Tlayuda con Cecina | El Escapulario, 40 pesos ($3.30)

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Pozole Roja con Pollo | 65 pesos ($5.40)

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Traditional Chocolate Water at the Etla Market

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Enchilada at the Etla Market

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Enfrijolata at the Etla Market

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A brief snapshot of the food we’ve eaten in Oaxaca…

Getting the flu in Oaxaca, though, has had us both bed-bound for days. For me, today is day #4 and my temperature is still above normal though I am able to actually get out of bed and amble about. The first 2 days passed by in a timeless-seeming bout of shivers and sweat, with what felt like an axe through my head while a truck bulldozed my body. The other day (#2 of the flu), Pablo, the owner of the house we’re renting, came by and said, “Your face does not look good.” It was swollen and puffy and haggard, so I was not offended.

Benjamin had the illness 2 days before me (it was his birthday gift to me). We think he caught it at the market outside of town, where the villagers who came there sneezed and coughed without covering their noses and mouths. He came down with the thing a few days after that.

It has been an expensive flu. Not only have we missed out sightseeing in Oaxaca (I have memorized every crack and crevice in the bedroom wall and ceiling, though)…we had to change our departure to Taxco because I was too sick to travel. Our flight change cost almost the same as the original price of the tickets, and the extended stay at our rented house in Oaxaca is costly, too, especially given that there are only 2 of us in a 3-bdrm house. My mom and brother, our travel companions, had to move on to the next leg of the journey without us. I hope they’ve had a great time in Taxco, and I also hope to not find one of them sick when we meet back up in Mexico City tomorrow.

Lesson learned: get the flu shot, especially if traveling.

Oaxacan chefs are proud of their food. They cook from their heart, you can feel the love in the food. They are especially proud of their local fare. Asking for a recommendation at any restaurant will result in advice to order from the Especial Típico Oaxaqueño menu. Usually full of moles and things made with chapulines (grasshoppers), Tlayuda was also on the menu at El Escapulario¹.

Similar to a tostada, and called by some “Mexican pizza,” Tlayudas are made by coating a giant baked tortilla with refried beans, lard, vegetables, Oaxacan cheese, and a main topping (or more). At El Escapulario, I ordered the Tlayuda con Cecina — thin strips of pork with a chili powder crust. It was excellent, and for 40 pesos (a little over $3.00 U.S.) quite filling!

1. If you’re going to Oaxaca, definitely eat here! The address is Garciá Vigil #617 Altos., near the Santo Domingo cathedral

Mole is sold as a paste at the Benito Juarez Market

1. Mole
Mole is a complex sauce that takes days to make with a long list of ingredients. There are seven varieties and I’ve tried 5 so far: negro (black), colorado (red), amarillo (yellow), verde (green), almendrado (almond).

Cocoa beans for sale at the Tlacolula Sunday Market

2. Hot chocolate
Cocoa beans are imported from elsewhere in Mexico, but are an important item here in Oaxaca. Chocolate is mainly used in the mole and as a hot beverage made with water or milk (and flavored with other spices like cinnamon or vanilla). I will soon be taking a walk down the “chocolate factory street” called Mina to find the best hot chocolate…

3. Grasshoppers
I still need to buy a handful of fried hoppers from the market to eat like peanuts…those I have tried thus far have been incorporated into sauces.

4. Mezcal
It’s smoky liquor from the agave plant…similar to tequila, but a totally unique flavor. I’ve had it in a drink with grapefruit soda, from the shot glass, and have tasted several of the cream-style flavors (like coconut, coffee, etc).

Next up: Coba & Tulum

Guacamole is often made table-side

A shot of tequila is good for sippin' if you get the good stuff.

Sangria at a cuban-style bar in Campeche for lunch

Coconut water (is yucky)

Enchiladas (a couple bucks, near the Bécan ruins in the Xpujil area)

Tostadas (4 for a couple bucks, near the Bécan ruins in the Xpujil area)

Not only have I travelled through and stayed in many a bioreserve, protected park, or eco-lodge, now I am staying in a beach house that generates it’s own power and water, 100%. Conservation may be born from necessity, but people do it and, what’s refreshing, they don’t flap their gums about how great they are for it.