Let’s get the worst over.

10 Worst Things about Living in Oaxaca, Mexico

1.  Water or lack thereof – Although Oaxaca gets loads of rain during the wet season, the city does not have the structures necessary to catch the water and so this precious resource runs off.  Couple this situation with the fact that Oaxaca’s tenuous political climate results in groups stopping the delivery of water and what you have is life where water is rationed and often does not arrive on schedule.  In our 6 months of living with a cistern plus three rooftop tanks, we ran out of water 6 times despite our “turn it on – get wet – turn it off -soap up – turn it on – rinse off – turn it off ” showers and “If it’s yellow let it mellow – if it’s brown flush it down” toilet policies.  It is not fun to live in a house without water.

2.  Political unrest – regular demonstrations by groups (teachers and pueblo groups mostly) result in major streets being blockaded and the zocalo being inaccessible.  When the streets are blockaded getting in and out of town is very difficult and sometimes impossible.  Sometimes blockades are announced ahead of time and sometimes not.  It is easy to be caught in a never-ending traffic jam unexpectedly.  In election years (this happened to be a particularly big one with state and national elections happening simultaneously) the protests are multiplied.  We were unable to enjoy the zocalo for the last two months of our stay.  Bummer.

3.  Garbage collection – I will never understand Oaxaca’s garbage collection policies.  If you move there, ask a neighbor when the garbage truck comes and they will kindly tell you the hour.  On that hour you mustbe in the street with your garbage.  The truck will arrive ringing a loud cow bell.  There will be men on the back of the truck who appear they are there to take the garbage.  No!!!  They will hop off the truck and watch you dump your own garbage in.  Then they will hop back on and ring the bell again as they drive away.  Our garbage truck came at 5:30 am every morning – so on those days that I didn’t need to dump garbage we still got to hear the cowbell at 5:30.  If you don’t believe me, here’s a video of garbage collection on my street.

4.  Noise pollution – Mexican’s have a very different relationship to noise than we do in the U.S. or than what I’ve experienced in Europe.  The garbage truck was not the only entity that made a loud noise on our street.  Every vendor and service seemed to have their signature noise to alert you of their presence.  The gas truck, the knife sharpener, the atole woman, the elote woman, the popsicle man, the water man, the list goes on.  One of our favorites was the doughnut man who arrived at 11:00 pm every evening yelling, “DOOOONNNAAAASSSS”.

5.  Filth – Oaxaca is not a clean place.  Streets are often littered.  Although the historic centered is kept clean the remainder of the city is quite dirty.  One of the issues seems to be a lack of trash receptacles for well meaning people to use.

6.  Graffiti – Now, I can appreciate good art and some graffiti is good art .  However, names and words messily scrawled on historic buildings or otherwise beautiful churches are just an eyesore.  Unfortunately, on some roads of Oaxaca, people appear to have walked down the street with spray cans just writing whatever came to mind.  Often as part of protest marches, the marchers carry spray paint and mark buildings as they go along.  The result is not appealing.

7.  Begging and Vending – Beggars and vendors in Oaxaca vary from children to elderly and/or disabled people.  Often they are on the streets simply holding cans for money.  This is not bothersome although it is sad.  Others, however, are much more aggressive in their approach and will persist even after you have said no.  The worst, however, were those who came to our home with lies or con games to try to get money from us at our door.  The stories usually had to do with needing money for a relative who just went to the hospital or needed oxygen.  I fell for it once – not the second time, or third, or sixth for that matter.

8.  Clothing – Here I am not talking about the handmade clothing which can be beautiful and well made.  I am talking about everyday clothing you might look for in a department store, such as a t-shirt or pair of jeans.  The clothing in Oaxaca is over priced and of terrible quality.  I once tried on a dress at a department store only to find that it had a 2 inch hole in it.  When I went with the clerk to find another in my size the second one had a 5 inch hole.  The clerk was not at all surprised by this and said I should just sew it.  At one point I needed to buy my daughter a pair of lycra pants for dance.  They lasted 3 classes before falling apart.

9.  Personal Space in Public – In public places such as grocery store lines there is no concept of personal space (at least by the standards we use in the U.S.).  More often than not, the person behind me was standing up against me.  Man or woman – it just didn’t matter.  Personally, I really didn’t like it.

10.  Driving Behavior – If you venture out as a pedestrian in Oaxaca you must understand that you do not have the right of way in the minds of most drivers.  Oaxacan drivers are aggressive and do not want to stop or even slow down for pedestrians.  You must be very aware when you’re in the streets.

OK, so now that that’s done,  I’d like to share the 10 Best Things about Living in Oaxaca and the reasons I would be happy to go back and stay.

Top 10 Best Things About Living in Oaxaca Mexico

1. The People – The Oaxacan people are genuinely warm and loving.  We were welcomed not only as tourists but as individuals with whom deep friendships could be made.  In our 6 months we had the fortune to make many true friends with whom we will stay in touch.  In fact, 6 of those friends even accompanied us to the airport when we left just to say goodbye.  We dearly miss them.

Tlacolula Market Bread

2. The Food – Oaxaca is the “Land of the 7 Moles” but the variety of dishes available goes far beyond these amazing sauces.  From the simplest food on the street or in the local markets to gourmet food in the more expensive restaurants, we feasted our way through 6 months.  Fresh foods are also readily available in the “Tianguis” (traveling street markets that go from neighborhood to neighborhood each day).  Even better, the prices are cheap.  Oaxaca is also known for it’s chocolate.  Be sure to try a cup of it!

Market Woman Tlacolula

3. The Culture – There are over 16 indigenous tribes in the state of Oaxaca.  Of those 16, the largest is the Zapotec.  Each has their own language – but if you can imagine, the Zapotec language alone has over 40 dialects.  This only illustrates the wide variety of cultural influences that make up this region.  What our family really appreciated is that the Oaxacan people proudly keep their cultural traditions.  It is common to witness folkloric dance groups, people in their indigenous clothing on the streets, native languages being spoken, traditional handwork being done.  It is a treasure for any person wanting to experience rich cultural heritage.

Hierve el Agua

4. The Amazing Day Trips - The variety of cultures and food of Oaxaca is  paralleled in the variety of experiences one can have taking a day trip from Oaxaca City.  In less than an hour to the north you can reach a dramatically cooler mountain climate complete with tall pine trees and the feeling you have transported yourself to Germany.  To the east in less than 2 hours is the dramatic stone waterfall, Hierve el Agua, the rugmakers of Teotitlan del Valle, and El Tule, the world’s widest tree.  To the south in 1/2 hour you can visit the wood carvers of Arrazola who create the famous painted animals called “alebrijes” or the potters of San Bartolo de Coyotepec who create beauties of black pottery.  If you’d like to take a longer trip, the beautiful beaches of Mazunte, Puerto Escondido, and Huatulco can be reached in 1/2 day’s drive.

5. The Climate – The climate of Oaxaca cannot be beat.  A typical day may be sunny and in the 80’s farenheit (mid 20’s celsius) in the afternoon, receive a strong rain shower towards evening and cool enough to wear a light sweater in the night.  April and May are a bit hotter and the winter months cooler but the majority of the year enjoys this mild climate.  The air of Oaxaca is also quite dry with the exception of the rainy season.

Mazunte beach

6. The Geographic Variety – As I mentioned in day trips, you can experience cool mountain air or a hot beach all within half a day’s drive from Oaxaca city.  The land is majestic and expansive with the majority of the state being covered by mountains.  Tall pine trees can be found at higher altitudes, arid and cactus covered areas in the basin, and tropical flora and fauna near the beaches.

7. The Prices – Current exchange rates and the struggling Mexican economy make Oaxaca a very reasonably priced destination and one that lends itself to nomading.  Oaxaca is one of the poorest states in Mexico so prices are low even by Mexican standards.

Puppets for Carmen Alto festival

8. The Holidays – Oaxaca’s rich cultural heritage comes to life in their many holidays and festivals.  Consider visiting in July for the Guelaguetza celebration of dance and music, in November for the Day of the Dead, experience the Noche de las Rabanas on Christmas Eve or the processions of Holy Week in the spring.  These are Oaxaca’s major festivals.  However there are other minor holidays year round as well.  In fact, there seemed to be a celebration nearly every week of our stay.

Capilla de Cuilapam

9. The Historic Buildings and Archeological Sites – Oaxaca is one of the oldest cities in Mexico. In addition it is the home of Monte Alban, one of the largest archeological sites in Mexico and home of the ancient Zapotec and Mixtec peoples. From the elaborate interiors of its numerous churches to the intricate stone work of Mitla, Oaxaca offers a feast for any fan of architecture.

Zapotec Rug Maker

10. The Hand Crafts – If you have ever visited a Mexican imports store and marveled at the crafts produced in this country you may not realize that many of the things you are admiring are from the Oaxaca region.  The many indigenous people have honed their crafts over generations to the point that their products are true pieces of art.  Black pottery, fantastic painted wooden animals, world class wool rugs that are naturally dyed, beautifully embroidered clothing, green pottery, are just some of the offerings of this area.  Even the most frugal of us will be tempted by the amazing opportunities to buy something unique.

Wrap Up

In spite of the many challenges of living in Oaxaca, the positive aspects made this a very rewarding place for us to live for 6 months.  The overall review from myself and my three daughters was overwhelmingly positive.  If you’re willing to live in a place where life may not always go as easily or smoothly as what you’re accustomed to back home, the rewards can be great!

If you’re interested in more about Oaxaca, you may like to read about our journey at:

A Year of Nomading in Photos

Viva Mexico! Settling in Oaxaca’s Cultural Mecca

Years ago I realized that by making my profession mobile our family could contemplate long term travel.  As someone who grew up in a bi-lingual household but hadn’t maintained the language for my children, I was very keen to remedy the situation by spending time in a Spanish speaking country.  As life takes its turns, however, we became good friends with a Brazilian family who invited us to come to experience their home country.  So, my plans for spending a year in a Spanish speaking country transformed into 6 months in Portuguese speaking Brazil and 6 months in Spanish speaking Mexico.

There have been so many highlights this year that it would be impossible to name them all.  Instead I’d like to present you a photo tour of some of our experiences.  Here are 4 slide shows about our year.

The Wonders of Nature

We’ve experienced the incredible natural beauty of the island of Florianopolis, Brazil as well as the mountains of Urubici, just 3 hours drive into the mainland from the island.  While in Brazil, Sophia, our 15 year old was also able to make the journey to Iguazu Falls on the borders of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay.   In Oaxaca, we’ve also seen the beautiful beaches of Mazunte, the expansive mountains of the state of Oaxaca and natural wonders such as the springs and rock formations of Hierve el Agua.

Learning Abroad

Our learning started before our departure with computer Portuguese from the Rosetta Stone. At that time I wrote a post showing Mia in the process of learning Portuguese.  After three months in Brazil, her Portuguese had improved dramatically.  All three girls attended a Waldorf school in Brazil (Escola Waldorf Anaba) to maintain continuity with their schooling at the Austin Waldorf School.  They had the opportunity to see how Waldorf education could morph from one country to another.  Ariana and Sophia also enjoyed bellydancing  and African dance classes while we were there.  Another highlight was a surfing class we all got to participate in – we even got to see penguins next to us in the ocean!

Oaxaca turned out to be an amazing place to learn as well.  We took advantage of Mexican dance, drawing, cooking, and ceramics classes at Casa de la Cultura Oaxaquena.  It was beautiful to see the girls’ skills develop in each of these areas.  Sophia even had the opportunity to perform with her dance class in the Teatro Macedonia Alcala, a gorgeous historic theater in Oaxaca’s central district.

Mia experienced three months of private school in Oaxaca and while we made the decision to return to homeschooling, it gave us a flavor of the Mexican education system and she made some great friends in the process.  Ariana and Sophia home-schooled using a combination of online learning and material sent from their school in Texas.  Combining this academic learning with the creative offerings of Casa de la Cultura gave them a nice balance in their week.

History and Culture

There is no greater way to understand the history and culture of an area than by experiencing it through immersion.  From seeing the Guarani Indians on our Brazilian island to hearing Zapotec spoken in local markets, we were fascinated by the diversity of cultures in the places we experienced.  These were living examples of the roots of these two civilizations which were then strengthened through our visits to area archeological sites such as Mitla and Monte Alban, as well as visits to areas of interest such as local churches, shrines and markets and experiences of present day cultural traditions through processions, festivals and rituals.  What amazing richness we found!

Friends and Loved Ones

This year has also been incredibly rewarding in terms of time with each other.  We have bonded on a new level as any group of people will who meet challenges together.  I feel so fortunate to have spent this quality time with the girls before they go off to their own lives.

We were also pleased to receive many visitors from the U.S. including friends and family.  It’s great to be able to share some of our joys of travel with them and to spend time together in new places. I believe in all we had 6 sets of visitors.

But one of the true riches we have gathered has been the friendship of the Brazilian and Mexican people we have come to know.  It’s through these human connections that our year has really reached a level of fulfillment that we couldn’t have known without them.  In addition, we had the surprise experience and pleasure of adding Ana, a Swiss student, to our household during our stay in Oaxaca.  Ana has become like part of the family and has enriched our lives during our stay here.

1. My children are capable and resilient – Now, I always knew this – but watching them arrive in a new location, learn 2 languages, make friends and become functional in 2 new cultures within just a few months has shown me how really amazing they are.  Sure, they’ve had some hard days but overall they’ve been real troopers and have taken on this challenge with enthusiasm and confidence.
2. Trust – This has probably been the biggest point of learning for me as a nomadic mom.  I fully accept that in our lives at home my kids have lived a pretty sheltered existence.  I mean, we live in an area where basically there is not much to do unless you drive to it and since none of them were of driving age before we left the U.S., I had nearly complete control and knowledge of where they were at all times.  Traveling has been a completely different story.  We have been living in areas of Brazil and Mexico where public transportation is readily available.  Not only that, but we have not owned cars while nomading so we have been 100% reliant on this transportation or on our own feet.  What this has meant is that my girls have been much more independent.  While I’m happy for their new independence, on my side it has meant learning to trust in them and in the universe.  The first couple of weeks in Mexico where buses seem to run in an extremely chaotic system wasn’t easy.  At times they were gone for hours longer than expected, only to return with tales of being lost and finding themselves on buses that had actually left the city.  I realize every time they walk out the door that I must not only trust in their abilities to get through these situations but also in the universe to keep them safe while they do this learning.  It’s not easy.
3. We really don’t need much stuff – Again, this is something that I’ve known.  My kids have never been big purchasers nor beggars for the latest cool thing.  However, living out of 1 medium suitcase for a year I realize how little stuff we really need.  In fact, when we moved locations my girls actually reduced what they brought the second time significantly.
4. Being a single mom is tough – Since my husband was not able to join us this year I went overnight from having a parenting partner to being a single mom.  Now, that’s not to say that my husband doesn’t still play a significant role. He does.  We speak to him almost nightly and he is in close communication about the kids.  However, when it comes to the day to day, who’s going to get the meals kind of stuff, I’m a single mom and it’s tough.  I think the hardest part has been not having much time for myself.  Although I was raised by a single mom and always respected what she went through, I have even more respect now for what it takes to be alone as a parent.
5. This is the most important thing I’ll ever do – As Jackie Kennedy Onassis said “If you bungle raising your children I don’t think whatever else you may do well matters very much”.  In the big scheme of things, raising my girls to be conscious citizens of the world is probably the most important contribution I can make to the future.  I don’t know how to better do this than by letting them experience the world first hand, and not just as “tourists” but by remaining in locations long enough to join in their communities.  That’s where having the ability to keep my income generating so that we can travel at our pace has been crucial.  It has allowed our family to have this experience and hopefully has allowed our children to have a much greater understanding of the world and our place in it.
6. I’m really really lucky – Yes, being nomadic has taken a lot of determination and long term planning to make it happen.  But I also know that in addition to the efforts I’ve made I’m also incredibly lucky.  I’m lucky to have a husband who has been willing to let us go without him.  I’m lucky to have children who have been enthusiastic about this lifestyle.  I’m lucky to live in these times where technology allows us to work from where we want.  I’m lucky to have coaching clients who support what I do.  I’m lucky to have people who read this blog and leave their comments.  For all these things I’m grateful to the universe.
7. Time is the most precious thing – This year of nomading with my girls has meant we have spent a lot of time together.  For me, time is the most precious gift I can receive as a mom.  To have had this year to be with them outside of our usual lifestyle has been such a gift.  I’m also grateful for that.
8. I love being a nomadic mom – Before becoming a mom I already loved traveling.  But traveling alone was a completely different experience.  I mean, I loved the independence, being young, and getting to do what I wanted, when I wanted and with whom I wanted.  It was exciting to be out in the world on my own.  But I also got incredibly lonely and homesick at times.  Traveling with my children has been so different.  Granted, I don’t have nearly the freedom I did before but I also have never felt lonely or homesick even once.  And getting to share my love for travel and the world with the girls has been amazing.  It’s so wonderful to see their enthusiasm that I enjoy the experience even more through them.  Also, having children in a new culture means that you experience another side of local life.  Suddenly the world of families and children is opened to you as well and you meet people at a very personal level when you meet as parents.
9. I may have lighted a fire – In this year our girls have learned how incredibly large and abundant this world is and they’re already wanting to see more.  They talk about where they’d like to go next and where they may eventually want to live.  I realize that through this experience I may have started a fire within them that will take them very far from me some day.  I imagine mother birds feel this way when they see their young on the edge of the nest flapping their wings and they know that at any moment their precious treasures are going to take that leap and perhaps never return.  It’s hard to think about.  I’ll just have to trust on this one as well.

Don’t miss the dance video at the end of the post! And please – I live for comments and tweets!

by Carmen

After six months on the beautiful island of Florianopolis, Brazil, we said goodbye and took three weeks at home in Austin, Texas for the Christmas holidays.  It was a wonderful opportunity to touch base with my husband and dad of our three daughters, see good friends, and catch a couple of our highschool basketball games (not to mention do taxes which I try not to think about!).  Being home was a unique experience in that we have rented part of our home this year to offset our traveling expenses and so we were sharing space with our renter and her young daughter.  It was great to get to know the two of them and the house felt full for the holidays.  We also spent time preparing two more rooms to be rented for the subsequent six months while we are in Mexico.  These rooms are rented to some amazing nomadic Eurythmy students from Brazil who stayed with us for several months last year.  It’s a win-win situation, providing them very low cost housing while they continue their studies and providing us some supplemental income for our travels.

While we were all enjoying seeing our friends and being in our own home, after three weeks we were ready for the next leg of our journey, Oaxaca.  I am rabid about getting the best available airline fares.  As a result, however, it meant we had a 9 hour layover in Mexico City. At first I braced myself for what I assumed would feel like an eternity sitting in an airport and then decided to do some research to see if Mexico City’s airport had luggage storage facilities.  To our good luck it does!  The interminable layover suddenly transformed into an opportunity to sight see Mexico’s capital.  We were able to check our luggage through to Oaxaca and store our carry ons in lockers outside of the terminal.  We then got an authorized airport taxi and headed straight for the Zocalo (approximately a 15 minute drive at midday).

The Zocalo is impressive in its grandeur and the feel of its stately government buildings, not to mention enormous cathedral.  We found it still decorated for Christmas and buzzing with activity.  This is Mexico’s bicentennial.  As part of their celebration a huge snow festival was occurring in the square.  Ice skating, tobogganing, snowman building and snowball fights were scattered about with thousands of citizens enjoying themselves for free.  What a sight to see all this snow on a balmy afternoon!  We visited the cathedral and the Templo Mayor ruins just next door.  Outside, however, the action was even more intriguing.  On one side of the cathedral was an amazing hip hop group (see video), while on the other side people were watching indigenous dancers in full feather regalia.  Our curiosity finally gave way to our stomachs and we found a nearby restaurant serving 4 course meals for the equivalent of about $3 US per person.

We spent several hours in the Zocalo and then hesitantly returned to the airport.  I was afraid of getting caught in traffic and so I wanted to get back before rush hour.  This meant that we still had a couple of hours to wait but I didn’t want to push our luck.  Our trip to Oaxaca was completed at about 11 pm and we were happy to find our beds at La Villada hostel waiting for us.

La Villada is an eco-hostel on the outskirts of Oaxaca. In addition to getting our own cabin since there were four of us, the inn also has its own restaurant, swimming pool and games.  It is very reasonably priced and so seemed a good choice for our temporary stopping point while we looked for housing.  We found the owners and staff very warm and helpful.  In fact, when I explained that my youngest daughter needed to attend school the next morning the owner offered to drive us there herself.  This came in handy as it turns out the inn is not very conveniently located to the school and I had no idea yet how to use the buses or taxis.

The next morning Mia and I got up for a Oaxacan breakfast of eggs, beans, tortillas, hot chocolate and coffee and headed straight for her new school, Colegio Teizcali.  I found this school online while reading Have You Seen the Dog Lately? a blog of another U.S. mom who has been living here and sending her son.  Serena was incredibly open to communicate about the school via email and forwarded me the email address of the principal, Daniel Martinez Nunez.  Daniel was also very inviting and welcomed Mia to the school before we even arrived.  Finding connections like these is invaluable when planning a trip sight unseen.

My next invaluable connection was about to take place.  Since I did not want to take advantage of our hostel owner and cause her to wait for me while I completed school paperwork I asked her for a taxi number for my return trip to the hostel.  My call for a taxi was promptly answered by Luis Ramirez.  Luis Ramirez became a key player in the following week.  Not just a taxi driver, Luis speaks fairly good English and has worked with foreigners quite often.  While my Spanish is passable I knew I would have difficulty communicating via telephone when looking for houses or apartments to rent.  Luis helped me to find the best newspapers with real estate ads, explained to me the layouts of the neighborhoods and even called the ads and made appointments.  We were able to see several properties in a very short amount of time.  For this service Luis charged by the hour but his rates were so reasonable and the value he provided so great it was well worth the expense.  (yes, this is a plug for Luis Ramirez – use him! He’s like gold and can be contacted at (044) 951 118 45 34).

In addition to house hunting with Luis, I also contacted an agent I had met online before our arrival, Fernando Lizardi of Oaxaca Real Estate.  Eventually, through the help of these two men, we found a furnished house within 6 days of our arrival in a good location to both Mia’s school and Casa de la Cultura where Ariana and Sophia would be taking classes to supplement their homeschooling, and within walking distance to a major grocer (key if you’re living without a car).  The house was within our budget (completely covered by the rent we are bringing in from our Austin home) and huge.  We will be able to have house guests without any space issues!  Better yet, the house is in a regular, middle class Oaxacan neighborhood so that we can really be a part of typical Oaxacan life.

We quickly shifted gears and headed for Casa de la Cultura on the last day of registration for their January/February classes.  Casa de la Cultura is a cultural institute housed in an ex-convent in the heart of Oaxaca and supplemented by government funding.  What that meant for us and for all of Oaxaca is that their is an amazing array of art, music, dance, cooking, and other classes that you can take for a very reasonable cost.  Sophia signed up for Mexican cooking and both Sophia and Ariana signed up for Portrait Drawing and Painting.  These are 8 week sessions and we are taking 14 hours of classes per week for a grand total of about $90 US. Incredible! (if you are interested in taking classes here, be prepared to jump through several steps of bureaucratic red tape.  We would never have accomplished this without Luis at our side to take us to the offices we needed to visit to complete the process.  However, the results make it worth the hoop jumping).

While our first week was a whirlwind of getting logistics into place, I am really excited that we found a house, started Mia in school, got homeschooling off the ground for Ariana and Sophia, and signed them up for supplemental classes all within 6 days!

We are very excited to be here and can already see the amazing abundance of cultural opportunity at our fingertips.  In our moments of free time (we’ve been here 2 weeks now) we have also had the opportunity to visit the rug makers of Teotitlan del Valle, see the world’s widest tree at El Tule, visit the ruins of Mitla, the market of Tlacolula and attend the celebration of the Black Christ (Nuestro Senor de Esquipulas) at the Carmen Alto Church.  I wanted to share pictures and videos of some of the sights we’ve seen so far and hope to share more in the near future.  I hope you enjoy them!