J o u r n e y s: Oaxaca

Have you ever had something to eat that completely confused your brain? You're not sure you like it, you can't really describe it, but you can't stop thinking about it? That's me with a good mole sauce. I love mole, I'm fascinated by it, I love trying to figure out all of the flavors that meld together in it. So when planning time in Mexico, I knew I was going to the home of mole- Oaxaca.

Oaxaca turned out to be the perfect little town to visit for a week. There were nearby ruins (Monte Alban), lots of fun local artists to visit, a fantastic history museum in the cathedral cloisters, and so much good food. There was a torta truck parked in the park near my hotel, and their sandwiches were AMAZING. I had one almost every day. There were also chocolate shops in town that served frozen chocolate milk beverages with fresh ground cocoa, putting any Starbucks drink to shame. And there was mole, black and red and yellow varieties poured over simple chicken and rice. YUM.

One thing I really wanted to do was take a cooking class to learn how to make mole. It ended up being a great experience. We went to the market first to buy all of the ingredients, which was great except for the huge bunches of cilantro that smelled so foul. But then we went back to the chef's home, where there was a huge kitchen set up in the courtyard. We made chicken with mole, soup with zucchini blossoms and huitlacoche, tortillas, memelas, and tamales stuffed in banana leaves. Everything was delicious when done except maybe the soup. Huitlacoche isn't really my thing.

I also did a day trip to Monte Alban and the surrounding villages. Monte Alban was a Zapotec city that is now in ruins high on a mountain top. The long platform is edged with the remains of houses and temples. There was even a ball court, though that section was damaged in the earthquake last September so it was closed to visitors. The buildings were impressive for their location at the top of the hill. You could see both ranges of the Sierra Madre mountains in the distance.

The Museo del las Culturas de Oaxaca was definitely a fun way to spend a day as well. The museum is in the cloisters and monastic quarters of the cathedral (itself a marvel of gold and beautiful carving). It highlights the history of the region from the earliest inhabitants to the colonial period and the independence movements in Mexico. The many windows gave beautiful views of the surrounding hills, and you could even peak into the church from the balcony level. I loved the set ups that showed how early Mexicans lived, like the kitchen exhibit and the beer brewing equipment. There was a huge bookstore on the main floor but it was pretty much all Spanish language texts.

I wasn't feeling great during my week in Oaxaca- a sinus infection that wouldn't quit combined poorly with the elevation. I spent a lot of time walking in the sunshine, stopping to rest in the many parks, and just soaking up life in this perfect little Mexican city. With the many old VW Beetle cars, the delicious tortas with stringy Oaxaca cheese, and the amazing chocolate, this was a Mexico I could fall in love with.