Final day in Oaxaca City

Our last day together we spent back in Oaxaca City.

We tried to starve ourselves in anticipation of our 7-course taster meal at Casa Crespo.

So, to start, it's cactus, with blue maize flour, fried pig-skin ball and hibiscus sauce - it's a good start..

Then we're onto ceviche with tomato foam and pineapple reduction (Daisy's favourite by far)!


Then randomly a man appeared to fill up the fountain with his, er, big hose...


But there was no rest for us, onto red snapper with pine nuts and avocado base (which even Ian ate, even though he's not keen on avocado)...


And on we go - avocado and prawns mousse with a red sauce and a green one, they were very nice, but I'd had too much wine by then to remember what type of sauce they were, but they were very nice....


Wow - then came the beef steak (arrachera) with, wait for it, coffee topping and banana sauce - it was sublime!


We were the only people at Casa Crespo that evening - wonderful to have the place to ourselves.


Course Six - well not so filling, Jamaica with mint tea - to clear the mouth apparently.


And to finish, wonderful Oaxacan chocolate mousse with 'fake air'. A fine way to end a marvellous trip.

Puerto Escondido with Sarah & Ian

We flew over the mountains to the coast in the smallest airplane any of us have ever flown in. It was a surprisingly smooth flight and re-assuring to be able to see, nearly reach out and touch, the pilot.


We stayed at the splendid Villas Carrizalillo (impossible to pronounce) - all fine once they acknowledged that we did indeed have a booking!


It was a short walk down to the bay below, much quieter than the main Puerto Escondido beaches and safe to swim in the water.




Daisy got into the spirit of things again and Dad kindly bought her the local paper to enjoy.



Aunty Sarah & Uncle Ian did a splendid job of entertaining the little princess.

Oaxaca City

We travelled to Oaxaca City for a few days of sight-seeing, eating and relaxation. We seemed to hit peak 'mass time', but eventually found a moment without a service and got in to see the inside of Santo Domingo church. (For a clip of a very Mexican 15th birthday celebration outside the church see Pabs' Facebook)



Rosie was pleased to see the faces of some of the 'Telegraph greats' in the main square.



Our 'old culture' bit was a trip up to Monte Alban - the deserted Zapotec site above Oaxaca Ciy.




A highlight was the cooking course at Casa Crespo - we learnt how to make 'Mole Fiesta', 'Sopa de Flor Calabaza', 'Horchata', hand-made tortillas and rose-petal ice-cream - marvellous!



Daisy found the whole day both exciting and a little tiring,...

Sarah & Ian arrive (with Mungo)

Our dear friends Sarah & Ian have come out to Mexico for a couple of weeks.




They visited the project (La Chozita), where I introduced Ian as the British Chess Champion (well he has played before) to take on the local Chess whizz-kid, Victor. It was a close, tense game, but in the end the Mexican, with support from the home crowd forced a defeat from the visiting champ.


We went with Ian & Sarah up to Chamula and out to the Museum of Mayan Medicine.




Daisy was delighted to have to extra helpers/adorers. She also rather enjoyed Jeremias' birthday party with Tio-Luis and lots of bendy balloons.

Madeleine in San Cristobal

We returned to San Cristobal to spend a few days there with Madeleine.



We took a trip up to San Juan Chamula to show Mum a Mayan village and the unique church building in the centre.




We think Madeleine enjoyed seeing her granddaughter and Daisy enjoyed spending time with her Abuelita.