Because 2 weeks of traveling isn’t enough
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4 Things We’ve Learned About Mezcal
The expansive plaza outside of Oaxaca’s main cathedral contains hundreds of agave plants. In addition to being a hardy long-lived drought-resistant plant, it is also the ingredient mezcal is distilled from. This is the heart of mezcal country, and we are getting schooled. Below are 4 things we’ve learned the easy way, by visiting bars…
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The Best Mezcal Bars in Oaxaca
You can find mezcal at every bar, but for the most interesting and extensive selections with a generous helping of education, you want to head to one of the following mezcalerias, starting with our favorites. El Cortijo – Brothers Juan Carlos and Raul man the bar 6 nights a week. Old photographs of their grandparents/founders…
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Boil the Water
We’ve been meaning to write more generally on being in Mexico for a week now, but here we are with nothing to show but delicious food eaten and mezcal consumed. There really ought to be more information on how to visit Hierve el Agua. We posted it here, so others don’t have to piece it…
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Beers, Botanos, and the Beach
Don’t go to the bar full in the Yucatan. Inevitably, as soon as you place an order for your first round of light Mexican beer, a overflowing tray of small plates of food will be delivered to your table. If you order more beer, more plates will appear – all included in the cost of…
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Eco Lodging in Calakmul
For our big Mexican getaway, we headed into the jungle of Calakmul. Our lodging had no electricity, no plumbing, food cooked over an open fire, and the “rooms” were Walmart-brand tents with air mattresses – the one luxury. Many hotels in Mexico incorporate “eco” into their name. Some of them even use solar hot water…
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The Food Vendor Noises of Merida
Mexican cities are loud. Music blares from storefronts and restaurants. Inspection-free cars rattle and grunt down the roads. Saws, jackhammers, and pick-axes accompany the frequent construction sites. In order to reach their audience, food vendors have gotten creative as they walk or cycle down the residential streets of Merida. Here is our list of food…
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A Convenience Store in Ek Balam
Just about every town you pass through by bus in the Yucatan has something being cooked around the central plaza: pollo asado (grilled chicken), a taco truck, maybe just a sandwich cart. This was not the case in the small village of Ek Balam. This tiny village hasn’t seen a bus in probably ever. It…
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Parque Santiago in Merida
On most nights Parque Santiago is a typical plaza in Mexico: young couples smooching on park benches, old people chatting, a food vendor is selling corn. Tuesday nights chairs line the plaza and the front row is filled with finely dressed older couples: guayaberas, huiples, and a corsage here and there. Around 8:30 the 10-piece…
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Adventures in Driving to the Chenes Ruins
There are too many historical Mayan sites in Mexico, and the government is struggling to preserve them. Sometimes they fail, like the highway bisecting Tohcok. A side effect is that it makes visiting this small site very convenient – as long as you happen to show up when the talkative caretaker arrives on his bicycle…
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Avoiding the Tour Groups at Chichen Itza
An under-appreciated aspect of mass tourism is how predictable it is. Tour groups act the same everywhere: buffet breakfast, long bus ride, tour and buy souvenirs, buffet lunch, long bus ride, dinner show. In Chichen Itza, they result in hundreds of trinket vendors littering the site. They are also the ones who helped vote this…
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