Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Oaxaca: Arts, Food & Birds I


   Few years ago, my husband and I fell in love with Mexico city.  We haven't had time to revisit since we were in Korea last few years.  Finally! we revisited Mexico city and Oaxaca.

  We love to visit Mexico city during Christmas time since the air pollution is lighter: people leave the city for their hometown and visiting their families in country sides.  Before talking about Mexico city since it's more popular and well-known than Oaxaca city, I'd love to share all the photos from Oaxaca.  We again fell in love with Oaxaca!  I think I love Oaxaca more than Mexico city :)  It's an amazing place with tons of cultural beauty, delicious endless food, unique and beautiful arts, super nice happy people and additionally it's very cheap!

  My husband posted his birding photo on his website, Cloudphotographic.

   한국에서 태국가면 음식에 문화에 다정한 사람들에 감동받듯이, 멕시코도 딱 그래요! 멕시코 시티도 완전 좋은데 요즘은 한국처럼 너무 공기더럽 T.T  그래서 멕시코 시티는 크리스마스 기간에 가면 좋아요.  우리랑 비슷하게 설날에 시골에 가듯이 멕시코 시티 주민들 다들 시골로 출발~~~  갑 깨끗해져용 ㅋ 근데 설날 전에 떠나야하는곳! 설전날 불꽃놀이 완전 많이해서 공기가 거의 150넘는 허걱! 멕시코시티는 대구처럼 분지거덩요.  29일에 바로 오하카로 출발! 음식으로 치면 울나라 전라도 같은곳이에요. 멕시코시티보다 훨~씬 싸고 음식도 너무 맛있고. 완전 권장 추천이에요! 울 가족이랑 꼭 같이 오고 싶은곳! 강추! 

Day 1


We stayed an Airbnb near this Santo Domingo de Guzmán. Beautiful church with an amazing Museum and a botanical garden. 
오하카에 있으면서 몇십번씩 지나친 교회 ㅋ 에어비앤비에서 지냈는데 여기랑 가까웠어요. 역쉬 숙소 위치 중요함


Zandunga restaurant for the first meal in Oaxaca city. Our friend in CDMX recommended this restaurant and we had the first of many delicious meal at this place. 
Surprised by very thin and crisp tortilla - we found out it's typical in Oaxaca. 


친구중하나가 여기 가보라고해서 갔는데 맛있었어요. 뭐 최고는 아니었지만 사람들이 아주 친절하고 깨끗하고. 역쉬 아주 바쁘기 전에 식당은 가는 센스.  어느나라나 중요하죵


Red mole chicken


My husband's one of favorite food, Tamales! He ordered 3 different one and was super happy with them.  It was great for a breafast!


Much less starch, more stuffing and more juicy!~
에는 타말레라는 음식인데 울 신랑의 사랑. 음청 먹고 왔는데 사실 제가 빌루 안좋아하는 애있데 역쉬 오리지널은 맛있었다는


This restaurant has an amazing Mezcal list - One must try!
사실 테킬라도 메즈칼의 종류중 하나인데요  오하카는 메즐칼루 아주 유명. 독한 술이에요. 
찔끔찔끔 마시면서 음미해주는



On the way to our place - there was a Christmas/New year arts market and live concert!
집에 오는길에 음악이 멋진데 왜이럴땐 화장실이 꼭 빨리가고 싶은지 ㅋㅋㅋ 쬐끔보다가 집으로 후딱!



Day 2


Highly highly highly recommend to join a food tour when you arrive at a new place that you've never visited.  You can get lots of informations about the place with delicious food :) Win Win! This tour was wonderful!  Become Local for A day - Check out in Airbnb - Betsy was amazing!
어딜가나 여행은 음식투어로 시작. 아주 좋아용. 역사, 문화, 가볼곳 다 알려주고 먹여주고 어디가 맛있는곳인지도 알려주고. 


La Cosecha Oaxaca - Organic Harvest Market   was the first stop.  You can click the first photo for the name of this food - I feel lazy :P 


This market was 100 yards from where we stayed! I went again to buy some more tamales for my husband and it was great! 




Oaxacan style Quesadilla - Tlayudas


Caldo de Piedra - Stone soup place! I was very happy that this tour include this place.  My friend who lives in Mexico city also recommended this place.  Next time, I will definitely go to this place again for a full meal. 



Over 2 hours heated stone will be added to this bowl to cook this soup.  Stone will be used once! 


시원하니 술먹고난후 해장으로 딱!


I really liked this soup.  It reminded me of Tomyum Kong!~


Next place was the Chocolate place.  Be sure that you buy some before back to your country if you want to cook some authentic mole! 


See?  Mexican Chocolate beans, Mexican cinnamon, Almond was grounded first. 
한국인이 생각하는 초콜릿이랑 맛이 틀린데 자꾸 먹어보면 맛있어요. 
 멕시코가 초콜릿 원산지인거 아시죠?  


And he added sugar!  I really liked the cold chocolate drink at this place and later when we were birding at a mountain area in the cold morning, a cup of hot chocolate was great! It's different flavor but surely grew up on me!


Next stop was November 20th market for grilled meat and chocolate drink.  This lady reminded me of my grandma! (Grandma I miss you!!!! ) My grandma used to do exactly like this! Amazing skill and very similar to asian culture I grew up with. 


Inside market - see? the tortilla is much thiner in Oaxaca and I liked it a lot. 


울 나랑 재래시장  광장시장 + 마장동시장 같은곳. 어릴때 울나라 80년대 같아서 좋았어용


Inside meat grilling area - You need to bring a mask if you are sensitive to smoke :) 


Really nice/similar display in every booth


Yumm


You can order any meat you want from meat vender and all the condiments from this vender. 


Guacamole girl I asked for a photo permit and she granted one for me :P  BTW, Guacamole/Avocado in Mexico is amazing.  I don't even like them but I love in here.  Under-ripe avocado makes me itch but not ever once in Mexico!


Ordered meat.  You can seat at a table if you order drinks.  I'd have never known how to do it without a local person :)  꼬기들! 


There are 7 moles in Oaxaca for 7 days! I found out that I love the Mole Amarillo. 
유명한 멕시코 몰레 소스!


Chocolate with milk and milk bread.  This bread is for dipping in this chocolate. 


We tried 4 different moles and the yellow mole was the best, yummmmmmm!


Crickets.  I've had them before when I was young. It tasted like dried-shrimp.  
I have a crustacean allergy and can't have insect either. Same ancestors!


This warm used for Mezcal cocktail salt-rim. 


Betsy's aunt.  Food was amazing.  I'd love to go back. 


Super spicy and yummy. Beef Barbacoa.
한국사람입맛에도 잘맞아용. 멕시코 시티에서 염소 발바꼬아 먹었는데 염소냄새땜시 전 빌루, 이건 짱


You must try this drink - Tejate
베찌의 말로는 이 언니 테하테가 이 시장에서 짱이래요. 믿고 마시는


옥수수 갈고 초코렛쬐끔 사탕수수등등을 넣은 음료.  딱 울나라 미숫가루 같은?


Oaxacan desserts


Oaxacan ice cream - Tuna is prickly pear in Spanish :P So confusing
오하카 아이스크림은 꼭 소르베 같은. 


Prickly pear and coffee Nieves.  More sorbet style than ice cream style
이렇게 2불도 않되었던 ㅋ 더울때 시원하고 좋아용


Morning Food Tour/ Evening Mezcal tasting class


It was Airbnb mezcal tasting class.  Again I learned more about Mezcal. 


Cooked Agave


Yummy Roasted Chickpea


More crickets- traditional Mezcal food


Yay! Elotes!  I loved it!  Perfect snack after many Mezcal shots
막울 나라에서도 마약 옥수수네 막 그러잖아요. 다 멕시코 음식이에요. 짱 맛있어요! 한개에 2-3 천원 ㅋ

Day 3 


New Year's Day Dinner - I made a reservation a weeks before just in case :)  Many restaurants close on the day.  The best view in Oaxaca city! We also got the best sit. Good way to start a new year. 

새해날은 문여는곳 없을까봐 유명한식당 예약했어용. 역쉬 분위기 좋고 음식은 아~주 맛있진 않았는데 분위기 공기 좋으니까 딱 새해 맞이 하기 좋았던곳


We've tried lots of Mezcal cocktails. Yumm.  


Crispy tortilla with spiced crab




역쉬 사진은 빛과 배경 ㅋㅋ



Feel bad to say that but the view was better than the food  - The food was good but not as good as the view :P Pitiona restaurant 


나의 사랑 문어. 애는 많이 실망을 줬던 문어타코. 

Day 3


Birding started.  My husband loves birds and in Oaxaca, of course, he must spend many many hours doing birding :P  We left 6am everday for 4 days and did many birding together wiht Conelio the amazing bird-guide and great driver and tour-guide Hugo. 
View from the mountain. 

드디어 울 신랑 사랑 새구경. 새벽 6시에 출발! 새들은 왜이리 일찍 일어나시는지


Great photo by in iPhone 6 + Cornelio's fancy spotting scope


It was very cold morning and this chocolate latte was great!
거의 오하카 는 25도정도인데 산위라서 아침은 추웠어용! 뜨끈뜨끈한 멕시코 코코아로. 


Yummy Oaxacan breakfast & Guacamole



While bird people did birding, this is what I did - taking photo of random pretty things :P 


Ecoturismo Arroyo Guacamaya  We were so glad that we have our local guides.  We were only two foreigners at this area when we were there. 


After many years, we felt so lucky to see our friend from Montreal in Oaxaca city!  It's an amazing city :)  울 몬트리올 친구가 이찌다가 우리랑 같이 오하카에 같은날에 있게되서 저녁 먹었어요! 우연은 기쁜일





We were so excited to our friend all this experience at this restaurant was vague but it was good for sure :) 


수비드 치킨.  우리는 수비드 빌루인데 이건 아주 맛있었어용


오하카는 생선 해산물 느무 맛있어용!


Day 4


My favorite birding place - lots of birds in very concentrated area - means less walk more everything :P  lollol

개인적으로 새구경하기 아주 좋았던곳 - 새가 바글바글 ㅋㅋ



Luckly :P birds play around sun-rise and sun-set time so we had several time to kill.  Oaxaca is a great area to do so. Natural-color-dyed and hand-made rug village - You must visit!!!  

다행해 새들은 한낮에는 잘 안돌아댕겨주는, 그래서 이동네 유명한 마을, 마을에 음청 많은 카페트, 러그 만드는 공방이 있는데요. 다~~아 천연 염색에 수제. 감동스러운 패턴에.. 암튼 울 친구 방금 결혼한, 선물 한장이랑 우리꺼 두장 질러줌. 



울 시골도 가면 물레, 막 이런거 다 있잖아요, 안동 이런데 가면 ㅋ 비슷해요


My husband was thinking very hard to decide which rugs to buy :) 
뭘 할까 고민중 신랑


After lunch at Mercado de Tlacolula, we went to this church, Santa Maria de la Asunción Tlacolula
어머! 이교회 기대 안했는데 완전 멋짐!


Wow! Beautiful church! 



Must have a story about him somewhere
이 신부님은 좀 끔찍한 스토리가 있을듯


Beautiful sky makes everything more beautiful 
날씨가 좋으니까 사진도 느무 예술


귀여운 울 신랑


The famous Cornelio, Hugo and my husband :) They were the best ever!
울 새 전문가 아저씨랑 차 운전해주시고 좋은데 데리구 가주신 우고 아저씨!


We went back to the market again for some bread (Mercado de Tlacolula - you must visit on Sunday.)
음청 큰~~은 장서는곳. 일요일에 상점마다 다 열고 주중에도 곳곳에서 이렇게 뭐 파시는. 빵 맛있어용. 약간 달달한 애들. 울 사람입맛에 딱 맞는


Again, amazing balance! 
울 나라도 막 재래시장가면 이렇게 막 들고 다니시는분들 있듯이 여기도! 멋진 생활의 달인분들


Cornelio wanted to show us the bean that Oaxaca name came from. 


오하카가 이 콩이름에서 나왔데용


Delicious Oaxacan Chorizo!
멕시코 쵸리소. 약간 맵고 양념 좋은. 울나라사람에게 잘 맞는 소세지!


Huge! 이 초리소 짱! 이리 많은거 첨봤어용 ㅋ


It was a very busy day - birding/ rug villege/ market & church/ Mitla/ Mezcal/ Tula. 
Very busy but amazing Mitla - Worth to visit


Would have felt very different without all the tourists :P  but still it was amazing. 


Beautiful patterns 사포텍 유적지 죽음의 신을 섬기던 2000년된 유적지!  
찾아보니까 고구려 신라 백제 가야시대네용 


암튼 담에 울 언니 오빠 델꾸 와야겠어용! 날씨 느무 좋고 공기도 좋고


Not the best Mezcal place one can visit but it was near the road and had a English-speaking tasting room attendent.  
시간이 없어서 메크칼 마시러 많이 못다녔는데 담에는 더 많이 갈려구용!


Roasting pit


All their Mezcal was all made at this place and great to see all. 


이렇게 구워진 아가바를 짓이겨서 발효잘~ 되게 하는


발효중!


발효된 술을 증류하는 곳




Some of Mezcal we tasted




You don't need a long time to visit here but if you are near this place, you should visit this huge tree. 
뚱뚱한 나무 - 둘레가 한 47미터인가 한데요



Cute bear with my bear :) 울 새언니 사랑 곰

4일 있었는데 이렇게 많은일을 했어요 ㅋ 한꺼번에 다 사진을 올렸더니 느무 많아서 두번에 나누어서 올려야되겠어요. 

In 4 days, we'd done so many things.  I was planning to post all about Oaxaca in this blog but it's impossible!  Check out in few days for next Oaxaca blog!