We were lucky enough to be in Oaxaca City for the annual Guelaguetza festival, where delegations from all over the state come to the city to celebrate their collective heritage, displaying their unique dance and indigenous dress. The whole city was buzzing all weekend, with stages all over the plazas and craft markets sprawling into every corner. The opening parade was a definite highlight, with each delegation displaying their outfits, showing off their style of dance, and throwing their produce into the crowd. Everything was colourful and exciting, with loud shouts of “Viva la Guelaguetza!” arising from performers and spectators alike.
Oaxaca itself was gorgeous, with this gold-leafed church of Santa Domingo really stealing the show. A wedding happened as we were inside, so we stood and watched the bride walk gracefully down the extremely long aisle (and some late relatives running in behind her). Later on, there was a party in the square to celebrate their union, with a huge bride and huge groom doll dancing around to the music. It was very very elaborate.
The city is nestled amongst the mountains thus it was colder again and we had a daily early-evening downpour to watch out for. We caved into home comforts and found a nano-brewery/deli which served pints with bangers and mash. We also found an incredible bakery which made all our mornings better. Oaxaca is famous for its moles (sauces) so we tried many varieties and were very very content! We also discovered the joys of Mercado 20 de Noviembre, which involved huge tlayudas (open corn burritos) and the Grilled Meat Alley. This required walking around a smoky corridor of the market and picking which meat you would like barbecued on the numerous open charcoal grills that were dotted about. We ate a kilo of beef and it was amazing! Unfortunately though, I failed to take Tom’s advice and also ate grasshoppers, which were much less appealing.
We spent time visiting the stages around the city, whose shows would last for hours and were full of enthusiasm. We watched a youth concert band play a range of songs (with two young sopranos) and also a display of dances from the coast, mountain and valley regions. The crowds watching were huge, and everyone was determined to get some of the snacks or mezcal that they gave out as part of their performance. We did make our way to the Mezcal Fair one night, after slipping through a parade and being treated to a mango and various shots. The main event was a giant convention centre filled with 74 different stores selling this famous Mexican alcohol. We enjoyed ourselves with all the tasters, found a chocolate shop and danced to some 80’s Mexican hits. It was excellent. Thank you Oaxaca!
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