Oaxaca Is Made of Magic

...and bugs you can eat.

I can’t lie

Mexico had me a bit nervous. Living in the US, all you hear is how El Chapo is going to kill you and how you’ll get human-trafficking as soon as you get off the plane. Not to mention, a horrible trend of violence against transgender people. My experience in Mexico was magical. I climbed an ancient ruin, hung out with stray dogs in front of century old churches, and ate so much that I got sick. I even did a Crossfit WOD with fellow trans folx. And no one got weird about it! Much more than I can say about much of the US.

Truths I learned in (Southern) Mexico:

Mexico doesn’t really care what the US is doing

They just want us to stop being so weird. In the US we tend to think we are the center of the world. We can blame that on the propaganda machine we call the news. We rarely see a clear picture of whats really happening outside our borders. Other than outlets like Democracy Now!, I think you’re better off reading reddit.

From what I’ve seen, by meeting people and talking to my family, Mexicans are relatively prideful of their country. The good and the bad. Sure their country isn’t perfect but what country is? This idea that every Mexican wants to jump the fence and be an American is garbage. They don’t. Most Mexicans seem to be very happy where they are. And for good reason. Mexico is absolutely beautiful.

Mexican food rivals the French

It’s true. Mexican food is so very underrated. First of all, Mexico is huge, deeply indigenous, and Mexican’s LOVE to eat. The state of Oaxaca alone, has 29 known indigenous languages and 16 ethnic groups. These are groups that survived for tens of thousands of years. Through plagues, colonization, migrations, etc. Imagine all the different types of food that come with that history. I’m obviously biased and I know I may be shot for saying this but... Mexican food is better and more culturally rich than French food. There I said it.

Pesos Are Fun

They’re cute! They’re colorful! They all have little messages that you can’t read without a magnifying glass. Everyone uses cash in Mexico. The conversion rate is around 20 pesos for every one dollar and you end up spending more than you realize. Good! The Mexican economy deserves every centavo. If US cash was this pretty, I’d ditch my debit card.

It’s needless to say, I absolutely love Oaxaca and can’t wait to explore more of Mexico. Pero necesito que lo puedes hablar en espanol mas mejor.

See you next week!

-Lara