Day 26 - Oaxaca

They do love a grasshopper over here you know. It’s on pretty much every menu as an accompaniment or side order. I had a few to sample at the market yesterday and I’ll be honest, I’m not sure they’re my thing. Not as a substitute to wings or fries or something anyway. They’re a bit gritty, and once through the outer shell, squidgy. It’s a bit like eating a sandy prawn, shell and all. Only it doesn’t taste as nice as prawn. ...Because it tastes like grasshopper. Anyway, they can’t seem to get enough of the stuff and I’m not judging. 

Most of yesterday was taken up with a hike to Monte Albán. It had occurred to give a little background on this place, so I will. It’s an Inca / Aztec city kind of thing - except it’s none of those things exactly, it was actually Zapotecs and latterly Mixtecs, but who the hell has heard of them? Certainly not me until I went there, but you get the idea. Lots of pyramidy stonework and places of sacrifice and ancient toilets. I liked it! A lot! 

There are dozens of folk willing to take you there from the centre of town in a minibus for about 6 quid, but as I have two legs and it was only 5km away, I decided to save my money. It was about 2km into the steep climb that I realised that Monte means mount, or indeed mountain. It was around the same time I realised why so many people were offering a lift to the top, and so many people were accepting the offer. I soldiered on. 

So I’m going to put Monte Albán down as a place I’d recommend. I wouldn’t get married there or anything, but I’d say if you haven’t been, knock yourselves out, and treat yourselves to a lift while you’re at it. Me and my poor blistered feet, wheezing lungs, and crampy legs might have done things differently had we known, but then again I had literally a wail of a time at full, out of tune volume while pounding the deserted tarmac with my earphones on, so that was a good thing to come out of it all. 

....for anyone desperate to know, West Coast Hair Metal on the way up, Scandi Glam on the way down. ...and I’d offer that as a general recipe for life. ..You’re welcome. 

I really don't have much by way of commentary on these pics, I mean I can tell you which was the slaughterhouse and which the toilet, but it won't enrich your lives all that much I don't think.