Heading to Oaxaca.
Okay, I’m ready, sort of. I’m at Marilyn and Alan’s at the moment, and will soon be heading to Newark, from where I’ll fly down to Oaxaca. Last night, we had a birthday dinner for me (turned 75 February 27), with Suzanne, Lissadell, and Justin joining us, for hamburgers, latkes, and a cake baked by Marilyn. Yesterday also was really the day Bev passed, two years ago, even though it was actually February 29. But that only comes round once every four years, and Bev’s passing was two days after my birthday, so on the non-leap years, the day is actually March 1.
Little was said about Bev, which sort of saddened me, but I know the world outside of what’s inside my head is a different place, and the day has different meaning for everyone else (Kaye least of all). Dreams about Bev are rare for me, and when Bev is in a dream, it’s usually just as another character and not the main person. I did dream about Bev a few days ago though, and it was a sort of (slightly) unsettling dream, as Bev in a very somber way told me she was not well, and things were not good. Yuch!
I’m as ready to go as I will be. I’m backpacking this three-week trip, and I haven’t done that since I traveled in Mexico in 1981 (I think). I’m not at all sure what prompted me to go backpack instead of suitcase, but I’m glad I did (although I may yet change my mind). Finding the right size backpack was actually quite difficult, and I should really have a 40-litre backpack, which I thought I had (and wondered why the fit was so tight once packed), but I actually have a 30-litre – that extra 10 litres makes all the difference. Still, I have everything in the smaller pack, and it’s a nice size, but a tight fit. Little room for anything else in there.
The trip is a week in Oaxaca, visiting and staying with Rachel again, which I’m really looking forward to, and we’ll take a couple of trips outside the city, with Fili, the local driver Rachel often uses, taking us. Then I’ll be taking buses to Mexico City, which isn’t especially far away (less than 300 miles), but will stop for two nights in Tehuacán, a little bigger than Oaxaca, and then two nights in Puebla, with almost 2 million, but much smaller than Mexico City, where I’ll wind up for a few days, before flying to Los Angeles and staying in California for about eight days , where I’ll visit with Marg and Mark first, and depending on Kaye’s availability that week (looking for work), hopefully heading up the coast to meet her and spend some time, and if I go all the way to SF, visiting Cynthia. I’ll also visit my old friend Fred, who lives in LA, before visiting Marg and Mark in Claremont.
After I return, March 24 I think, I’ll be back for about two weeks, and then off, with my very old friend Laurence, for about five weeks, first to Japan for about 17 days, and then Vietnam for maybe 18 days. Very exciting. But more on that when the time comes.
For now, getting ready to go the airport.
Later that day…
The day was smooth, and everything went like clockwork. Except for one thing. While waiting at Houston for my flight to Oaxaca, I started to take care of some email and sort of lost track of time in the process , until, literally at the last minute, I heard my name being called. The plane was ready to go. This was a fairly small plane with maybe 50 passengers, maybe a few more, and they were waiting for me, and I was literally the very last person on board. Phew! Time passes quickly when you’re having a god time taking care of email at the airport.
Anyway, all went well, and I met Fili (that’s right, same name as me, although his full name is spelled Filiph) at the airport, who is a driver Rachel often uses, and they have a long-standing relationship. He speaks, English fluently, and will be taking us on at least one day trip outside of the city later this week. I was off the plane, through customs and immigration, and waiting for Fili by probably 8 pm local time (one hour behind east coast time), and we arrived at Rachel‘s in the Xochimilco district probably around 9. It was really lovely to see her, and I have to say, even though I was here 13 months ago, it feels as though I was just here. Everything was very familiar to me as I arrived.
This really is a lovely place. Coming into town from the airport, you see a lot of kind of battered store fronts for various kinds of stores and businesses, much like you might in parts of Brooklyn or the Bronx when driving the back and side streets away from the more central streets. Very busy, and lots of traffic. As we got closer to the center, the buildings and businesses become more upscale and better maintained. I like this place. I see the appeal of being here (which is why I came back).
Rachel and I hung out for a while and talked, and then it was time to hit the hay, around 11, I think . I woke early this morning, and even earlier yesterday morning, and after a day of traveling, I am pretty tired and ready for sleep.
Tomorrow, not quite sure what we’re going to be doing, but Rachel has arranged for me to have a one-hour Spanish lesson for the next three days with Alberto, her good friend here (and Rachel’s Spanish teacher, as well as dance partner and friend ), in hopes of preparing me a little bit for being on my own next week. I do feel a little odd taking a Spanish lesson when I can’t speak Spanish at all, other than a few words and phrases. But it will be an interesting experiment to see whether or not I actually get anything out of it. I certainly hope so.
I wish I could have visited here with Bev; I know if she would love it here. Maybe one of these days, Kaye and I can visit together.
And now, to bed. Buenas noches.