Day 12
After a leisurely morning exploring the northern part of Oaxaca's historic district, I said goodbye for now to my posada in Oaxaca to head toward Puebla. As I left the posada, I tried for the third time to clarify when I would be able to come back into the hotel. The first conversation involved someone explaining to me that I should just call that day to see when the room was ready. The second conversation was slightly different stating that as long as no one rented the room for the 4 nights I would be in Puebla, I could probably come whenever. Finally, this morning, I was told that I could come anytime after noon. This way of zeroing around an issue getting clearer and clearer in many conversations is a communication style I am unaccustomed to.
When I asked at a cafe how to get to Puebla, I received directions that were not based on roads but more on landmarks. Go down this road to the main road, then go left. You will pass a hotel and go around some curves and then see a sign for Puebla. Go there. Keep following the signs to Puebla. No problem. With my phone deactivated and no Google maps, I had to rely on those directions. The truth is that the directions did get us there but not having any sense of distance between directions made me a little anxious. I get it, though. Many of the streets are not named or have tiny little street name placards that you would have to be standing next to in order to see. It does, for sure, explain a lot about how I have received directions in Sunset Park.
To just give away the ending, I will tell you that I did make it to Puebla. I mention this because the ride there was crazy. With majestic views of mountains and canyons comes the sense that you could at any point careen off the mountain. This sensation is not tempered by the single lane in each direction and what seems to be a Mexican obsession with passing regardless of whether it may mean certain death. After an hour or so, it got less scary, though maybe I had just been numbed. Either way, it was beautiful and eventful and everyone made it out okay, even the dog that tried to run in front of our car.
Maybe it was the fear that brought on an intense hunger midway through my drive. I stopped in Tehuacán for lunch and enjoyed cactus and steak tacos on the side of the road in a makeshift open-air restaurant. Instead of a menu, the chef asked me what I would like to eat and then mentioned food that might meet my fancy.
Her children were sitting in the restaurant nearby watching TV. When my toddler son approached them, both children smiled and one kid gently caressed my son's cheek. Despite him trying to take their toys, sit in their chairs with them, and generally poke them constantly, they were incredibly patient with him and their parents watched on, smiling through the entire interaction. It is such a pleasure to not feel like your child is a nuisance.
Well, the word of the day was bicycle. As a bike commuter, I am particularly attuned to bike awesomeness. During my lunch stop in Tehuacán I noticed that people had their bikes resting on the sidewalks which were slightly taller than the standard U.S. versions. They didn't need kickstands! Amazing!
Later in the day when I arrived in Puebla, much to my surprise I saw bike lanes. Not shared lanes, but real bike lanes with little dividers so that if a driver starts to swerve in the bike lane he or she is alerted. Now Puebla is a place where the water is not potable and yet there are protected bike lanes. Sounds like protected bike lanes are pretty important. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge, United States of America.
My first impression of Puebla is a good one, even during a rainstorm. It seems more cosmopolitan than Oaxaca city and reminds me of Malaga, Spain, where I used to live. I can't wait to go out tomorrow and explore the city!
My first impression of Puebla is a good one, even during a rainstorm. It seems more cosmopolitan than Oaxaca city and reminds me of Malaga, Spain, where I used to live. I can't wait to go out tomorrow and explore the city!