Beginning our Oaxaca Adventure

The rain had stopped by the time the Uber driver picked us up at 8:45 am and took us to Berkeley BART to begin our journey to Oaxaca.  I’d given us just a 50% chance of making it on Wednesday because the Government shut-down in its 26th day might mean fewer TSA agents and a very big storm was supposed to hit with high winds and serious rain just at our departure time.  Our worry about slow security lines didn’t happen.  We made it through security in just 30 minutes so we had lots of time at the airport.  We chatted with a nice fellow who was going to Oaxaca for a “destination” wedding.  Later the bride and groom arrived with big smiles. The storm did arrive, the plane sat at the gate for 30 minutes because of bad weather.  I was worried as we only had 1 1/2 hours for our connection in Mexico City.  It was an easy and quiet flight.  We were given food (ham and cheese croissants and a small container of applesauce).  As we were waiting to deplane, Bob chatted with his seatmate about where she was going.  Interestingly, she and the folks in front of me, were all going to Cancun for a 4 day Grateful Dead concert on the beach.  These 30 somethings and the wedding folks had some pretty exciting plans.  Bob and I considered and thought we’d rather be birding.  Mexico City airport was a mad-house!  It was unbelievably crowded, there were very few signs, and my memory is just being pushed along, all the while being unsure we were going to the right place.  We  managed to board the bus, asking “Oaxaca??” And.everyone nodded.  We had a delightful conversation with the same fellow who sat across from us in San Francisco Airport and discovered an amazing number of connections, schools, and people.  There is something magical about coming to Oaxaca.  At the Oaxaca Airport we managed to get on the  “Collectivo” - a mini-van filled with people going to different places in Oaxaca (like a ride-share).  My impressions of Oaxaca by night were of low, really old buildings painted reds, and pinks and blues with lots of black iron work of the balconies, windows and doors.  It was midnight when we arrived at Hotel Azucenas a charming little hotel with a beautiful courtyard.  We were ushered to our room after much discussion in Spanish and English.  It is the tiniest room, like a big closet and with no window.  We fell into bed, happy to have made it here on Wednesday and eager to explore Oaxaca.