Heavy rain overnight (this is the rainy season after all) which sent the green tree frogs and geckos into a frenzy – a real jungle cacophony if ever there was, yet somehow quite soporific. There are also large toads in the garden that look for all the world like rocks – even when you’re almost…

We’ve woken up in a different world, more ‘Point Break’ than ancient Zapotec…. We’re in an outlying part of Puerto Escondido – ‘Hidden Port’, not so hidden any longer – on the coast of Oaxaca, a bit further out from Zicatela and smashed up against the lighthouse with caves, steep rocky roads, cactus fields and…

What a great time we’ve had in Oaxaca. We’ve been here long enough now to get a real sense of the place, hanging with the locals and living with Yoko and Michael, our house Chihuahuas who wander in and out at all times of the day and night…. “Hola Paul y Anthony, siento molestarte, solo…

  What’s so ironic and tragic about religion in Latin America is that it’s the indigenous peoples who seem to be the most devout of Catholics. It’s a huge legacy of the Spanish (Spiritual) Conquest and hard to believe that the indigenous peoples throughout (what was then pre-Colombian) Mexico were pushed to abandon their ancient…

To say religion is big here is quite the understatement, it’s huge and massively complex. Only exploring on foot, we’ve visited at least 12 large churches and basilicas and of course the main Cathedral here in Oaxaca, not to mention countless smaller chapels and shrines – some more elaborate than others – whilst the many…

The Zapotec Goddess Centéotl, Francisca Pérez Bautista, from the delegation of Santa María Zacatepec welcomed more than 11,000 people in the Rotunda of the Azucena on the last ‘Los Lunes del Cerro’ for 2018. Alas we couldn’t get tickets for the main events in the Rotunda – all sold out weeks in advance, and I…

Sunday morning was a little slow to get going, especially after a Saturday night during Guelaguetza – a few sore Mezcal heads me thinks. However, being Domingo, all of the churches were ‘packed to the rafters’ – truly – I mean, not a pew to be had and spilling out onto the streets and squares…

You see huge containers of brightly coloured liquids on almost every street corner and street market – Aguas Frescas are all-natural fruit and veg drinks – some mixed with herbs, nuts and even flowers and cactus – blended with water and sugar if desired and served chilled. They’re deliciously refreshing, especially on a roasting hot…