In Which I Don’t Really Learn to Cook Mexican Food

The van carried the group of us through the streets of Oaxaca, leaving the more affluent center with its luxury hotels and expensive restaurants, and into the parts of town normally reserved for the locals. We careened past places where dirt, debris, and all sorts of litter lay along the edges of the unkempt roadway […]

Don’t Call It Tequila

I followed the map to the meeting point, where I had been instructed to meet my group for the mezcal tour. This is in a different part of town, somewhat outside of the tourist centro, but still very central. Along the way, a group of people were exercising in the park. I had given myself […]

In Which I Question Things

The guide was aspirational as she spoke of the Zapotec people, telling stories of the Olmecs before, and tying in references to Clovis culture, as well as remote peoples of Alaska and their genetic similarities to those at the extreme southern end of Argentina. Bursting with pride, she showed us these engraved stones, explaining the […]

Living On the Edge

There are certain rules about how one should eat when traveling to parts of the world prone to travelers diarrhea. These are things one should do (or not do) to stay healthy. Things like not eating uncooked food that you can’t peel, and only eating food served hot. One should only drink beverages from unopened […]

Everything Is Edible Once

I stood in the Detroit airport terminal gazing out at my plane. This hasn’t been a cold winter so far, but much colder weather is coming soon, and a storm as well. In front of me as I waited to board, a grizzled 757 stood parked, waiting to take me to warmer climes to the […]