We spent our last morning revisiting Coyoacan. Sue had visited the Frida Kahlo Museum on our last visit, but I had not and, despite my mild aversion to her work, we joined the throngs waiting for the museum to open.
I had it all wrong: the museum is actually lovely, the exhibits well done.
Sue couldn’t resist having a bit of fun, though…
We love Coyoacan and just wandering through its streets and plazas. A quick bite at a cafe under the arcades of the Jardin Centinario was followed by a stroll through that garden, the Jardin Hidalgo, both adjacent to the town’s main church dedicated to St. John the Baptist, and the church itself.
Before heading back we explored a part of the Colonia that was new to us, a verdant area centered on two large parks, the Plaza de la Conchita and the Parque Frida Kahlo. If you look closely, you’ll see a group of dancers in costume behind Diego and Frida!
The next thing we knew we were in Oaxaca! Our hotel, the Siglo XVII had some extraordinary features…and some extraordinary weirdnesses. It is built around a lovely seventeenth century building with two huge interior courtyards; the front courtyard is paved and used as an open air breakfast area and bar, while the back courtyard is a verdant garden with arcades and rooms on two floors. Our room, on the ground floor, was enormous but furnished rather sparsely, lending the impression of an unfinished, haphazard approach to the completion of the hotel.
We threw our bags down and headed for the Zocalo de Oaxaca, just a few short blocks away. And what a scene met us! The center of town is configured like Coyoacan, with two parks flanking the main church. The Zocalo itself is surrounded by arcaded buildings teeming with life. We chose a cafe from the several on offer and settled in to watch the action: strolling musicians, couples dancing on the sidewalks and in the parks, children playing (it was close to 10 PM), lovers loving, you name it. We had the feeling that it was always Fiesta in Oaxaca!