I Get Around

I do get around here in Oaxaca, but it's not always easy!

Let's start with the street names and I don't mean the actual names, which can be for Nauhatl gods and have 4-5 consonants strung together. I'm talking about the system. The two major streets are Independencia, which runs east-west, and Alcalá, which runs north-south. These two streets maintain their names all through town. All the other streets have one name until they intersect with either of those main streets, then they change to a different name. For example, Pino Suarez north of Independencia becomes Xicotencatl to the south, and (one of my favorites) the exotic-sounding Cosijopii turns into the pedestrian Humboldt once it crosses Alcalá. So, basically, there is a different set of street names in each quadrant of the city. Some people think it makes things easier to find and I would agree with that, EXCEPT-

Despite the inconsistent street names, I do appreciate that the city is -for the most part -laid out in a tidy grid.

Certain street names are used more than once, in completely different parts of the city. We have a Porfirio Diaz running through El Centro (until it becomes 20 de Noviembre) and another that cuts through the Reforma neighborhood (and of course, Reforma is not only the name of a "colonia" or neighborhood, it is also a street in El Centro (until it becomes Fiallo). So basically, you have continuous streets that change names and names that change streets. In order for any of this to be helpful you have to know 2 things about your destination. One is which colonia it's in. The OTHER-

This driver was great. Once we told him the cross-streets
he was happy to stick our 2-by-4 through his window.

Okay, this segues into taxis. It's pretty easy to walk just about anywhere in this town but now and then we need to hail a cab. They're ubiquitous and cheap but we found there is another price to be paid if you don't know the protocol. First, you tell the driver the colonia of your destination, like Reforma, and you verify how much it will cost (you will only forget that step once). Once you are en route, you tell him the cross-streets of your destination, for example Cosijopii and Xicotencatl (although this would not be an actual destination because, well, the quadrants don't match). Do NOT tell the driver the address of the place you're going. If you do, he will again ask for the cross-street. Addresses have little-to-no-significance here. But cross-streets are indispensible. If you do not know the cross-street the driver will start talking ridiculously fast in Spanish and the only thing you will understand is that he is shaming you for only knowing the address. And you will certainly not reach your destination. If you are just going around town, do not mistake a TAXI for a COLECTIVO-

Unbelievably, our entire family of 6 "fit" in a colectivo for
the hour-long drive out to Mitla. It helps if you all know and
love each other.

This is a close cousin that looks like a taxi (except it's maroon) but functions like a bus. They go to specific pueblos which are advertised on the windshield and pick up passengers along the way. They stop (or slow down) at certain spots and the driver hollers out the window at the people waiting and holds up the number of fingers that corresponds with the number of available "seats." A word of advice here: do not sit in the front seat. Sure, it looks more comfortable than cramming in the back with a couple of strangers but only until passenger #5 gets in down the road. Then whoever was enjoying that spacious front seat has to scoot over and pretty much sit on the stick shift. And there is usually a fifth passenger. This is when you wish you'd taken a different OPTION -

Fringe, fur-framed mirrors and rosaries decorate the windshield
of any serious bus driver. I just noticed the shoes while posting
this...original touch.

The bus. We've wondered why all the busses look different and there doesn't really seem to be any schedules. We just found out that private individuals pay ~400 pesos a day to rent a bus, then they keep all the proceeds. So I guess you get whatever bus you can and then drive it...whenever. All the busses are different structurally but they all have shrines on the windowshields and dashboards, usually to the Virgin of Juquila. And they all have music playing full-blast. I kind of enjoy this when it's traditional Mexican music but ocassionally you get a driver with a love of heavy-metal. Makes for a long ride. But you know what I love about the busses? If you are in the middle of a block and the bus is coming you just step out into the street and raise your hand and the bus stops for you. Not like in the U.S. where you get punished for not being at the authorized stop and the driver scowls at you as he speeds by. It's not all benevolent, though; the driver makes his money per passenger, so of course he'll accomodate you. But there is really only one way to be on your own SCHEDULE-

Signing up for the rental bikes in Mexico City, aka D.F.

I've always been skeptical of renting a bike in a strange city (like Nice Ride or City Bike) because I think it looks dangerous to be in traffic, looking around, wondering where you're going, without some metal between you and whatever may hit you. And I have not yet riden a bike in Oaxaca. But, for some reason, we thought this would be a good idea while in Mexico City (pop. 28,000,000, every resident with a car). We had a few people honk at us, but we got so comfortable we were even biking at night.

There are several other transportation options here, like moto-taxis and vans - all of which seemed confusing and foreign to us at first but now are just other ways I Get Around.

I met Martina on an En Vía tour. We ran into each other
several times in Oaxaca, but running into each other in
D.F. made us think it is our fate to stay in touch!