WITH ALL OF OUR AIRBnB-ing, IT’S BEEN sixteen months since we have played “hotel hop-scotch.” But here we are, our second hotel in two nights with twenty more to come in the next month. It has been fourteen years since we were last in Mexico! It’s only 1200 miles from Liberia to Oaxaca, crow-wise but if you fly the Friendly Skies via Houston, it’s more than 3300 miles. We actually had to go through US immigration to change plains but our luggage was checked through—or so they promised. The layover in Texas gave us time for a late lunch and a chance for Connie to call her brother who is in hospital.
Berylline Hummingbird—first bird of the trip
The flight to Oaxaca was less crowded and we actually arrived ahead of schedule. And so did our luggage. Unlike CR where sunset is at six, it was still light at 7PM and Connie took some nice photos from her window seat. Mexico immigration was quick but we scored a “red-light” at customs lottery and had to go through a cursory check. Eric’s friend Vidal was waiting in the pick-up area and drove us to Hotel Misión de Los Angeles where we will spend the next couple of nights. It’s a basic room with good wifi. CNN International is the only English channel on TV so we’ll just ignore it and the less-than-inspiring “news.” Besides, we have business to take care of. Connie got her haircut just across the street from the hotel and John found a massage joint to work on his aching trapezius. Eric is picking us up at six, hours before the restaurant opens so we bought some cinnamon rolls for breakfast, some Diet Cokes and agua pura—this is Mexico and we don’t want to tempt Montezuma.
Rufous-backed Thrush
No surprise, Connie has been checking out the birds in the garden and we got photo upgrades of Berylline Hummingbird and Rufous-backed Thrush.
