The Mexico Today project gets underway

I headed out early in the morning on Friday to catch the plane to Mexico City. It was great to run into CancunCanuck in the airport in DF – chatting made the wait for our flight to Oaxaca pass quickly. Imagine my surprise when we deplaned in Oaxaca and saw the sign above. And a little further, inside the terminal, a marimba band!

After collecting luggage we were collected by Mexico Today folks and outside there was another marimba band! Made us feel very special, I will say!

Kelly with the marimba band outside the airport

The hotel is beautiful – The Camino Real. It is a former convent and all the walls are gorgeous thick stone blocks. A few pictures, below:

There should be a nun in a black habit scurrying away from us to make this picture complete.

It was raining when I took this, water dripping off the eaves and running in a rill around the edge of the courtyard.

Old stencils are showing here and there throughout the hotel

After showering and resting (except I couldn’t stand to mess up the greeting to me written out in flower petals on my bed) we collected for a cocktail hour and to get to know each other. We each introduced ourselves. The blogger group is made up of a variety of writers – with topics ranging from travel, adventure, news, food, family, bilingual & bicultural, and a few personal bloggers (like me!) We are a variety of ages and represent various regions of Mexico, too.

This first night, Friday, was all about getting to know each other and to have some fun. After cocktails and a mescal tasting (this is Oaxaca, after all) we headed to the chapel of the former convent for a buffet dinner and the dances of the Guelaguetza. Paul and I attended the show last year when we were here but our seats this time were VIP so I got some great photos for you.

I wasn’t even trying for an artsy shot, but I love this one.

I adored this dancer, she has such a lovely smile

Three of my favorite dancers at the finale.

I am writing this on Sunday as most everyone is heading out. Since I am staying for an extra day I am taking a break in my room to write and to go through my photos and video. It has been an amazing trip and I am so excited to be a part of this great project. I think it will be fun to be back in the workplace again, too.

So stay tuned for more about the Mexico Today project. Saturday was a packed day, full of amazing people and adventure, there is lots more to tell!

Mexico Today

Oaxaca, here we come!

What the Mexico Today project is all about…

More about Nancy

I'm Nancy, a US expat living in San Antonio Tlayacapan, Jalisco after 11 years in Mazatlán, México.

5 Comments

jonna
June 26, 2011

OK, here is where I whine and cry at my own stupidity. I got an invitation to this event and thought it was spam so didn’t answer it. Then I got a second one. I let that one sit for a week or so and then sent a test answer. Ah, it was NOT spam and they were now full. Can you see the self-inflicted bruises on my backside?

Nancy
June 26, 2011

Oh, Jonna, it would have been so cool if you’d been here! Well hopefully we both would have been… along with Kelly from Cancun, Julie of Midwesterner in Mexico and Cristina of Mexico Cooks are among the bloggers in our blogroll world… I love Kelly, she is a kick. There will be more goofy photos of Julie soon in a love relationship with a mojiganga.(giant puppet) Today Cristina and I spent a couple of hours at the mercado. I would tell them that you are still interested, just in case someone drops out! It is a great project, more posts about it will be coming soon.