person wearing sunglasses, posing with ancient ruins in the background.

November 19, 2015 Leticia Ferraz

send me a postcard

in playful vintage prints, bushwick employee, alta, explores secret gardens, graveyards, and the ancient ruins of southwestern mexico.

monte alban. ancient ruins, very cool

destination: oaxaca city and a beach trip to san agustinillo.

purpose of journey: shane’s (early) 30th birthday and dia de los muertos.

never travel without: a nail file. my nails break all the time.

favorite outfit you packed: this vintage dress that has a pin-up girl print and little phrases written on it like “the hotel has a pool, don’t forget your swimming suit!” and “send me a postcard.” that dress, with my red sunglasses, aqua espadrilles and pink purse-that was my favorite outfit i packed.

how many pairs of shoes: i packed 4 and came back with two. my favorite white high top superga sneakers with side zippers did not survive a crazy rainstorm at the beach, sadly. and i had a fight with my white slides and decided to throw them into the trash (blisters).

what are you listening to: podcasts podcasts podcasts! the interview of julie andrews by alec baldwin on here’s the thing had me in tears because she is the greatest, and start-up, a podcast about what it’s really like to start a business from the ground up. it’s very interesting and informative.

favorite meal: oaxaca is the culinary capital of mexico. there is no shortage of amazing food everywhere. i love tacos and we were surrounded by them! but actually my favorite meal was in san agustinillo. an argentine man set up a little restaurant where he served about 6 different kinds of empanadas and they were so out-of-this world delicious. i will be dreaming about them!

highlight of the trip: we had a tour of a lagoon in ventanillo. they are famous for crocodiles and sea turtles but they have other wildlife on a nature preserve on an island in the middle of the lagoon. that is where we met a spider monkey. he and some other animals there had been rescued from mexican drug lords who were keeping them as pets!

top view of sand art with feet, a saint and the word 'oaxaca', framed by candles on an old street.

beautiful day of the dead sand art

children in scary costumes, one lying on the street while the other pretends to wield a sickle over them.

all of the children pair up in scary costumes and pretend to kill each other for money or candy, I love it!

full-body shot of person in all-red outfit holding shopping bags, with a door featuring band symbols like ac/dc, queen, and the doors in the background.

konexion record store. they were closed but invited us in for mezcal and oaxaca cheese. they were the best!

the parade of santa maria with image of a saint in the church.

the parade of santa maria, it starts at the cathedral and leads to the graveyard

santo domingo cathedral

the graveyard beautifully decorated for day of the dead

person playing with a toy gun in a fairground.

the first night of the day of the dead is dedicated to children, its dia de los angelitos and there is a carnival set up all around the graveyard. fun fun fun