Don't bother with the grasshoppers

We spent a lot of time doing this

So we are still suffering from the effects of using the water to clean our teeth – although it is getting better. Fortunately we have a bathroom for everyone plus some spares. But it does help one lose weight.

Apart from this we had a fabulous time and really everyone should see Oaxaca – which is pronounced ‘wa-ha-ca’. There is lots to do and there are great restaurants. Do not go in summer.

And I would not bother eating the toasted grasshoppers which I think are overrated. But I guess like Vegemite it is an acquired taste.

The trip home went according to plan and immigration in the USA was of course a complete shambles. We are permanent residents so theoretically can go through with US citizens – pop our green cards into a machine and get a piece of paper which will take us straight through to customs.

Unfortunately Cate has the same name as a person of interest to the US immigration people so her card is always rejected and we have to go through the usual tedious process of lining up for some time to go the vetting process. 

This is particularly exciting when you have a pressing connection.

But the man at immigration said we should get Global Entry status which should fix the problem so we shall do this.

We have one guest leaving today and another one arriving so there is a quick turnaround being done by the housemaid. I am busily washing sheets and towels.

They say that tonite we may get 2-5 inches of snow which would be wonderful but we have been let down many times before.

Don't drink the water

Oaxaca is a truly wonderful with friendly people and great restaurants. We are staying in an apartment on a hill about 15 minutes walk from the center of the city. We walk downhill and then PK and I get a taxi home and the girls walk.

It is winter here and the mornings and nights are wonderful. The day not so much and it gets as hot as buggery. Which to any non-Autralians reading this - does not mean what it says.

We have visited about 1,000 shops and galleries and have bought masses of stuff Including some hand made glasses for which we have been looking for some time. We had to buy an extra bag to carry it home.

It is spectacularly cheap and we can have dinner for four with oodles of wine in the best restaurants here for $140.

I have had my shoes shined by a professional shiner for the first time in my life. It was a spectacular job and I was so impressed i did it again today.

We were told not to drink the water but that we could use it to clean our teeth.

Two of us wish we had not.

 

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It sounds like a lot of pears to me

Really? I can't eat the pillows?

I must apologize for the lack of blogging but there is a lot happening here.

Apart from staring in horrified fascination at the antics of the Trumpinator I also spend an extraordinary amount of time retrieving articles of apparel from the dog’s mouth.

There  was something of a minor triumph when I cooked dinner for our local relatives on Saturday night and everything turned out just right. We had roast lamb, honey mustard chicken, honey baked ham, baked vegetables with Australian native spices, Brussels sprouts with crispy bacon and parmesan green beans.

Last time these people came to our house I cremated the chicken - and the top fell off the spice jar - and the vegetables were buried in it. Ghastly meal.

We are going to their house for Christmas dinner and I am taking the vegetables. But I will not be cooking them so there is not much that can go wrong at my end.

We are having our Christmas dinner on Christmas eve. I am also apparently doing the vegetables for this. I like to try to stay out of the kitchen at Christmas because it can get a bit ugly until everybody has had a glass or two of fine wine and is feeling a nice warm glow for their fellow humans.

Gwenyth is going to make a Pavlova and may do some lamingtons.

Cate gave me her shopping list  and I think I have everything. I narrowly averted a minor catastrophe when I asked what she was going to with 3 ½ pounds of peas – but they turned put to be pears. 

It still sounds like a lot of pears to me.