Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name

Last week, Maria Crespo, the proprietress of El Diablo y La Sandia, (the deveil and the watermelon) a B&B in centro historico came by the Textile Museum to invite the class to a catered lunch in her pretty courtyard. The meal was delicious for both the tongue and the eyes!  A few days later, I contacted her, and made arrangements for Wednesday breakfast with Tom and Jo Ann, our neighbors and friends.  She's a Oaxaquenan who speaks english, but was kind enough to speak to me in spanish while making the arrangements.  Talented cook, gracious hostess.

This ashtray, from her parents home, was the inspiration for the name. Maria had deliberated with friends and family for weeks, looking for a name for her new business. Her brother, walking into yet another conversation about the name, picked up the ashtray on the table and said, "Why don't you name it el Diablo y la Sandia and be done with it?!?"

Maria's B&B has about 5 rooms, all tastefully decorated. After lunch last week, she showed us a few rooms. This bedside table caught my eye: it's a very commonly used charcoal grill, covered with a sheet of glass! Perfect. The rooms rent for $60US, a very good price, and a very pretty, quiet, convenient location. Oh, there is a rooftop patio, too.

The kitchen is partially outside, making is a place you want to just hang in. And, it was huge, with what seemed like acres of counter space. The tables for the class lunch were decorated in white and bright colors, and she did the same for Jo Ann, Tom, Stuart and me for breakfast.

Our neighborhood at Villa Maria's is as varied as any neighborhood in the States. Tom and Jo Ann, from the west coast, have been coming to Oax. for more than 10 years. We'd never met, we were here at different times. He's a photographer (did the photos for the Miramar weavers book); she's a bead artist. We've hit it of with them, from the first. Lolita, who has lived here for 3 decades is my other-side neighbor, she's away traveling right now. A not-so-young anymore woman with amazing energy! Above us, Bill has returned for the 15 or 20th time, from the midwest. Bill's wife died 15 months ago, and we all miss Ann's laugh. He's a walker...logs several miles across hill and mountain daily. Arlene and Paul, from the northwest, are here for the 10th year. We'd met several years ago, and they are our regular sunset cocktail partners, with conversations ranging over many topics each evening. She's a great cook, too. Eshkie and Gerry, from the northwest are back for the 6th year...we met them the first time we stayed at Maria's. Lover of movies and books, Gerry is always bringing us something new to read. Eshkie always has a group trip planned! Across the courtyard upstairs, Steve and Karen have moved to Oax permanently. We haven't seen much of them, but have laughed over drinks a few evenings. Ross and Sandy, a couple of Canadians, birders extraordinaire are here for a repeat visit. She told me the names of the two hummingbirds that live here full time: Dusky and Berrylight. A single man, whom I haven't met, and a new couple just arrived to stay in the little #11 we've all stayed in at least once. They replace our new friends, newly departed, Rita and Wayne.  Al was here, with them, staying in the front apartment.  The visit with them was too short.  Below, across the courtyard is Marian and Tom, two more Canadians. We'd met them on other trips, nice people. Dave and Carol just arrived from the mid-west, for their 10 years+ winter stay, and other 'repeat offenders' we haven't met are arriving this week, they'll be in the last vacant apartment in the 'hood. It's a very congeal group, with lots of laughter in the late afternoon, when everyone returns from their day's adventures.

The joke is about The Box. Maria allows those who return year after year to store boxes of personal things here. When they arrive, the boxes are waiting in 'their' apartment. Decent sheets, pillows, cooking utensils and appliances, clothes, jackets and radios are some of the things people leave. Stuart and I have never started The Box, never knowing if we'd come back. Our neighbors laugh at us, saying we're in denial. It just proves that we can live with far less Stuff than we think we need. OK, if I can just have a couple of decent knives, a good skillet, a set of sheets that you can't read the paper through....we're not leaving a box again this trip.

Jo Ann, Tom and Stuart, enjoying breakfast of memelitas con nopales and chiliquiles, freshly squeezed juice, fresh fruit, home-made bread and jam, and coffee.

The sign at the entrance to El Diablo y la Sandia has a line from a Rolling Stones song, ..."pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name..." This is truly the town to meet locals, and other travelers.