Alone in the City-Saturday, Aug 16

Mayra and I had planned to leave Mitla on the 10am bus, but we didn`t even get out of the house til about 11:30, and had to wait about 20 minutes for another bus to pass. After sleeping for most of the ride, Mayra and I said goodbye, and I headed for the Zòcalo, or town square in the middle of downtown Oaxaca. The place was packed with people-local Oaxacans, tourist, and various musicians, dancers, other performers. After taking in the scene for a while, I made my way across to the Catholic church/cathedral that looked like it had been build by the spanish back in the colonial days. I was able to go inside and take a look at the amazing architecture, paintings, and sculptures.
From there I made my way about 8 blocks north to the Catherdral of Santo Domingo. As I approached I could here a band playing, and soon I found myself watching about thirty local children wearing their traditional Oaxacan outfits and dancing to the 10-or-so piece brass band in front of the church. As the music stopped the dancers began making their way through the large front doors of the church. I decided to follow. The inside of the church was far more impressive than the first. Every inch of it was adorned with painted carvings and depictions of various dead saints. I sat down in the back row to rest and to watch the mass that was starting. I had never been to a mass before. My general impression was one of bordom, to be quite honest. Even the priest sounded bored.
Leaving the church, I continued heading north. After a block or so I came to an obviously temporary market set up on a side street. I could hear loud hip hop music. The market turned out not to be a market at all, but a few street venders set up around a live local rap/hip hop concert going on. Of course I stopped to watch. I watched two different groups rap about the political and social situation in Oaxaca, but the highlight was difinitely the two beat-boxers accompanied by an accordian.
I walked back to the zocalo where I watched some more dancers and musical groups, including two guys absolutely rocking out on a marimba. When I had had enough I began walking back toward the central, where I took a bus to the missionaries' house near where I had been staying. I had promised to take the six that live there to get tacos, something I could only afford because tacos are like 4 pesos each. Only two of the missionaries showed up, and the three of us ate our fill for a grand total of about nine bucks. Not bad.
And don't tell anybody, but I spent the night on the missionary's floor.