New Adventures; Heading South Again

Spring 2021... 

Dear Friends, 

I'm back in the US, feeling vaccinated and strong, with a side of hope for life to be more normal again. For over a year, Covid-19 has brought a lot of hardship in the world, and although I ended up on a different continent than I intended, I feel lucky to have escaped its wrath. For me, the silver-lining of the pandemic was the time to reconnect with family; those I've loved from afar for years, and those who have just arrived in this world. Being evacuated back to the US gave me this unexpected opportunity to reroot myself in their warm embrace and relish the seasons in the heartland of Illinois, a place I'll always call home. But throughout the year, one question hung in the air like little cartoon bubbles above their heads. It's a question they've grown accustomed to asking me over the years because it seems I never stay around for long. Last summer, the answer was Oregon!, then during the winter, Mexico!  

I can't help it. I love to adventure, and I just keep dreaming about returning to South America to live, work and travel. I really miss Ecuador and I've patiently waited fourteen months for Peace Corps to reinstate volunteers again. Unfortunately, Ecuador is still entrenched in their fight against the virus, and after all this time with their schools on virtual learning, I'm not even sure my Peace Corps dream job at the University in Ibarra will be viable again. I stay in touch with my Ecuadorian family, and they're all doing fine. I've tried searching for other teaching jobs in Ecuador, but to my disappointment, there doesn't seem to be a good path to employment anytime soon. 

It's been a hard year to remember that the Universe works in mysterious ways.

Then, after all this time, a principal of a private, bilingual school saw my resume on an international teaching job board and he gave me an offer I couldn't refuse. 

So now, the question, "Where are you going next?" has a new reply: Colombia!

It's true! I'm super excited to announce that I'm going to be a 5th grade teacher at Colegio Jorge Washington in Cartagena, Colombia! This is a medium-sized K-12 college preparatory school where students receive all their core subjects in English and Spanish, and graduate with dual Colombian and US high-school diplomas. It's going to be an exciting new challenge in my career. 

Plus, it's a real job with a real salary! It's closer to Ecuador! And, they're paying for my Caribbean coast apartment.... which you're all invited to visit!

To answer your immediate questions.... yes, I'll be teaching in English, yes, Colombia is generally a safe country to live and travel in, and yes, they are making progress with Covid vaccinations and reducing their cases countrywide. It is expected that our school will start in a hybrid model in August, then change to in-person learning in the fall. I'm looking forward to meeting my new students, reigniting my passion for teaching and having my own classroom again. 

Can you find Cartagena along the northwest Caribbean coast?

So, I'm moving to Colombia in July, and as my adventures continue, so will my blog posts. I invite you to join me for a little armchair travel while I settle in and learn about a whole new South American country! Won't that be fun! 

Since I'm diving into a new chapter of adventures, I'm going to use this opportunity to update and refresh my blog account. In the months to come, you will be receiving a new blog post from me (or perhaps an invitation) to find onthewingadventures at a new website. If you have been receiving my posts in your email, then my hope is to continue this delivery service seamlessly. If you are happy to continue receiving my posts, you do not need to do anything now. But if you would like to add your email to receive my posts in your inbox, or if you'd like to change your email address, or stop receiving my posts altogether, then you can email me directly and I'm happy to make those changes to my new mailing list. Please email me at:

beckywandellpdx@gmail.com

Thank you again for all of your support. With you at my side, I really do feel more brave and ready to jump into anything.

Here's to the rest of 2021, where more adventures await for us all!

-Becky

Mezcal; the Elixir of the Mexican Gods

Oaxaca is known as the culinary capital of Mexico.... Mole, Pazole, Tlayudas, Chocolate and Coffee are all important products of this region. But Mezcal, a clear and potent alcohol, is probably Oaxaca’s oldest and most important culinary specialty. Read on to find out why! 

Mezcal is made from the Agave, or Maguey, plant. There's hundreds of varieties of agave but mezcal is made from about thirty different varieties which can be found in the wild and cultivated at home. Only nine states in Mexico are certified to manufacture and sell mezcal, otherwise the label can only say "Agave Spirits". In comparison, Tequila is made only from the Blue Agave plant and can be manufactured in five Mexican states.

Since before the Spaniards arrived, the Indigenous of this area were fermenting the pulp from a variety of agave plants, and drinking the fermented juice called Pulque. The Spaniards brought the idea of distillation to the process and the mezcal we know of today was born. Incidentally, this beverage was historically known as Aguardiente, which means "blazing water". Good description. 

Over 80% of mezcal is produced in the Mexican state of Oaxaca with the rest being produced in the other eight states. So of course, while I was here, I sampled and "kissed" a lot of varieties and learned about the different plants.

During my time in Oaxaca City, I went on two different factory tours at Valley Oaxaca and El Rey de Matatlan.  The Valley Oaxaca Tour was led by our Airbnb host, named Daniel, for the Airbnb guests from our apartment complex. Daniel drove us out of town to meet Sergio, his friend who happens to be a Maestro, or Master, of Mezcal. Sergio started the tour of his factory by taking us out back to his agave plantation.

Depending upon the agave plant, it can take up to 25 years to mature and be ready to harvest. They can be harvested year-round to the discretion of the distiller, but late in the dry season (early-Spring) is best because this is when the plant has concentrated all of its sugars into the piña. As I said, many species can be cultivated, but many others can only successfully propagate in the wild with the help of other plants and animals. These "silvestre", or wild, plants of course are used to produce the more rare and expensive types of mezcal. 

Jimadores are professional harvesters of the agave, and they use a special flat disk-shaped hoe named a jima, a machete,  or a sickle-shaped tool called a coa to cut out the large "piñas" that form above ground in the center of the plant. 

At the factory, the piñas are peeled and cut into quarters ready to be smoked. Workers first line the fire pit with hot lava rocks and wood such as mesquite to make a smokey and aromatic bed of coals. Then they add left-over fiber-waste from previous batches of mezcal to protect the piñas from burning. Finally, they place the pieces of the piñas on top, and cover everything with a giant tarp. They let the piñas smoke for about three days. 

When they uncover the pit, they remove the smoked piña pieces, sometimes letting them rest for a few days to further concentrate their sugars. 

Next, they take the smoked piña pieces and put them into a shallow concrete pit to be ground by a 

400 kilo mill stone, drawn around in a circle by a horse or mule. 

After being milled, the stringy wet pulp is transferred into a barrel or vat, often made of North American White Oak. The barrel is covered and the pulp is left to ferment for a few days in hot water, and a few more days in cold water. Sergio on the left, and Daniel on the right are shown here looking into the fermenting barrel.

Once it has been fermented, the juice is called pulque and is a popular refreshing drink. But to make mezcal, they take the pulque and some of the pulp and shovel it into the copper kettle seen here next to Daniel. A fire is built underneath, and the process of distillation begins. To remind you how that works, as the copper kettle gets hot, the alcohol contained in the liquid vaporizes at a faster rate than the water and it sends steam up through the pipe and over into a cooling bath which causes the steam to turn back into a liquid. The final product drips out through a valve at the bottom and the Maestro (the Master Mezcal Distiller) is skilled in differentiating the taste of the "head" of the liquid as the strongest concentration of alcohol and methanol, the "body" of the product, and the "tail" as the weakest alcohol concentration. Mezcal is always distilled twice to maximize the alcohol production, which also maximizes the smokey flavors and purifies the product. 

Once the mezcal has been distilled, it is stored in large containers ready to be bottled. 

Or, some varieties are stored in oak barrels for one to several years. It’s common for mezcal factories in Oaxaca to buy previously used barrels from Jack Daniels in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Barrel storage gives the mezcal a tawny color and adds depth and variety to its flavors.

Finally, the mezcal is bottled, using the same methods and machinery as a milk bottling plant. 

These bottles are waiting to be filled and labeled. Some mezcals are used as the spirit to make cocktails or sweet liquors. These liquors are probably nut and pistachio flavors. Yummy!

Sometimes, the Maestro might add a caterpillar to the bottle before sealing it for storage. This butterfly or moth larvae, is actually a pest of the agave plant and is collected by the grower because of the additional flavor it adds to a bottle of mezcal. I'm not sure if it's a form of just reward for the caterpillar, but I do admit, I liked the flavor of the mezcal with the worm included.

After our informational tour, Sergio and Romina brought us to the tasting room to share their passion with us. 

These are the five types of mezcal Sergio produces: Espadín, a commonly cultivated mezcal often branded as "joven" or young, Espadín Perla, which forms an interesting ring of air bubbles in your glass, Tepeztate, Madre Cuish, and Tobalá. These last two varieties were much more smooth to my taste buds.  

I also loved all the mezcal liqueurs! 

On another night, Daniel took us out to Mezcaloteca, a reservation-only 

mezcal tasting room where we could sample mezcal from different regions of Mexico.

Carmen taught us all about the historical and current practices of mezcal making. For example, we learned that mezcal used to be fermented in cow hide and distilled in clay pots. Many people still use these traditional practices of making mezcal to keep the historic traditions alive. She also talked about how many organizations around Mexico are trying to preserve the habitat where agave grows and regulate the harvesting practices of wild mezcal, so that certain species of agave are not over-harvested and lost to extinction.

Our Airbnb group: Rob (Canada), Joel (Mexico City), Me, Scott (Oregon) 

and Daniel (Oaxaca) all enjoying a few "kisses" of mezcals together.  

I, of course, was conducting serious research for this blog! 

In the following days, Scott and I also sampled a variety of mezcal cocktails 

and ice-creams on several roof-top terraces around Oaxaca City. 

It all was serious research!

Mezcal of course isn't cheap, and it's only just beginning to gain popularity in the United States. But, it is a very versatile alcohol and the flavors vary widely between the different plant varieties and processes of distillation and storage. Plus, the syrups and liquors that are also produced just add to its favor. My final analysis, mezcal is really worth a try, again and again.  

Salud! 

Thank you to Scott Buntin for his collaborative research and photos. Thank you also to Daniel and his Airbnb charm: https://www.airbnb.com/users/1588359/listings

Reveling in the Heartbeat of Oaxaca City, Mexico

By March, I was coming to the end of my construction commitment on the Oaxacan Coast and I realized I still had three months remaining on my Mexican tourist visa with no other jobs lined up in my future. What should a girl do? Travel of course!

First stop, Oaxaca City! Known to some as the heartbeat of Mexico, I headed north to this renowned city in the mountains to cool off and experience an entirely different culture than what I had seen at the coast. It was also a big bonus that my friend Scott from Portland happened to be visiting Oaxaca, so I could pal around and stay with him, too.

In my first days here, we walked around this tidy colonial city, and started sampling the unique flavors known to this region. But Oaxaca was slow to reveal itself to me and for the first few days, I admit, I was too tired to really look more deeply into all it had to offer. Luckily, I planned to stay for two weeks, and slowly,  after walking the same street the second and third time, I started to notice the nooks and crannies of this city: the hidden courtyards, the flowering gardens, the out-of-the-way chapels and the vibrant colors in the paint, the cars, and the clothing. I began to absorb the music wafting from street-side windows, the gas truck "moos", and the shouts from the bicycle vendors selling their wares. And the flavors! I've traveled a lot in my life, and not many places can compare to the layer upon layer of flavors with the infinite variety of ingredients collaborating together to bring generations of hard work and love to each bite. To take the time to appreciate the melding of all the cuisine and the culture revealed through the architecture, the parks, the churches, the food and the people is to truly appreciate this beautiful heart of Mexico. Today's blog post is simply my attempt to share in pictures my appreciation of Oaxaca with you. Over the past two weeks we took some tours, visited archeological ruins and villages of artists making beautiful creations in wood, pottery and textiles. But really, walking and savoring it all has been my favorite part of Oaxaca. 

Each night, Parque Llano was filled with dance troops, in-line skaters, and BMX trixters 

all enjoying the easy life of a warm evening in Oaxaca.

Trees all over Oaxaca have won their battle with the sidewalk.

Roof-top terraces were great for sipping cocktails and watching the clouds brew, 

while Mariachi bands played in the streets below. 

One of the greatest pleasures in walking a city is to stumble upon a gem of a neighborhood 

that you didn't know existed.  The murals, cobblestone streets and cafes of Jalatlaco 

"Ha-lat-la-co", enraptured us immediately! 

One evening, after walking past this mural on two previous days, we learned that a family sets up their taco and tlayuda restaurant in the street each night.  This was the best tlayuda - a giant meat filled quesadilla and Oaxacan specialty- we found in the city! 

Looking familiar? Yes! El Día de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a famous tradition here in Oaxaca City and these murals represent this important part of their culture.

And the Bugs! Mexico is famous for keeping their old cars running, and they have a love affair with Volkswagon Beetles or "Vochos" as they call them. Oaxaca is a super-fun city to play "Slug-bug" because you can spot them on almost every block. 

But truth be told, what Oaxaca does best is the food. It's so good. Their first secret, is all the fresh ingredients from the mercados. I love the cultural lessons I get from walking a jam-packed mercado!

The meats...

The crunchy tostadas, the soft, fresh tortillas, corn (of course!), and the pan de yema or egg breads.

And the chiles! Too many varieties to count!  

A variety of chiles and about thirty other various ingredients blend together to make Mexico's famous moles... negro, rojo, amarillo, verde... pure culinary genius!

Chapulínes, or locusts, add a deep, earthy flavor to everything too! 

The many little eateries at the markets are happy to share their specialties of the day!

Memelas, Garnaches, Tacos, Tostadas, Gringas, Tlayudas... it's all basically a deliciously soft, hard, grilled or fried corn tortilla wrapping a concoction of flavors you won't soon forget. Add to that a plate of mole over any number of yummy meats, tamales wrapped in banana leaves and a rich pazole, or hominy soup, of verde or rojo sauce, and I will be happy for life! 

Ice Cream or Nieves (think fruit-ice) are also Oaxacan staples consumed 

throughout the day. In fact, Oaxaca has an entire "nieves park" with multitudes of 

restaurants and so many wonderful new flavors. 

Scott and I took a field trip to this park more than once!

Of course, chocolate is a frothy and creamy favorite, served hot or 

chilled on ice throughout the day. 

And in Oaxaca, a "kiss" of Mezcal is a necessary way to start, continue or wrap up any day. This alcoholic drink is made from the agave plant and there’s so many varieties to choose from! Stay tuned for my next blog post to learn more about this historic drink of Oaxaca! 

A final culinary story. One night Scott and I headed out into the streets looking for a little tasty hole-in-the-wall. We found Teocintle. There was a table available in its quaint little courtyard so we sat down. The waiter greeted us with fruit and herb infused water and asked us if we had any allergies to worry about. That's odd. No menu. A first course came out. The waiter explained each ingredient carefully, but since I didn't know the Spanish words for all of the different foods, I was at a loss to translate any of it. All I know is that it tasted amazing. A second course arrived, better than the first. Realizing we had just walked into a chef-inspired set-course meal, we sat back to enjoy and hoped we had enough money in our pockets to cover what was going to be a delightful culinary experience. We learned later that this restaurant is owned by brothers who came down from the mountains to share their mother’s recipes. Five courses of the most amazing flavors, with pallete-cleansing herbal waters in between each course, plus two desserts and a shot of mezcal. I have no idea what I ate that night, I'm sure a lot of it included things I would never knowingly order, but it was truly memorable. And in the end, Scott had to run back to our Airbnb for more money. 

I’ve never before allowed myself the luxury of staying in one place for so long 

during my travels. I’m so glad I was able to truly immerse myself here 

and discover all Oaxaca has to offer. 

My stay was delicious!