Arriving in Oaxaca

Our trip started off on a rough note. The upshot is that we left a day later than we planned. Flight was fine -- the only confusing part was that in Mexico city we cleared immigration, but customs was done in Oaxaca, the final destination. I've never done those in separate airports before.

Other than being long, flight was fine. Had a nice lunch in a Cuban restaurant in the Mexico City airport, which is now smokefree in entire airport (which is a change from earlier this year, when I flew back in March I filled out one of those comment cards making the suggestion. I doubt it helped, but I'm sure it didn't hurt).

On the plane, met a film maker who travels extensively, he mentioned visiting Chiappas instead of the beach. We're still not sure of our itinerary, in part because making reservations on the smaller aircraft is very difficult to do from the US.

Took a private cab from the airport (187 pesos, about $16, v. 44 peso pp with the slower, multi-stop collectivo. ) The cab driver was friendly and chatty, and we realized that hotel is not as close to the center of Oaxaca (the Zocalo) as we'd thought. He mentioned a few other options, as well as a restaurant close to our hotel which he described as the best restaurant in the area, the name of which escapes me at the moment.