We just got back to the boat a couple of days ago and busted butt on boat chores (changing oil, climbing the mast, etc.) so we could return to the quiet anchorage. But we�?¢â�??¬â�??¢ve just got to tell you more about Oaxaca (�?¢â�??¬�?�??wah-HA-kah�?¢â�??¬). We stayed at this place called �?¢â�??¬�?�??Casa Raab�?¢â�??¬ where they had 40 acres of land, 5 dogs, 4 cats, 4 burros, a horse and 3 parrots. When we unpacked our beasts from our 2 cars and added a dog and 4 cats to the mix, they blended right in. Even Jordan and Jezebel reluctantly made some new friends. The Casa Raab folks also rescue strays and find them homes after some much needed TLC. Needless to say Scott and Liz found an adorable new crew member, �?¢â�??¬�?�??Lilly Mae�?¢â�??¬.



We had a great time at Casa Raab. We learned first hand how Mezcal is made by helping to dig up the cooked �?¢â�??¬�?�??pinas�?¢â�??¬ and prep them for fermentation. We enjoyed lounging by the pool and taking walks around the property and playing with all the animals. And I also got to try my hand at playing the �?¢â�??¬�?�??Washtub Base�?¢â�??¬ while Scott and Tony played guitar.



As I mentioned earlier we went to the Monte Alban ruins which date back about 500 BC to 1600 AD and we also went to see some other ruins, �?¢â�??¬�?�??Dainzu�?¢â�??¬, which date back even earlier. You can see Liz and Sherrell checking out the Dainzu sports arena where they played a game which seemed a little similar to soccer.



There are TONS of unexplored ruins dotting the hills and valleys. I suppose if you were an archeologist with some spare funding you could probably make some fantastic discoveries. And the city has some great architecture like the European-style cathedrals.



Now that we are back at anchor and have the boat in good to go condition, we�?¢â�??¬â�??¢re going to explore some of the bays a little more and let Lilly Mae get used to life on Ocean Lady before we cross the Tehuantepec in a week or so. When we find some time we�?¢â�??¬â�??¢ll post a story about Southern Mexico on the homepage. I�?¢â�??¬â�??¢ve got some beautiful panoramic photos and some good underwater shots that just need to be seen.