walking

10:57PM, same internet cafe, no coffee this time

for the past four years, i have been listening to people tell me what a wonderful city oaxaca is, how i would love the food (all, apparently chocolate based), the artesanias, how i would compulsively buy huipiles at the various artisan stands. well, today was my first day to prove it all true.

after a breakfast of oaxacan tamales and mexican hot chocolate in one of the markets, we decide to go the artisan market. i, of course, am in huipil heaven. there are dozens of varieties of huipiles here in beautiful colors, all significantly more affordable than in guadalajara or on the border. at the artisan market, i decided to buy one from a tiny older zapotec women who was a little hard of hearing. callista also bought a couple of things from her. all was well as we headed down another row of stands to look at more (what else?) huipiles, when the older woman appears and accuses us of taking our purchases without having purchased them.

you never gave me the 200 peso bill, she says to me in spanish.

knowing that i had indeed paid her, panic sets in as i say, uh... yes i did.

no you didn't.

and so forth.

a group of zapotec women begin to surround us as i search my purse for a 200 peso bill (which i know i no longer have) and she empties her pockets. i fear that the vendor women will turn against me to defend their own.

callista suggests that we go back to the stand to see if maybe the bill has dropped on the floor. a small crowd of women follow us as we search the floor, empty our bags, and there is no 200 peso bill. finally the little old woman checks on her back table and lo and behold. the 200 peso bill.

disculpen, disculpen, the women all tell me. it's that she's old and she forgets. it's that she's a little crazy. disculpen.

but my heart still feels like it's going to jump out of my chest. i'm embarrassed and feel a little worn out.