Day one. Benito and I.

For the next 9 days, I will be in Oaxaca with an osteoporosis backpack, photographing, recording audio, and video taping David Alan Harvey's Dia De Los Muertos photographic workshop. I will also be dropping more content-based blogs (as opposed to THIS blog about my unavoidable recreation of that Tom Hanks movie where he lives in the airport terminal...this time in Spanish) on pixcetera.com, but Im hoping for a daily post here.

The day started at 4:30 am. After arriving in Mexico City in preparation to transfer flights to Oaxaca, a few unfortunates struck me: the immigration line was as long as the line to ride Space Mountain, and I had a not-so solid 30 minutes to be in a completely different location at Benito Juarez International. After a hearty effort involving talking to every single immigration officer possible and losing my leftover brioche sandwich to customs (the x-ray response was-- bocadillo? porque un bocadillo?) I didnt make my flight.

And the airline had no more flights leaving to Oaxaca that night. So, thinking I would end up watching telenovelas in the lounge till 2 pm the next day, a dual miracle occurred-- the very last airline in the terminal, sweet, blessed Aviasca, had a 9pm departure. For $60. Will someone explain WHY the dollar is so strong?

So, 6 hour exploratory period, Benito and me. I made friends with a grandpa who was also desperate to get to Oaxaca... similiarly touting a backpack the size of his body, translated "Anti-Cellulite Juice Beverage" to a pair of American Bikram yoga teachers, and had a semi-breakdown with the tienda de dulces man while trying to figure out calling cards.

David said it would be an adventure, and thus far he's been quite right. People have been wonderful. If Benito represents Mexico, it should be a great week...Now, let's hope I can find David and my luggage when I get to Oaxaca...