Member-only story
The Best Vacation Is the One You Bring Home with You
Maybe the reason for taking a break isn’t to be more productive when you go back to work. Maybe it’s to be less productive, more perceptive and forgive yourself for that.
I’m smoking a Cuban cigar on the balcony of my Airbnb when it hits me that there isn’t a single building taller than the spires on any of the too-numerous-to-name temples. As the sun sinks below the hillside to the west, all you see are little black crosses.
My guide from the walking tour mentioned that this morning but it hasn’t registered until just now. It’s a respect thing. Building an edifice taller than the spires of the church was forbidden by local ordinances.
God owns the skyline here.
Every building is painted in one of these vibrant colors — pomegranate, coral, seafoam, etc — also enforced by local ordinance, which means revocation of your business license if violated.
Tonight, I had guacamole, made table-side, topped with fried crickets, agave worms, dried shrimp, and some other bugs I can’t remember the name of, and then slathered in Oaxacan string cheese. And, for dessert, something called Textures of Chocolate in Spanish.
