Posada Los Angeles

I stayed at the bright pink Posada Los Angeles, a block away from the cathedral. I was the only foreigner in town. I dined in the streets on chile relleno, fresh tortillas and sope, a thick tortilla topped with chile and quesillo. I loved the recycling cans, colored and labeled, "All for a clean Juquila."


Deep in the mountains of Oaxaca state, the poverty in Santa Catarina Juquila is intense, but it felt peaceful there, I never felt at all unsafe. I thought about how far people travel from this region to El Norte, dangerously, illegally, to try to make money for a better life. I was told that when they return they no longer fit into Mexican life, but do not fit into the US either. I don't remember it, but they have a word for these people lost between worlds.