The park and the area around the park in Oaxaca are full of life. The park itself is a bit like a place where you can always get random junk or little things for children or souvenirs, food and snacks and where people relax and enjoy the day, have a chat or walk through on their way somewhere else. The park is like Oaxaca itself: relaxed, welcoming and lively. And there’s always something going on here.
The cathedral is directly adjacent to the park and is constantly flanked by people selling these… long, round plastic balloon-like things, which you can then dab on the ground and try to make them fly as high as you can. And if you do it at the right angle and with the right force, they really do fly high.
Towards the evening, young and old gather between the park and the cathedral on a really big and smooth area and dance to kumbia. And guys… there’s nothing cuter than an old married couple dancing to kumbia basically just moving their legs a bit but really being in the groove. Pure sugar. My heart melted! There are also some people who can’t dance at all and look almost comical, but whose joy is so infectious that you love watching them. The Kumbia dance evenings in Oaxaca were one of my absolute favourites during my time in Oaxaca and something that has stuck in my mind. These evenings also represent the spirit and the relaxed and happy vibe of Oaxaca. Basically why I felt so comfortable in Oaxaca.
So should you go to the park and dance in the evening? One hundred per cent. You simply haven’t really experienced Oaxaca otherwise. You really haven’t. 😊