The Air Bnb we stayed at for 27 days in Oaxaca City, Mexico. We came to call the cave, from this point forward if I refer to the Cave it is our dwelling for these 27 days. As we first entered I remember the underwhelming aesthetic appeal, with few windows and none of them able to breach into the bedroom.
We began to settle in and unpack slowly while exploring the city over a couple of days after the second night we got groceries and then we looked for the kitchen supplies to facilitate this. The more we looked the less we found, the kitchen was not prepared for doing much other than eating pre-made meals. This meant ingenuity on our part a bowl for a cutting board, a luffa for dishes and multiple dishes to cook one serving for the two of us. A rather exciting time being forced to mcgyver (which Meli was really good at!) these basic tools. We were expecting some essentials and counter space for the kitchen rather than just a lttle bit of oil, salt, pepper and a smal bench which was already used by the coffee maker and dish rack, which believe was coated with a motor oil to help repel water.
After eating we soon found out that the cave did not offer toilet paper. An issue one morning while I sit there trapped confined to a throne I did not want to rule as Melissa ran around looking for paper so I could leave the bathroom. We had no issues with mice or insects. We rather had a quarrel with a man selling corn who insists every night well after 7pm to plague our streets with a racket honking his horn for minutes at a time to wake up kids, husbands, wife’s from a sleep or remind them before they sleep that he has corn to sell. He is nice, sometimes I even helped him by playing horn notices from all my devices when he came by so he could take a break.
Besides that the road is filled with motorists who insist on putting excessive mufflers on their Volkswagen golf or other sedan in an attempt to mimic the public buses and the trucks.
Once this becomes only a secondary notice to the infernal ruckus the land owner loves to make. He specifically pounds boards or throws bricks in the story above us for around 2 to 2.5 hours every morning. We are talking about around 8 AM to 10 AM but, we are not here to wake up super early! At $17 CAD a night what do you expect, It is an authentic local experience. Our bed must have been from our host’s children, it’s a double and has very deep grooves my back is beginning to hurt and I’m 25. On both sides canyons carved by years of sleeping, jumping, fucking maybe even an episode of lucha libre or two. Regardless my back is going to shit.
Other than these minor inconveniences the ceilings are high with the exception of the bathroom that slopes towards to the toilet. The shower could used a shower curtain as we had to used the squeegee to drain the water so our bathroom did not remain a pool, splashed with water EVERYWHERE. Ok! and speaking of plumbing the kitchen sink holds water and when you push it down the drain it sits in the pipe as it doesn’t have enough of an angle to drain. Thus our house often got whiffs of sewage or dirt water. I attempted to clean it and Melissa informed me and reminded me that it is vacation, not home owner time. So I think often if this drainage situation will ever be solved. I have my doubts.
The sheets and towels are changed once a week inconsistently as is the garbage taken. This all accumulates to a very dissatisfied situation a first time home buyer may equate to their experiences of noisy neighbors issues you can’t help but notice, and the lingering idea that Melissa and me wouldn’t want it any other way.
Here’s to Francisco for offering not only an affordable but an authentic Oaxacan experience and for this we thank him .
Sincerely voyage express.
Experience 4/5
Atmosphere 2/5
Cost 3/5
Voyage Express 