Winding Down

We didn't do any sightseeing today, and I have no pictures to show you.  Our time in Oaxaca is winding down to an end.  On Tuesday Jane will fly home to the cold in Ohio, and I have my bus ticket to go to Mexico City.  

I started to pack my luggage this morning.  I have my large suitcase almost done, and I was very pleased to find out (using my luggage scale) that it is still well below the 50 pound limit for checked luggage.  I can buy more stuff!!!  So after we had breakfast, Jane and I hit some of the handicraft stores downtown again.  Usually when I travel, shopping is not of prime importance.  But Oaxaca has such a vast array of beautiful and unique handicrafts that it is hard not to shop and shop and shop.  We both ended up buying more things.  I bought a couple more "alebrijes", another small piece of black pottery and a white, Mexican-style, cotton shirt for myself.

On our way back to the apartment we stopped at a nearby Office Depot and bought a roll of bubble wrap and tape so that we could wrap up the fragile items that we have purchased.  Bundled in newspaper, bubble wrap, and another layer of newspaper, my pottery seems to be secure.  It will all fit into my smaller carry-on bag which will be with me at all times (and not tossed around by some baggage handler).

Jane, however, has bought more than will fit in her suitcases.  There is a UPS office down the street from our apartment, so tomorrow we will have to go there and inquire about shipping some of her purchases home.  Most of what she needs to ship home is pottery.  I hope that it will make the journey home unscathed.  The last time I was in Oaxaca, I went crazy buying black pottery and I had to ship it home.  The smaller pieces that I had bought as gifts made it home, but the two larger pieces that I had bought for myself did not.

I also wonder if perhaps Jane should not have wrapped up all the items herself.  UPS may want to see the items that are being shipped.  When I was in Oaxaca before, I used a different shipping company, and they wrapped everything themselves.  We shall see.