McNinch, Carrie – You Don’t Get There From Here Goes to Oaxaca

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You Don’t Get There From Here Goes Goes To Oaxaca

As someone who doesn’t get to travel nearly as much as I’d like, I  love these diary/travel comics.  It’s a great chance to learn about odd places from people who share a lot of my sensibilities, meaning that if I ever do manage to make it out of this stupid country I’d have some solid ideas on what to do.  In this issue Carrie visits some friends in Oaxaca, explores the city in great detail, and even runs into Peter Kuper, as he apparently lives in the area.  Along the way Carrie samples some of the best chocolates in the world, discovers that Doritos made outside this country are significantly more edible than the stuff we have here, gets a horrible stomach flu bug, sees all kinds of local art, samples all kinds of local cuisines (although can’t bring herself to eat insects), and just generally does a thorough job of exploring the area.  It’s impossible to review books like this and do them any justice; if you’re remotely interested in the area covered or in the artist involved you’re likely to be curious enough to check them out on your own.  For whatever it’s worth Carrie has been a favorite of mine for years, so I’m predisposed to like her stuff.  Still, it’s an excellent, informative issue, and it’s even light on the introspective side that seems to bug some people who hate auto-bio stuff.  Check it out, then go visit the place and see if this was helpful.  $2