Today’s Thursday Travel Flakes will dive a little deeper in the beautiful place where I’m based right now: Oaxaca, Mexico. Before I settled into an Airbnb here, I was in a small hotel with my parents who came down to visit and explore the area. I have visited Oaxaca before so I was more than happy to show them around.

I took them to many different markets around the city and region of Oaxaca. We went to food markets, textile markets, city markets, weekly markets, artisan markets...it was endless. We spent part of a day walking through Teotitlan del Valle, a town known for its textile production and the famous Oaxaca wool rugs. All of the rugs were handmade and can take months to make depending on their size. Their designs are truly incredible.

Later that day, we walked into a mezcal distillery and received a free private tour explaining the different types of mezcal and the process which goes into making them. Mezcal and tequila from the same plants but the fermentation process is different. Plants are fermented in a stone oven to make tequila. Meanwhile in order to make mezcal, the plants have to be buried underground for a certain period time while it ferments, which is how it gets the smoky flavor.

One of the most popular things to do in Oaxaca is visiting Hierve El Agua (see pic above), which is a series of petrified waterfalls overlooking a beautiful valley. These waterfalls are actually slowly built up from the mineral deposits (calcium, lime, etc.) formed over many years to create these amazing natural sight. In fact, Hierve El Agua is one of only two petrified waterfalls in the world (the other is Pamukkale located in Turkey).

Some other popular attractions in Oaxaca include archaeological ruins like Monte Alban (one of the oldest cities in Mesoamerica dating back to 500 B.C.), Mitla (known for its unique architecture which has held strong over the years after multiple earthquakes) and Tule (supposedly one of the widest trees in the world). It’s definitely worth spending at least 5-6 days exploring this beautiful part of Mexico. I highly recommend it! Anyways...onto Flakes.

Frosted Flakes

Frost Focus: How Nebraska’s Offense Got Yardage Against Wisconsin But Failed In The Red Zone | Football | Corn Nation

The offense picked up decent gains against a stout Wisconsin defense, but couldn’t score enough points to win.

Mailbag: Let’s Talk About Nebraska’s Defense | Sports | Hail Varsity

Hail Varsity staff members Mike Babcock, Jacob Padilla, Greg Smith, Erin Sorensen and Brandon Vogel tackle your questions about the latest news in Husker Nation.

Husker Offense Stepping Up | Football | Huskers.com

”Well that is not [just the] red zone,” said Coach Walters, “that is [important] across the entire football field. We are going to try to put our guys in the best place possible but, in the end they have to go and make the plays. They have to make the throw, make the catch, make the block, [or] make the run.

Running Backs Continue Adjustments; Offensive Line Showing Improvement | Football | Omaha World-Herald

Hot hands. Learning curves. Attrition. Ryan Held has dealt with all of it during his second season as Nebraska’s running backs coach.The assistant is still working through myriad issues as NU prepares for Maryland.

For Greg Austin’s Husker OL Group, Progress is Just Like Learning How to Ride a Bike | Football | Lincoln Journal Star

“The improvement has been slow and steady, and that’s what you want,” Austin said. “If I’m teaching my 5-year-old how to ride a bike, then I’m looking for slow and steady improvement in that regard. It’s just like if I’m teaching a guy a pass set.”

Nebraska Women Improve to 5-0 on Night Whitish Reaches Milestone | Women’s Basketball | Lincoln Journal Star

Hannah Whitish, the wise senior and really good player for the Nebraska women’s basketball team – she’s newest member of the program’s 1,000-point club – says the opening five minutes of the game, and the first five minutes of the third quarter, are tone setters.

Huskers Set for Top-10 Road Matches | Volleyball | Huskers.com

The No. 6 Nebraska volleyball team hits the road for a pair of top-10 Big Ten matches this weekend. The Huskers will face No. 7 Minnesota on Friday at 8 p.m. at Maturi Pavilion. Then on Sunday, the Big Red travels to No. 5 Wisconsin for a 1:30 p.m.

Huskers up to #3 in NWCA Poll | Wrestlng | Huskers.com

The Nebraska wrestling team was ranked No. 3 in the NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll released on Tuesday, the highest the program has been rated since February 17, 2009.

Travel Articles

The Best Islands to Visit in 2020 | Travel | Conde Nast Traveler

Our best islands to visit in 2020 trend report gives the inside track on the ones to watch, the sustainable champions, and the revived stars. Read on to discover island is the best for your personality type.

What Happens When Your Cruise Ship Has to Rescue Another Ship | Travel | Conde Nast Traveler

I was returning with a group from an early evening hike above Darwin Lake on the west coast of Isabela Island, the largest of the Galapagos, when our naturalist guide got an emergency call to return to our ship, the new 99-passenger Celebrity Flora. She was told that Flora’s sister ship, Celebrity Xpedition, was in trouble and needed our help.

Inside the Lives of Mongolia’s Famous Eagle Hunters | Travel | Conde Nast Traveler

The Mongolian eagle hunters, who lead nomadic lives and spend much of the year living in portable yurts, or gers as they’re known, are with their eagles almost every second of the day, and even allow them to live inside their homes like a family member.

Cambodia is Ending Elephant Rides at Angkor Wat | Travel | Lonely Planet

A change.org petition was circulated, imploring the tourism industry to end “this horrific practice,” and last week, the government agency that manages the Siem Reap temple complex finally complied, announcing that the animals would be moved offsite by early next year.

Costa Rica is Asking Travellers Not to Take Wildlife Selfies | Travel | Lonely Planet

The campaign wants to raise awareness about the negative impacts of selfies and photographs that show direct contact with wild animals, and it seeks to reduce these cruel behaviors and warn of the possible risks involved.

Meet the Very Good Dogs of Chernobyl on a Social Impact Tour | Travel | Lonely Planet

If you’d love to spend time with animals-in-need, actively helping them in a sustainable and cruelty-free way, the Dogs of Chernobyl programme in Ukraine is right up your street.

Environmentally Friendly Electric Passenger Planes Could Be a Reality As Soon As 2023 | Travel | Travel and Leisure

The company hopes to convert a nine-seat Britten-Norman into an environmentally-friendly aircraft by putting in a hybrid-electric propulsion system. A spokesman for the company said that it would be able to handle short routes fully electric while a low emission engine recharges the plane’s batteries during flight.

Man Tries to Smuggle $400,000 Worth of Cocaine in 24 Shampoo Bottles | Travel | Travel and Leisure

A man was caught by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) last week in an attempt to smuggle 35 pounds of liquid cocaine through Houston George Bush International Airport. In a press release, the CBP said officers found 24 full-size bottles of shampoo in the man’s checked luggage filled with the drugs.

More Stories Worth Reading

Inside the Bloody Cartel War for Mexico’s Multi-Billion-Dollar Avocado Industry | Food | Los Angeles Times

Mexico’s multi-billion-dollar avocado industry, headquartered in Michoacan state, has become a prime target for cartels, which have been seizing farms and clearing protected woodlands to plant their own groves of what locals call “green gold.”

Ticketmaster’s Anti-Scalping Technology Actually Helps Scalpers, Not Fans | Technology | VICE

Buying tickets on Ticketmaster continues to be a complete disaster for everyone who doesn’t make a living buying tickets.

How the U.S. Betrayed the Marshall Islands, Kindling the Next Nuclear Disaster | History | Los Angeles Times

Here in the Marshall Islands, Runit Dome holds more than 3.1 million cubic feet — or 35 Olympic-sized swimming pools — of U.S.-produced radioactive soil and debris, including lethal amounts of plutonium. Nowhere else has the United States saddled another country with so much of its nuclear waste, a product of its Cold War atomic testing program.

The Afghan DJs Abandoned by the U.S. Military | History | The Verge

When the US entered Afghanistan, local DJs were hired to help with the war effort. And when the American military pulled out, they abandoned those voices, leaving many of them for dead.

The Llama As Therapist | Animals | The New York Times

The 300-pound llamas strolled quietly through the corridors of the nursing home, lowering their heads to be petted by residents in wheelchairs and pausing patiently as staffers took selfies.

Mexico City’s ‘Walking Fish’ | Animals | BBC

While gaining traction as a symbol of Mexico City, these curious amphibians offer hope for healing the human body, but face near extinction in the wild.

Why the World is Running Out of Sand | Environment | BBC

It may be little more than grains of weathered rock, and can be found in deserts and on beaches around the world, but sand is also the world’s second most consumed natural resource.

Mysterious Oxygen Spike Seen On Mars Puzzles Scientists | Science | National Geographic

The discovery showcases some of the chemical enigmas we need to untangle for future Mars missions to properly search for life.

The Strange Life and Mysterious Death of a Virtuoso Coder | Mystery | WIRED

Jerold Haas was on the brink of block-chain riches. Then his body was found in the woods of southern Ohio.

Last But Not Least

Last week we had a therapy cat at an airport, this week we have a therapy pig.

What’s all the quack about?

Well that’s one way to advertise a zoo.

This lady has quite the story (NSFW)