How many people can say that a taco has been named in their honor?
Lawrence Johnson can.
The 36-year-old, longtime Vistan is a regular visitor to Ayoquezco de Aldama, about 45 minutes southwest of Oaxaca City in Mexico’s state of Oaxaca.
Johnson made his third trip in June with San Marcos friend Glen Cruz, whose parents have retired there. Over time, Johnson has become a regular customer at his favorite taco stand in the town’s plaza.
“Everything happens in the plaza,” said Johnson, who is usually one of a few Americans in town. “The first year I visited, I suggested the owner of the taco stand add this type of melted cheese to their regular taco and she did. Other people saw it and wanted it too. So, they named it ‘tacos al guerro,’ which translates as ‘white guy taco.’
“I spend a lot of money on their tacos and I don’t regret it. Now when I come, they remember me.”
Though Ayoquezco is probably unfamiliar to most, the ties between North County and this town of about 4,000 are quite strong.
According to Johnson, many people from Ayoquezco have come to live, work and put down roots in Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos and Escondido, then return to Ayoquezco to visit friends and relatives, especially during festivals.
The annual Convite de la Fiesta, held every February, is a draw for Cruz’s relatives, who number many on both sides of the border.
“Each town has its own festival,” Cruz said, “Ayoquezco’s is in February. There is a band, they walk through the streets all night, then eat. There are games for the kids. It’s like a small fair. On the last day, they have a dance in the plaza.”
This year’s trip to Ayoquezco was especially welcomed by Johnson because, due to the pandemic and other factors, he hadn’t had a vacation since 2017.
“My goal was just not to be home,” said Johnson, who has grown to love this part of Mexico, just two hours from the Guatemala border.
“Mexico gets an unfair rap because we know so little about it. It’s the lack of familiarity. Most people probably can’t name any cities beyond Mexico City and Tijuana.”
Over the years, Johnson and Cruz have explored:
• San Sebastian Cave (San Sebastian de las Grutas) — On the road to Puerto Escondido. Large cave system with multiple channels. One (1,200 feet long) is open to the public. Visitors pass through five high-ceilinged chambers with stalactites and stalagmites.
• Monte Álban — Most important archaeological site in Oaxaca. Pyramids on top of a mountain 20 minutes from Oaxaca City.
• Mitla — San Pablo Villa de Mitla is known for its ruins (second most important in Oaxaca), cotton textiles and Mezcal (alcoholic drink made from agave plants). The Mitla ruins were built on top of a Zapotec ruin.
• Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán in Oaxaca City — Spectacular example of New Spanish Baroque architecture finished in 1724. Dazzling interior. Four other tourist-worthy churches within a one-mile radius.
• Hierve el Agua — Stunning rock formation 40 miles east of Oaxaca City that resembles a waterfall (up to 60 feet high); it’s the result of thousands of years of calcium carbonate buildup. Also sacred site to Zapotecs.
“The state of Oaxaca is large and has a lot to offer,” Cruz said. “In Ayoquezco, they keep the traditions and cultures going.”
And then there is the food.
“It seems like every place in Oaxaca has amazing street food,” Johnson said. “Home-cooked meals are always only steps away and at hardly any cost.”
Cruz has his favorite specialties.
“Oaxaca’s most popular foods are quesillo, tlayudas, chapulines, mole and mezcal, to name a few,” he said. “One of my favorites is a taco de tasajo — almost the same as a street taco in that it comes with the same condiments, but it looks like a thin burrito. What makes it so delicious is how fresh everything is.”
