Task 2 · Listening · Variant 10

Maria: Hey, Sam, guess what? I'm back from Mexico!

Sam: No way! Maria, how was it? Did you try all the amazing food I was telling you about?

Maria: You won't believe it! It was even better than I imagined. Oaxaca is this incredible city, and we basically ate our way through it for a whole week.

Sam: Seriously? Tell me everything! What did you eat first?

Maria: Well, the very first night, we had this fancy welcome dinner at a rooftop restaurant. The view was breathtaking, and the food… wow!

Sam: Sounds fancy! Did you learn anything about the food?

Maria: Actually, yeah! The next day, we went to this market and had a typical Oaxacan breakfast. Then we explored some villages and learned how they make crafts and pottery. It was cool to see how much their culture is tied to food.

Sam: Did you do any cooking yourself?

Maria: We sure did! We took a cooking class with a famous chef and learned how to make some traditional dishes using all kinds of corn. We learned all about its history, and it turns out some of the oldest known corn comes from caves! Pretty cool, right?

Sam: Wow, that sounds amazing! Did you get to see any ancient ruins while you were eating?

Maria: Haha, well, yes, we did see some ruins! We went to this huge archaeological site called Monte Albán. It was incredible to learn about the Zapotec people who built it. And guess what? We had lunch at another chef's house nearby. He cooked these amazing dishes from a different region of Oaxaca.

Sam: Oh! That was one of my dreams, to taste some traditional desserts at a historical site there. Especially that, hmm, you know, the cake which is made of milk. Don't remember what it is called.

Maria: I guess you are talking about tres leches, a delicious cake soaked in three kinds of milk.

Sam: I do! Did you try it? Did you bring a slice back for me?

Maria: We didn't, and I don't have any with me. Instead, we tried fried plantains dusted with cinnamon and I brought some cocadas for you.

Sam: Cocadas? Sounds like cockroaches. Hope there are no bugs inside. I can't stand them.

Maria: You are such a girl! Of course, no cockroaches. These are coconut candies. Here they are! Try one now!

Sam: If you don't mind, I'll do it a bit later. I didn't have my lunch yet and don't want to spoil my appetite. By the way, did you see any other ruins besides Monte Albán?

Maria: We did! We went to a beautiful 16th-century monastery called Santiago Apóstol. It has this amazing open-air basilica with no roof!

Sam: This trip sounds amazing, Maria! I'm so jealous! Maybe I can convince you to take me in your luggage next time.

Maria: Haha, very funny.