Oaxaca

It has been years since I was in Oaxaca, but it was a great adventure. The airport was not a choice, so we took the bus there and the train back to Mexico City. We were four college students out to see more of Mexico.

The bus ride was typical, if you travel in Mexico. I had been on third class buses with no air, chickens, and packed with locals getting off and on every few miles. This time we went in style Primero Clase. The first class bus in Mexico is kept at a very low temperature. We froze in the tropics. The winding barely 2 lane mountain roads were also very … entertaining. It used to be that the journey kept one of Mexico’s most quaint places to visit special. With commercial flights, that isn’t any longer true.

We stayed near the center of town in nice local hotel with more of a European standard. That gave us a couple of block walk to the center of town. (Zocalo) The Zocalo in Oaxaca is one of Mexico’s prettiest. It is large lush and surrounded by restaurants. We spent hours sitting there eating and sipping on Cerveza frio.

Just off the square is the market (Mercado). Again it is one of the better markets in Mexico. It was very authentic with fruits, meats, vegetables and original artesian work. There are booths filled with beautiful tapestries, leather, cutlery, clothes, onyx… Be prepared to bargain!!!

Mitla and Monte Alban were both worth a visit. The open air shopping near Mitla was some of the best tapestries I saw, but also they were hard to bargain with. Monte Alban was on the other hand, breath taking. Unfortunately we went on a hot day for Mexico. That would make most Americans cringe. I did. The expansive city built centuries ago on a mountain top was remarkable. It seemed second only to Teotihuacán in size. My advice when you visit either place is to take bottled water.

When we decided to return to Mexico City, we instead took the train at night for its “quaint ride”. Now that was an understatement. Like so many things in my travels, we were booked on an “air tight” air conditioned car sealed with a malfunctioning A/C. There were only a few spaces on the walkway between cars to sit, so we took turns sitting there. It was a long trip back.

It would have been longer if, I wasn’t still smiling from a cute Australian girl I met touring Mexico with her friends. She told me to “knock her up sometime”! She explained that meant give her a call. I was so flabbergasted that I forgot to get the number.

Anyhow, I have found that the journey and experiences are the memories I cherish. I would advise people who like to travel to different places that Oaxaca is a definite place to put on your list. It’s not one of those “all inclusive” little America’s if that’s your choice, but I loved it.