Oaxaca City, Mexico
Last weekend, my roommate's good friend from America came to visit us. We had all planned on taking a weekend trip together, but my roommate got sick at the last minute. I decided to go ahead with the trip with my new friend and I'm so glad I did.
Day 1
We took the night bus from Puebla to Oaxaca and arrived just in time to watch the sunrise.
I immediately fell in love with the beautiful streets. There was street art everywhere. Despite our lack of sleep, we started exploring.
Our hotel was located about a block away from San Pablo church. We bought tamales from a man on the street and watched the city wake up.
We both had only had a few hours of sleep so we stopped at a local coffee shop to refuel. I tried a delicious cappuccino flavored with some of the chocolate that Oaxaca is known for.
We made a last minute decision to take a tour bus going to Monté Alban. The tour was only 250 pesos + a 150 optional lunch.
The tour first took us to the sight of the pyramids and an English speaking guide taught us all about the fascinating history.
Monte Albán is one of the earliest cities of Mesoamericana. It was a cultural, socio-political and economic center for the Zapotec people. It was founded toward the end of the Middle Formative years around 500 BC. I was incredibly impressed by the shear enormity of it.
We began our tour with a tomb at the north. Our guide explained that it was common for the Zapotecs to bury their dead in close proximity. They were incredibly close with their deceased relatives.
We continued our walk to the central plaza. Our guide clapped his hands to demonstrate the impressive nature of the areas acoustics. It was like a modern day music stadium!
The guided tour concluded with the dancing stone carvings. Our guide explained that the swirling lines are thought to be the blood pouring out of the victims body after being castrated.
We were then given 30 minutes to explore on our own. My friend and I made our way up to the south platform for some breath taking views. We also bought one of the jade masks from one of the many venders.
The view from the top is the same as on the 20 peso bill. We took advantage of this and snapped some shots.
Our next stop was to visit a Alebrije factory. Alebrije is a labor intensive art form. First, the artisans carve the wood and then they paint it in bright colors with intricate designs. All of the designs were beautiful but I especially appreciated the skulls they made in preparation for Día de los muertos.
Our next stop was lunch. By that time, it was 3 and we were ravenous. We ate a buffet style lunch so I could try a lot of different foods.
My favorite dish was called Clayuda. It's made of a large thin crunchy taco covered with refried beans, meat, cheese and salsa. So delicious!
I also tried some of the grasshoppers. They were better than I expected, but not my favorite.
Our next stop was the Basilica of Cuilapan. The town of Cuilapan de Guerrero has been a permanent settlement since at least 500 BCE. After the Spanish conquest, they dedicated a major monastery here to James the apostle.
Our final stop of the day was to visit a Barro Negro pottery factory. This style of pottery is one of the most celebrated styles in the area. It's renowned for its beautiful shine. We were lucky enough to watch a really interés demonstration from the grandson of the woman who discovered the style.
We finished off our very full day by watching the sunset from our porch and kicking back with a few drinks.
Day 2
Once again we managed to hit the ground running on our second day. We booked another bus tour, this time going to the famous Hierve de agua.
We started off our day with a quick visit to the tree of Tule. This massive tree is over 2,000 years old.
We continued on our way to the archeological site of Mitla. Along our drive, our guide pointed out the prehistoric cave paintings in the Central Valley.
Monte Albán was the cultural and economic center for the Zapotecs, but Mitla was definitely the religious center. The most notable characteristics include the elaborate mosaics and stone carvings. Each design told a different story to help the Zapotecs understand the complicated world in which they lived.
Our guide explained that the Zapotecs lived everyday as if it were their last. Their times were difficult and they suffered from many earthquakes. Because the future was so uncertain, the Zapotecs made the most of the time that they had.
One of the designs resonated with me on a profound level. Our guide explained that the design represented the 3 stages of our life.
The bottom row represent our struggle of understanding. The jagged stairs represent our efforts to survive. They move upward to indicate our progress through life. In the middle section, the swirls represent our circulation. We born, we live, we die. In the top row, the stairs and swirls join together to represent the conclusion to our struggle on earth. This row represents an idea that reminds me of nirvana or enlightenment. By the final row, man has accepted the life he's been given and has found peace and clarity.
Our next stop was Hierve de agua. This was the stop that most excited me. The natural pools of calcified water were absolutely beautiful. I was lucky enough to go on the hike down so I could see it in its totality. I took a looooot of pictures.
Next we stopped for lunch. Once again we ate buffet style so that I could sample some more of the local flavors. I tried a healthy amount of desserts along with the mole negro local to Oaxaca.
After lunch, we visited a mezcal factory. I really enjoyed looking at the beautiful agave plants and learning about the distillery process.
Our guide explained that the Zapotecs drank something similar, but that it was the Spanish who taught distillation techniques and made the drink popular. It's made from the same plant as tequila, but the process gives mezcal a smoky flavor.
I was most excited to try the mezcal with a worm inside.
Our final stop of the day was a tapestry factory. The tapestries were made by a local family with some very impressive language skills. The woman who demonstrated the art changed quickly from Spanish to English and finally Zapotec!
She explained how all of the colors were 100% natural. The colors came from flowers, nuts and insects.
At the end of my time in Oaxaca, I was sad to leave. There was still so much that I hadn't had time. I left my friend and took my midnight bus home. I arrived just in time to return to work at 7:30. I was exhausted all day, but buzzing with all my new memories.
