A pause in the push south, Oaxaca proved to be an incredibly rewarding stop on the Mexico tour. I don't customarily compare the places I travel through but I would probably say Oaxaca is my favourite city in Mexico. 
The streets are a riot of colour and a hive of activity. What I particularly like about the city is that it combines indigenous culture and...
...colonial architecture. The city sees its fair share of tourist traffic but, unlike some of the grand central Mexican towns which had a somewhat rarefied atmosphere, Oaxaca feels down to earth. Especially so in the bustling markets which serve both tourists and locals.
Five miles and 1000ft above town lies stop #2 on my ruins route - Monte Alban. None of the structures matched the scale of the pyramids I'd seen at Teotihuacan days earlier but the wilder location and lesser volume of tourists made it a more rewarding visit.
Feeling pretty relaxed right now!
Took a tour around the city's Ethno-botanical gardens this morning. What delights for a geography teacher - ephiphytes, drop tips, lianas - I can't wait to put a new PowerPoint and lecture togethe for my lucky students.
Another scene from the gardens.
In northern Mexico, if you order coffee, you're usually given a cup of hot water, a jar of Nescafé and a bowl of sugar. Here in Oaxaca you get a proper cup of coffee and there is a glut of really good cafes.
Slightly reluctantly, I move on tomorrow towards stop #3 on my ruins tour - Palenque. It should be a five day push on to San Cristobal de las Casas before dropping down to Palenque's Mayan ruins. Expecting heat and humidity to increase dramatically in coming days, better fill my water bottles up!
No comments:
Post a Comment