Oaxaca (also known as Oaxaca de Jimenez) is the capital city of the mexican state under the same name. The city is located in the south of Mexico on the altitude od 1500 meters above sea level as it lies in Sierra Madre mountain range. It also lies on the famous panamerican highway, the road that supposedly runs through the full length of both North America and South America.
Oaxaca is a particularly abundant state when it comes to modern mexican and indigenous cultures, this area belongs to the Zapotec people which is a group that dates back to precolumbic times.
Right now it is a very colourful and rich in culture, I would dare to form a statement Oaxaca is to Mexico what Andalusia is to Spain, many stereotypes that are associated with this country are concentrated in this particular area, but maybe not in a such a straightforward way. All the colourful streets with cobblestones and with flags spread all over them, mountains peaking through the buildings and streets, some precolumbic ruins nearby, Mezcal, artisian markets with textils and FOOD! Food is a massive thing in Oaxaca, as it is home to Tamales and Mole as well as many other dishes.
It is also full of streetart and murals, it is a place where younger generations are combining the traditional culture with fresh new ideas and technology, it is for example not unusual to get specialty coffee or to come across a hipster restaurant or a culture center that is led by young people. It was a place where we just... felt good and safe. It had a really great energy.
We arrived by bus early in the morning after a full-night drive from Puerto Escondido. Those two destinations aren't really that far apart, but the fastest road between them leads through the mountains and can be quite dangerous to drive with large vehicles, and public buses and coaches have to take a different route that goes around.
Literally from the first walk that we took from the bus station to our hotel in the city centre I was amazed with the atmosphere.
After grabbing a quick cup of coffee we headed downtown to the main plaza, the heart of Oaxaca. Just like in most town and cities, the main square is a park with a pagoda in the centre. It is a meeting place where locals just hang out in the shade, resting, having their shoes cleaned etc.
But actually before hanging in the park, we went on a marketplace tour. This is one of the main attractions of the city, walk around the markets, dine like locals and make some artisian textil shopping. There are a few market halls that are situated next to one another and every one of them has different things to offer, the two most significant ones were Mercado de Benito Juarez (for textiles mostly) and 20 de Noviembre (for food, where we ate twice in different stalls). But the market stalls are not only present in the halls but along most streets that surround them. Food stalls are always fascinating, there are just so many types of peppers and chilis, and other fruits and vegetables that I was not familiar with before.
The local specialty are Chapulines, which are... grasshoppers. Toasted. Although I didn't have the nerve to try them, they were sold at every corner.
The local specialty are Chapulines, which are... grasshoppers. Toasted. Although I didn't have the nerve to try them, they were sold at every corner.
We wandered further from the centre looking for more unpopular sights and a second cup of coffee.
There were many rooftop restaurants in central Oaxaca. By rooftop I mean, like on the 2nd floor but nevertheless, the views were very nice anyway, specially around sunset.
Then at night the city transformed a bit and bursted with nightlife energy. Not necessairly with clubs and pubs, but with people of all ages just spending time on the streets together, eating and drinking. All those string lights that were unnoticed at daytime were lit with hundreds of lightbulbs.
Then at night the city transformed a bit and bursted with nightlife energy. Not necessairly with clubs and pubs, but with people of all ages just spending time on the streets together, eating and drinking. All those string lights that were unnoticed at daytime were lit with hundreds of lightbulbs.
The following morning we travelled to Monte Alban, the holy mountain that towers over Oaxaca with Zapotec Ruins on the top, at about 2000 meters above sea level where Oaxaca is on 1500. This particular spot has been a place of whorship for centuries.
Monte Alban means The White Mountain, however its precolumbic name was closer to The Mountain of the Jaguar.
Monte Alban means The White Mountain, however its precolumbic name was closer to The Mountain of the Jaguar.
The archeological site is impressive in its form, however it is merely 10% of all the original buildings. There were a few different phases in the development of Monte Alban where various people groups took over the mountain from as early as VIth century B.C. The majority of the ruins however come from Zapotec era which lasted from IIIrd to IXth century A.D, and it's the Zapotec who are said to flaten the top of the mountain and create the platform of about 900 meters wide where the sacred site was built.
The true reason why was this city desertes remains unknown.
Regardless of the undeniable cultural significance of the site, the view from the mountaintop was marvellous as well.
By far one of my favourite memories from Mexico will be a street party with live orchestral music, that was stopped by a sudden downpour, when everybody suddenly just stopped and ran to the sides of the street to hide from the rain.
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