Oaxaca City

Oaxaca exceeded my expectations as a tourist destination. Monte Alban and the historical museum at Santo Domingo are strong attractions. The city center is lovely and the restaurants are excellent. Lots of nice hotels here.

This was my favorite city in Mexico – by far! So much culture. If you get a chance – go to the place they make barros negros – way cool!

The city is beautiful and fun to explore, but is also great as a base for exploration of the whole area. Go see all the small outlying towns in the area, and all the ruins – don’t just go to Monte Alban, also see Mitla if you get the chance, and absolutely see the Tule tree. Also, if a little old man that looks older than the hills comes up to you at the ruins and offers to give you a tour – do it. I guarantee you’ll have fun and it will only cost you a few bucks. We got stories of links between the stones of Easter Island, the pyramids of Giza and the ruins of Monte Alban all being connected…and Jesus being at Monte Alban…and teleportation of the giant rocks…and ancient surgery. It was fantastic what this ancient, adorable old guy had conceived of. Well, I’m not promising he’s still alive…but it’s worth a shot.

A thriving modern art, cafe, and modern-Mexican food scene, and perhaps Mexico’s cleanest and best-preserved historical center… this place is almost aggressively charming. It seems as if every corner you turn reveals a vista that should have been on a postcard… and curiously enough, most postcards for sale in the city are rather less impressive!

I particularly liked eating ice cream in the Jardin Socrates next to the basilica, and hanging out drinking Mescal in the Zocalo. Crowded with tourists? Sure, but at least as crowded with locals, which is a sign of a great public space. It was particularly nice when the Oaxacan State Marimba Orchestra fired up and a bunch of local old people ballroom danced into the night.

My friend Stefanie suggested we go, since her mom has been many times and says its beautiful, historic, and has great shopping. I’m going because I’ve never been to Mexico before, and want to visit, and because this is the last trip my friend Stefanie can do before she takes her big corporate job post graduate school. Its more a time to hang with my buddy and do something “not the norm” for vacations. This is not your typical touristy “resort” town so I’m excited to throw myself a curveball and not sit by the pool with a cosmo, but learn somethning and do something I’m not all together “comfortable” with. It will be different!