Today’s post is 1250 words, 50 photos, a 6.5 minute read. Enjoy!
Hi everyone,
This week we are in Oaxaca, Mexico, a vibrant cultural hub known for its rich indigenous heritage, colorful festivals, colonial architecture, and world-renowned cuisine. It’s the last three days of our Discover Mexico Tour by G Adventures, we’ll try to make the best of it. If you missed the earlier articles in this series, click here, here, here, here, and here.
A Walking Tour with Rafael
After getting settled at the Oaxaca Real Hotel, Rafael took us on a walking tour to the city center of Oaxaca. Outside the hotel, this giant doll like figure is called a mojiganga. It typically made of papier-mâché and carried on the shoulders of a person. They add energy to parades and festivals. This one didn’t move during our time in Oaxaca but it startled me every time I walked out of the hotel.
There are a lot of street vendors in the tourist areas of Oaxaca. Even young kids get in on the action, likely to help support their family. They sell drawings on the street like this boy. Believe me when I tell you it’s hard to ignore them as they try to make a sale.
There are lots of well-regarded art galleries in Oaxaca. Note the skeletons on this poster. The Day of the Dead celebration around the end of October and the first few days of November draws people from all over the world. There are skulls and skeletons in much of the art, souvenirs, and popular culture.
Near the hotel was the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Church and Convent of Santa Domingo de Guzman. The Spanish baroque church was built beginning in 1575 and completed in 1730. Locals are very proud of the fact that Pope John Paul II visited this church in 1979. The convent portion of the complex is now a museum and it is said to have a beautiful botanical garden.
Down from the church and convent is a market with a headless giant doll and lots of things to purchase. The market always seemed to be busy when open.
In this area, the street was closed off to vehicles, it was a strollers paradise with plenty of room for everyone. In a future post, I’ll share a short video of a wedding procession that took place on this street.
We arrived at the large Benito Juarez Market with street vendors selling food, produce, and clothing. The covered market was huge and always full of people.I purchased a new wallet at one of the leather shops.
Ok, something I thought I’d never see, piles of grasshoppers for sale! Chapulines, as they are called, are sold as a popular snack or wrapped in a tortilla, some are toasted while others are marinated in spices. Some are caught in the wild in fields of corn, some are raised in controlled environments. Growing up in the Upper Great Plains, grasshoppers were not the friend of farmers. There were years we could have caught them by the basket load and fried them up. No, we didn’t do that. And no I didn’t try one.
We walked through the indoor market checking out the variety of foods, clothes, and souvenirs. 
In part of the market was an area for dining. The way it worked, you buy the bread or roll, toppings, and meat separately then someone puts it all together for a meal. We were warned to be careful, it can add up quickly.
Near the city hall on the large central plaza, there appeared to be a rally or protest underway. We couldn’t figure out what the issue was, apparently it had something to do with indigenous rights.
That evening, my Traveling Partner and I eat dinner at a rooftop cafe near the hotel. It gave us a nice view of the Church and Convent in the last light of the day. After the sun went down, the air quickly cooled off. We wished we had our warmer jackets.
Monte Albán
We were up early for breakfast before boarding the tour bus headed to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Monte Albán. This pre-Columbian archeological site is located about a half hour ride west of Oaxaca. The winding road takes visitors from the valley floor to the top of a carved out mountain, an elevation rise of about 1500 feet. You might be wondering how this site got its name, I certainly did. The most likely explanation is that it was named for a Spanish conquistador by the name of Montealbán. Another possibility is that the hills surrounding Oaxaca resembled the Alban Hills in Italy. At any rate, it was known by the Zapotec peoples as the Sacred Mountain or by the Aztecs as Jaguar Mountain.
After entering the site, we were introduced to our local guide Julio. His English was very good, he told us he learned it in Overland Park, Illinois where his father was an immigrant without status. He said they spent three years there before coming back to Mexico. Julio took us to the small museum that is connected the Monte Albán site. He explained some of the myths, legends, and theories of the people who settled in the Oaxaca area. He did this with his extensive knowledge and great humor.
This is an example of some of the carvings and artifacts left behind by the civilizations that lived on Monte Albán. We would see more.
There was even a real skeleton extracted from the archeological digs on display in the museum.
Outside in the brisk, sunny daylight, Julio showed us the relief of the mountain top. They must have moved a lot of dirt to create this city, much of it by hand. 
There were a lot of up and downs as we climbed the hill to the site. We stopped occasionally to catch our breath. At the top, the views were quite spectacular. The site is well-preserved through a combination of governmental regulations, international conservation efforts, and local community involvement. The focus is on maintaining the physical integrity of the site, protecting the carved stones, and managing the impact of tourism.
Monte Albán was the hub of the governance, religious, and economic of the Zapotec civilization. The hilltop location offered a defensible position overlooking the surrounding valley. The plazas, temples, and palaces showcased their advanced social and political organization. 
Views of the Oaxaca valley and city were amazing. It’s interesting to note that the Spaniards laid out the city of Oaxaca in the grid like fashion, like major cities in Spain.
By the end of our tour, the sun was warming us to a degree that we were shedding our jackets and pullovers. And we were ready for lunch.
Azucena Zapoteca
Upon arrival at the restaurant Azucena Zapoteca, we were met by Francisco who provided a lesson on mezcal tasting. Mezcal is a distilled alcohol beverage made from the heart of the agave plant. It’s a cousin to tequila and raicilla also made from agave although from different species. Mezcal is consumed straight and has a deep smoky flavor. 
Francisco had us try two different types of mezcal, one recently distilled and the other aged for over a year. He instructed us to taste a tiny “kiss” of the liquid, then another, and another. This is to train the palate what to expect, especially the smoky taste. Mezcal is never supposed to taken as a shot, just sipped little by little. I liked both the choices and enjoyed seconds. By the way, I did have chili relleno for my entrée and fried plantains for dessert.
That’s enough for this week. I’ll continue the story next week.
Until then, happy travels!
Tom
PS: Click here for a link to the post about my book “Farm Boy.” Contact me if you are interested in purchasing a copy. Thanks to all have plunked down your hard earned dollars and read the book. TM