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I had heard many interesting and
exciting things about Oaxaca prior to my visit, and it far exceeded
my expectations. Oaxaca is a beautiful city in southern Mexico
that is rich in history and full of delights for all the senses.
My friend Charlotte and I spent an enchanting week there in early
June. There are non-stop flights from Denver to Mexico City on
Mexicana, making it possible to get to Oaxaca in one day. The
connecting flight from Mexico City to Oaxaca is a mere hour. Whether
your interests tend toward scenic beauty, ancient ruins, colonial
architecture, unique Mexican cuisine or shopping for local handcrafted
items, here you will find it all! The people are very friendly,
many of whom are descendants of the Zapotecs.
Oaxaca is located in south central
Mexico and is surrounded by the Sierra Madre del Sur mountain
range. The mountains are visible from every part of the city.
The Zapotecs chose to settle in this area ten thousand years ago.
The ancient Zapotec ruins at Mitla are one of the most unique
and best preserved of the archeological sites in the Oaxaca Valley.
The Monte Alban ruins, ancient home of the Aztecs, are also quite
impressive.
This ancient Mexican city is also
known as the "City of Jade" because of the green stone
used to construct many of the buildings. The architecture is a
mix of Colonial styles, ranging from the very simple to the intricately
carved and ornate. Much of the area has been restored, and although
Oaxaca is a relatively poor state, there is great pride in the
area and an effort to keep it attractive and clean. We visited
many churches in Oaxaca. The most outstanding is the 16th century
Iglesia de Santo Domingo. The church and the adjoining Regional
Museum are open to the public, as are all of the churches.
The Camino Real, where we chose
to stay, is a converted convent. The resort is lovely, and careful
attention has been given to keeping the original feel of the convent,
while providing upscale accommodations. It is located centrally,
and we were able to walk to all the downtown areas from there.
When we weren't visiting ruins
or churches, we were either partaking of the local cuisine (the
soups and Oaxacan string cheese were excellent) or shopping for
hand woven woolen rugs, carved wooden figures and black pottery.
We found ourselves returning to the Mercado many times. This market
covers an enormous city block and sells everything from hog heads
and dried grasshoppers to hand made treasures.
The year round climate is approximately
72 degrees. The rainy season is from June -mid October; however,
while we were there in June, the rain amounted to an afternoon
shower around 4-5pm that lasted perhaps ½ hour. There was
always a light breeze.
I left Oaxaca feeling like I had
had a true Mexican experience. And yes, I would definitely go
back.
Laura James
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