Monte Alban

The morning is busy: withdrawing money, buying plane tickets to Zacatecas and run to the bus departure place bound for Monte Alban. This site, where 30,000 Zapotecs lived, was deserted suddenly around the year 1000 AD. Although the site is huge, it is said that only 10% has been uncovered so far. We walk around in the big green fields surrounded by the greatness of the pyramids from all sides. The view from top is incredible, but I find it hard to imagine where the people lived in this city. The carvings and murals are still very well preserved. During the whole time there Noemie sleeps quietly in the kangaroo which makes it even harder for Jeremie to go up and down the high stairs of the pyramids.

We come back to Oaxaca and sample crafts and tapetes at the Mercado de las Artesanias. We find nice ones but none that would hardly match with our modern interior back home. After all this walking, we stop for a nice lunch buffet at a popular restaurant where water comes with a strong watermelon taste. We try many different dishes and wash it all with a shot of Mezcal flavored with chili. If we don’t get really travel sick after this meal, we’re champions…

We spend the afternoon walking around lazily in the streets, peeping here and there through art galleries, book shops and buying souvenirs. Noemie is set free close to the Iglesia Santo Domingo where she takes her afternoon snack and then runs around chasing an indigenous boy for his lollipop. We make it to the hotel just as it starts raining.

 

At the Mercado de las Artesanias

Tips:

Bus to Monte Alban depart from Calle Mina # 512 in Hotel Riviera del Angel. The round trip costs 40 pesos and the entrance to the site is another 50 pesos.

Lunch at El Meson Oaxaqueno. Buffet only costs 92 pesos per person all included, a great bet for normal tasty food.

Cost of souvenirs: around 150 pesos for 4 bookmarks, 4 wooden spatulas and a dozen of small nice shaped toothpicks for food tasting.