October 17, 2007

The less than stellar way that we had arrived in Oaxaca didn't dampen our enthusiasm for the city.

Simply put, it is a marvelous city and probably the first place we would recommend to someone looking to experience the rich cultural traditions of of Mexico.

On the one hand, it is a solidly middle-class city with all the modern conveniences (movie theatres, large grocery stores, car dealerships, Office Depot) of "anywhere" North America.

But Oaxaca City also retains an exquisite and sophisticated colonial charm, with great architecture that bursts with colour, cobblestone streets (with the occasional cowboy on a burro riding down them), and by far and away the liveliest main plaza, or zocalo, we had seen in all of Mexico.

It is also generally regarded as the culinary capital of Mexico, and based on our experience that´s an accurate accolade. Our favourite taco stand of the trip - bar none - was in Oaxaca City at Chapultepec and Diaz, and the chocolate/hot chocolate, especially from the Mayordomo stores, is beyond divine.

Shopping, something we are more inclined to do now as we inch closer to home, is also a rewarding activity in Oaxaca City. The Abastos Market was probably the best market we saw in Mexico, particularly for woven goods and textiles.

It really put the souvenir schlock that is sold at the markets in the Mexican resort cities to shame.

And the icing on the cake is the fact that the city is ringed by large mountains (much like the North Shore mountains in Vancouver) and the temperature is perfect, day and night, which made for ideal camping conditions during our six night at the Oaxaca Trailer Park, which is about a 15 minute bus ride from el centro.

We would have been happy to stay another week in Oaxaca City if we didn´t have our freebie timeshare reservation pending in Puerta Vallarta.

In fact, even though we've been on the road for nine months now, Oaxaca City left us feeling that our Mexican experience was only starting to ripen.

Key Facts & Figures:

-Oaxaca Trailer Park: $10/night
-Bus to Monte Albon ruins: $3.80/person
-Monte Albon ruins: $4.50/person