Six-week trip to Mexico (page 7 of 12)

Oaxaca – Meanwhile...

Hmmmm, there’s some tension in the air with these recent messages... I hope the food will help smooth things over. Oaxaca has a reputation as a major culinary hub in Mexico. Without having visited the "expensive" restaurants, we definitely ate very well during our stay.

This is a personal point, but it’s part of our travel experience: since Y is Thai, it sometimes causes a few issues when it comes to food. Let me explain: from long experience with Thais, I can say that, as a general rule (with a few exceptions), they’re not very open to cuisines different from their own, no matter their social class. Y is no exception. It took years for her to start appreciating European food (but now she especially loves cheeses!). When we travel, she absolutely needs, from time to time, to retreat to a restaurant where she can have rice and fish, or better yet: shrimp.

No problem, we found the perfect spot in Oaxaca. It’s at the corner of Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas and Bustaramante, 100 meters from the Zócalo, and it’s called « Mariscos – La Red» ("The Net"). Having discovered this "ideal" restaurant (from a Thai’s perspective), we went back several times and were never disappointed. Y tried all the shrimp dishes, always with rice (photo), and loved them. 🙂 Excellent food, washed down with a few ice-cold "Sol" beers, friendly service, a nice crowd (you easily chat with the tables next to you), and very reasonable prices (we paid around 300 pesos for two, or 14 €).

Another great spot, especially for breakfast, is at the corner of the Zócalo, at the start of Miguel Hidalgo Street, called Chili Guajili. I particularly enjoyed the Tacos de Coloradito (100 pesos, served with an amazing orange juice—see photo, as well as another great dish). It’s delicious, really satisfying, especially if you add the little sauces they serve on the side. These little sauces, a funny detail, Y calls them "nam chim", as they remind her exactly of the little sauces served in Thailand. Oh, and I almost forgot: it’s also a good place for Wi-Fi.

I mentioned "Sol". Along with the well-known "Corona" (not the virus!), these are my favorite beers in Mexico. They’re refreshing. 😛 I tried a few others but never found a truly excellent beer (I had the same experience in Colombia). However, I’ll give special mention to the "Indio" beer, first for its name, and then for this special edition "Bienvenidos – Edición Muertos" which I find quite amusing (photo).

This brings us back to the central theme of our stay in Oaxaca: the "Día de Muertos" festivities. How could we forget? It’s everywhere. In the evening, for example, some very typical faces among the crowd enjoying themselves around the cathedral (photos). On our way back to our hotel, a bit outside the center, we stumble upon a local celebration. The photo is blurry due to the low light (my phone has its limits), but you’ll recognize all those devil horns and masks that are so much fun.

If you ever want to get into the local spirit, you can either get your face painted in the street or simply buy a mask—you’ll find them everywhere.

But beyond all the skeletons and devils of all kinds, there’s also the more normal vibe of the city. One evening, we’re drawn to music in the middle of the Zócalo. There’s a whole group of musicians performing on the bandstand, and they’re really good. The atmosphere is amazing. 😎 Y starts dancing a few steps, much to the delight of the spectators (she always impresses!). 😉 We strike up a conversation with an American couple, really nice people, and we exchange contact info, but as often happens when traveling, you meet people you really click with and then quickly lose touch... 😐

And on Wednesday evenings, there’s a "danzón" between the Zócalo and the cathedral. "Danzón" is a dance of Cuban origin that’s become very popular in Mexico, though it seems more like a community dance than a specific style. What we see looks more like salsa. Doesn’t matter—people are dancing or watching others dance. It’s relaxed and good-natured. Ah, life is good in this country! 🙂

Hello,

Regarding the archaeological site of Zaachila, you wrote this:

I’m well aware that Zaachila has archaeological significance—it was an important center of Zapotec culture, more or less contemporary with the Monte Albán period (which is only a few kilometers away). But to be honest, we could’ve skipped the 45 pesos entry fee (per person), which added up to a total of 4–5 euros, because there’s really not much to see aside from a mound. The two tombs buried beneath it are open for visits, but it only takes a minute: there’s nothing particularly striking.

What you’re saying is backed up by the *Guide Vert*. Here’s a quote:

« What remains of the last Zapotec capital, aside from stones used by villagers as building material and pottery shards collected by children for years? The site consists of a few grassy mounds and two tombs uncovered in 1962. »

This lockdown is TOUGH ::!!!!!!

We’re not going to Zaachila for the site but more for the market. From what I remember, I think it’s on Thursdays (double-check!)

We’re not going to Zaachila for the site but rather for the market. From what I recall, I think it’s on Thursdays (to be confirmed)

That’s right, it’s on Thursdays. The market is really nice, and we loved the interaction with the locals (though where in Mexico isn’t the contact super friendly?).

I’ll continue this travel journal in the coming days, but in the meantime, I’ve got a lot on my plate with my return trip to Europe (visiting my mom, who really needs my support given the situation). What’s happening with flights these days is pretty problematic. 😕

The borders are closed

Borders are closed

I just checked the France-Diplomatie website: https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/le-ministere-et-son-reseau/actualites-du-ministere/informations-coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-les-reponses-a-vos-questions/

Here’s what it says:

"Returning to France

I’m a French national currently traveling abroad temporarily. Should I return to France immediately?

A/ If you’re a French resident within the European area (European Union, Schengen Zone, United Kingdom).

If you’re a French national with your usual residence outside France but within the European area, we recommend avoiding intra-European travel, even to return to France, unless imperative reasons require it. If you’d need to cross several land borders to get back to France, direct flights should be prioritized whenever possible.

B/ If you’re a French national with your usual residence outside the European area.

We recommend avoiding international travel as much as possible over the next 30 days, even to return to France, unless imperative reasons require it. If you feel it’s necessary to return to France—especially given health concerns—you should contact our embassies and consulates as soon as possible."

(I put a few words in bold)

These are "recommendations," even if they’re strong ones. I’d be very surprised if they refused a French citizen re-entry, especially if it’s to visit elderly relatives.

Okay, in my daughter’s case, since she lives 5 km away, she should be able to come visit us given our age.

pOK in my daughter’s case—she lives 5 km away—she should be able to come visit us given our age

I think it’s best to drop this off-topic discussion and get back (I promise) to the original topic: Mexico.

pOK in my daughter’s case, since she lives 5 km away, she should be able to come visit us given our age

I think it’s best to drop this off-topic discussion and get back (I promise!) to the original topic: Mexico.

yesss! 🙂

Oaxaca – The Tlacolula Valley

While the small town of Tlacolula lends its name to the district, it might not be the main draw for travelers in the valley stretching east of Oaxaca—Mitla and Hierve el Agua are bigger attractions. I’ll come back to those, but let’s start with Tlacolula, where we went on market day. It’s only 30 km from Oaxaca, and you can easily get there by bus in under an hour (20 pesos pp). A tuk-tuk from the main road (the Pan-American Highway) to the town center costs us 15 pesos.

We arrived early in the morning and, while waiting for the market to liven up, we checked out the church. The entrance portal clearly shows indigenous (Zapotec) influence, much like in Chamula (see the SCdlC section). It’s colorful but fairly simple. The main motifs seem to be a tree of life and a repeated floral pattern above the doorway—maybe flowers. All of this contrasts with the more "European" style inside, with its heavily ornate Baroque decor (silver everywhere). We weren’t particularly impressed, having already seen so many stunning Mexican churches.

To be honest, the market didn’t excite us much either, and we didn’t stay long. We might’ve been more interested if we hadn’t already seen the Zaachila market! We continued our journey to Mitla, about a dozen kilometers away, by taxi this time—just 50 pesos.

We wandered through some deserted, uninviting streets, looking for our hotel near the archaeological zone on the town’s higher ground. From the hotel, we had a great view of the surrounding mountains (photo). Hierve el Agua is up in those mountains.

We ate for 185 pesos at a very modest restaurant—really just a private home—right above the shops clustered around Mitla’s famous ruins. There were some nice handicrafts. As usual, the textiles impressed me the most. Check out these vibrant "rugs" displayed outside one of the shops. I usually don’t jump at the first place I see, and it was farther down, away from the "market," where I found what I was looking for. From the street (the "Camino Nacional"), you could see these "rugs" and shirts hanging on lines in a house’s courtyard. It wasn’t really a shop, but we went in a little hesitantly. A young man welcomed us and gave us a demonstration on a loom while chatting with his mother… not in Spanish. We loved the understated, non-garish colors of the "mantenes"—actually meant to be table runners, but they could work for other things too (bedspreads, curtains?). That’s what you see on the left side of the photo. How could we resist? We ended up buying two for 400 pesos after a little haggling. If I’m not mistaken, that’s about half the price you’d find elsewhere.

Speaking of "mantenes," I should mention Huizache, a well-known shop in Oaxaca located halfway between the Zócalo and the Templo de Santo Domingo. They have absolutely everything, all top quality, and there’s plenty of variety. It’s pricier, of course, but this is Mexico—it’s still very affordable. We’d seen some gorgeous textiles there and thought, "Next time." Well, next time it is—for curtains in Y’s house in Isan.

Back to Mitla. Tourist buses start pouring in during the day—all for those famous ruins. We had time to wander and see the Church of San Pablo, planted right in the middle of the ruins and undoubtedly built with recycled stones. Surrounded by impressive cacti, it’s quite striking. From the entrance to the archaeological zone, we could clearly see those well-known ruins, which must’ve been photographed thousands of times (like the photo with the tourist in the red backpack). The style matches the ruins around the church, and it’s not very big. So, we decided to skip the paid visit and saved 75 pesos each. You might say it’s only about 4 euros, but it all adds up—after six weeks, it starts to make a difference! Okay, I admit we were a little stingy, hahaha!

We went back to the church. I love the simple façade—beautiful pink and cream stones. The interior isn’t mind-blowing, but I did notice the religious statues, which, for once, gave saints and holy figures darker, indigenous faces. The indigenous influence, of course, and it made me happy to see. The Virgin’s white robe is stunning.

In the evening, we returned to the central square, looking for a restaurant. There wasn’t much buzz in this little town, and dining options were limited. We settled into the small room at La Ofrenda, next to the Don Cenobio hotel. Our dinner was delicious for 400 pesos, and since the service was great, we left a 50-peso tip for the surprised young waiter.

On our way back to the hotel, we stumbled upon a lively festival on the church steps. We were the only foreigners. They offered us drinks. Sitting on the church steps, we soaked in the joyful atmosphere. I took some photos with my phone. It was night, so the quality was terrible, but when I looked closer, I thought they had a certain oil-painting or watercolor charm. The blur even fit the mysterious vibe of a pagan celebration.

Oaxaca – The Tlacolula Valley: Hierve el Agua

The next morning, we set off for the Hierve el Agua excursion. From where we are, in the "upper" part of Mitla near the archaeological zone, it’s a good kilometer from the main road. Our bags are light, but since we’re not really sure where to find transport to Hierve el Agua, we flag down a tuk-tuk. Five minutes and 20 pesos later, we’re at a "stop" for colectivos. They’re nice, colectivos, but the downside is you have to wait until they’re full before leaving. The wait is long, with passengers trickling in. Finally, we’re on our way, joined by a couple of French-French folks—I mean the kind of French people you run into quite often who can’t string together three correct words in a foreign language—and another couple who turn out to be Québécois. It wasn’t obvious at first because the young woman speaks perfect Spanish, practically without an accent. I’ve always gotten along well with Québécois, and these two are no exception. It turns out they come to Mexico two or three times a year. He’s a freelance photographer, which gives him a lot of freedom to move around.

The colectivo takes the shortest route, a good dozen kilometers to Hierve el Agua. Once past Xaaga, a tiny little village, the road turns into nothing more than a rough, unpaved track, and the colectivo really shakes us around. We wind our way up the mountain I’d photographed the day before from the hotel, and we get stunning views of the valley below. It takes a good half-hour to arrive.

We haven’t eaten anything this morning, not even had a coffee, so our priority is to grab some food. There are a few huts in front of the site entrance. We settle in where we think we might get something decent to eat. The owner bustles around trying to light the fire under the griddle where she’ll make us "tlayudas." The acrid smoke from her efforts drives us as far away as possible from the "kitchen." Check out the photo—you’ll agree this isn’t a five-star setup! But what comes out about ten minutes later are absolutely delicious tlayudas. This dish is so good, I’m sharing a photo of it. If you ever pass through Oaxaca, don’t miss trying it! With two orange juices—excellent, by the way—Y and I pay a total of 235 pesos, which is a bit pricey for Mexico, but it was worth it, no regrets.

The site entrance costs us 25 pesos per person—that’s practically a giveaway! Unfortunately, time has slipped by, and it’s already well past 9 a.m. when we arrive at this much-touted spot for its beauty. Yes, without a doubt, I’d say it’s very beautiful. There are first of all two natural pools bordering a waterfall, all formed by the calcareous deposits from the water washing down the mountain. And it overlooks a breathtaking landscape. You can’t get enough of scanning the mountains stretching out in every direction. Wild mountains—you imagine with a little shiver what it would be like to venture into them for a few days. A mysterious, untouched Mexico, at least untouched by invaders… You think of those repeated descriptions of Castaneda’s travels with his Indian mentors, the "brujos" Don Juan and Don Genaro—there are always endless mountains, dangerous and full of "power." At least, that’s what this author chose to share, because he was heavily disputed, and the accusation of fraud still hangs in the air.

We’re not the first to arrive. There are already a good hundred people occupying the most scenic spots. Especially this one woman in a swimsuit planted right at the edge of the waterfall, smack in the middle of what would otherwise be a stunning scene. Once again, it’s the problem of people hogging the sites and not thinking of others. It’s like those people with ridiculous hats who monopolized the entrance to the church in Chamula… On top of that, this woman is far from having an attractive physique—it’s impossible to take a decent photo. Maybe a little Photoshop? But I’m not a fan of heavy photo editing… Finally, after a long wait, I get the chance to take a few halfway decent photos.

Let’s check out what’s further on. There’s a trail leading to another waterfall about 500 meters from the main site. We arrive at a small basin where the water bubbles out (well, it’s cold, so not exactly bubbling). Against a backdrop of dark green mountains, it’s pretty surreal. The trail continues and descends below the waterfalls. I go alone because Y is starting to get tired. From below, the view of the waterfall is striking, even though there’s not a drop of water today. What must it be like after a good rain!

We head back to the park entrance. Several buses are in the parking lot, waiting for all those tourists who no doubt came straight from Oaxaca. Actually, even though I’m not big on organized tours, taking one of those buses from Oaxaca might be the best option—as long as you take the first one. That way, you’re sure to arrive among the first visitors and enjoy the place more.

We take a colectivo back to Mitla. It’s 50 pesos per person each way—I forgot to mention that earlier. We meet a very friendly Franco-Colombian guy, Nicolas, someone who’s traveled a lot. He confirms what I’d already heard: Mexicans are more open than Colombians. He says he spent years in Medellín without anyone ever opening their door to him…

We wait a good hour at the Mitla bus stop—there isn’t much frequency in transport. Finally, a rickety bus arrives, and we pay 20 pesos per person to get back to Oaxaca. A taxi for 60 pesos takes us to our new hotel, right near the Mercado Benito Juárez. In the late afternoon, after a well-deserved rest, we head out for a strong margarita on the Zócalo (300 pesos), and for dinner—you guessed it—we go back to La Red. Y still hasn’t tried all the shrimp recipes yet!

a well-packed margarita on the Zocalo (300 pesos)

At that price, it must’ve been well-packed indeed…

a strong margarita on the Zocalo (300 pesos)

At that price, it had to be strong indeed…..

It was one margarita each, for me and Y. But yeah, 150 pesos is expensive for Mexico. Though I should mention it was at one of the fanciest bars on the Zocalo, and they didn’t skimp on quantity or strength!

I brought up these "refreshments" so no one thinks I’m cheap!

It's not just in the Riviera Maya where everything is expensive

that kind of French person you run into pretty often who can’t string together three correct words in a foreign language

a woman in a swimsuit planted right at the edge of the waterfall, smack in the middle

those people with ridiculous hats

people who hog the sites and don’t think about others

Plus, this woman is far from having a flattering figure

What can you do, nothing’s right these days, my poor sir! 😎😛

This kind of French person you run into quite often who can’t string together three correct words in a foreign language

A woman in a swimsuit standing right at the edge of the waterfall, smack in the middle

Those people with ridiculous hats

People who hog the sites and don’t think about others

Plus, this woman is far from having an attractive figure

What can you do, nothing’s right these days, my poor sir! 😎😛

Yeah, no point denying it—some things in life are just annoying. It’s not that I’m too hung up on them, there are better things to do, but why hide it and pretend everything’s all sweetness and light? I think it adds a bit of depth to the story, actually.

It’s not just on the Riviera Maya where everything is expensive

I should clarify, though, that this was an exception—things are generally much cheaper, and I might even have gotten the amount we paid for those two (large) drinks wrong. After all, memory can be fuzzy sometimes.

After all, you can have a faulty memory at times.

Let’s just say it was after an excess of the aforementioned drink…

PS: Last winter, a Margarita cost between 70 and 90 pesos.

After all, we can have a failing memory at times.

Let’s just say it was after an excess of the aforementioned drink…..

PS: Last winter, a Margarita cost between 70 and 90 pesos….

No doubt, it was a double Margarita then 🙂. I must’ve mixed up the price I paid for two orders—me and Y—for the price of a single one. My apologies!