There are so many places to visit outside the city that making a decision was tough. Most tours are 10 to 12 hours so after much looking and one tour that did not show up, we found a shorter tour for our last day.
A short drive from the city is Santa Marie El Tule, a pretty little place whose claim to fame is a massive tree reported to be 2000 years old. At 58 metres in circumference it is said to be the largest tree in the world. Set in the beautiful gardens of the main square it is amazing and a definite attraction.
Next we were off to visit a weaving family. The process was described and I think everyone was amazed at how nature contributes to the brilliant colors - 65 combinations are possible. Some of the natural dyes included: brown from walnut shells, navy and teal from indigo ( a plant that feels like a rock and is very expensive),red from the parasites on cactus, add lime to the parasites and get orange, add limestone to that mixture and get purple. Just like magic! Of course the rugs are beautiful.
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| The white are the parasites on the cactus to make brilliant colors |
Our final stop was San Paola Mitla. This is a much smaller archeological site than most. In addition to the small site is how intact it is compared to most sites. The palace is believed to have been a place where important people were taken for burial and entrance to the underworld. It is thought to be 1000 years old. The remarkable construction of the bricks seems to have acted as a buffer during past earthquakes and rather than falling down has strengthened the structure.
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| The Catholic Church built atop old ruins |
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| see how the walls go out -earthquake protection |
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| The dark color is original |
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| The designs are intricate- 16 different designs |
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| This show how the stones were cut to help protect the site during earthquakes |
One final adventure in Oaxaca involving a return trip to the 20th de November Market for an eating experience. Thankfully a young fellow speaking English helped us! It was chaos. The smoke filled corridor has station after station of meat that is then cooked over open flames. You offer your meat, pay for your tortillas, order your sides from a different person and order drinks from another person. Surprisingly it all comes toget
Oaxaca has certainly been an interesting place to visit and has so much too offer. It is definitely on my radar for a return trip.
And so 6 days in Oaxaca come to an end. It is truly a fascinating city of about 700000 with so much to offer in the city and surrounding areas, definitely on the list to return to with a group, perhaps for day of the Dead!
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