In and Around Oaxaca

In and Around Oaxaca

We drove the roughly 500km to Oaxaca from Tuxtla Gutiérrez over two days, stopping at a hotel en route because the temperatures were very hot at sea level and it would have been uncomfortable sleeping in Big Bertha. Oaxaca is at around 1500m and much cooler. Our first stop was at Mitla, just outside Oaxaca – yes, another ancient ruin and subject of separate blog. Ursula joined us here and we next drove in convoy to Hierve el Agua to see one of the world’s only two petrified waterfalls.

On the way to the falls we stopped at a traditional Mezcal distillery for an explanation on how it is made and a tasting. Mezcal is made by first harvesting and cooking mature agave plants in underground pits or earthen ovens to release sugars. The cooked agave is then crushed to extract the sweet juice, called aguamiel. This juice is fermented in open vats using natural yeasts to convert the sugars into alcohol. Finally, the liquid is distilled, typically twice, in clay or copper stills, to create the final spirit (thank you Google). Francine and Ursula could not stomach the raw Mezcal alcohol, but rather liked a milder version mixed with passion fruit. Two bottles purchased!!

The falls were quite spectacular and we very much enjoyed our visit, more so, because we camped there overnight and were the only people there at sunset and sunrise. Special!

We next drove to a campsite just outside Oaxaca which was our home for the week. The campsites in Mexico have been very good, with this one being no exception. Hot showers, a pool and BBQs – excellent.

In between the more mundane activities like laundry and food shopping, we explored the local village of El Tule or caught the bus into the historic centre. Oaxaca has a lot to explore: a cathedral and many churches, an excellent museum, markets and restaurants. We randomly had lunch at the ‘La Popular’ and enjoyed the food, service and vibe so much we returned another two times. We tried chicken with a mole sauce (yum!) and “tlayuda” (a baked or toasted large tortilla, with various toppings – a bit like a Mexican pizza), which originated in the Oaxaca region.

We visited the Cultural Museum, situated in a lovely building – the former Convent, adjoining Santo Domingo church, where amongst other artifacts we saw the the very impressive items recovered from ‘Tomb 7’ at Monte Alban.