Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
So my stay in Oaxaca was brief but busy. I arrived on Friday 21st March at 6am after a 6.5 hour journey and left on another night bus at 9pm Saturday 22nd March 2008.
Despite the fact that I arrived at a hostel on Good Friday with no reservation, I got a bed straight away at my first choice of hostel. It was another really nice place, and the lockers here even had key locks. Very upmarket. I was in a girls only dorm and climbed (top bunk) straight into bed. When I emerged at 10am I felt a little disorientated, felt like it should be Saturday not Friday, but it was excellent to have effectively gained a day by taking a night bus. I was instantly converted, they are the way forward! Anyway I headed out to check out the place and get some food. I was very efficient today and bought my bus ticket to San Cristobal for the next night, booked a tour for tomorrow, and even managed to do some clothes shopping (a major achievement and necessary evil as my clothes were disintegrating at an alarming rate). I finally got some jeans and felt like myself again and even bought a white halter top at one of the markets. In amongst all of this excitement I still managed to take photos and get a feel for the place. Oaxaca is the city that the Mexicans tell you to visit. It is easy on the eye, relaxed and with the Semana Santa festivities had a really good vibe to it. I'd arranged to meet up with Claudia (I'd met her that morning at the dorm) for dinner tonight and to go to a Guelaguetza show (traditional dancing). After that we went up to the roof terrace at the hostel and hung out on the sun loungers until we got cold and tired.
Saturday morning I amazed Claudia (and myself) with my efficiency as within an hour of getting up I showered, packed, checked out, stored my backpack and valuables, had breakfast, said goodbye, and on time, joined my tour. Wow. The tour started at Teotitlan del Valle, where we saw a demonstration on how they make rugs and then heard the sales pitch- 'special price for you'. I actually really wanted to buy one, they were so nice, but knew carrying it would be painful so i didn't. Then we went to Mitla, another set of ruins, but much smaller than the other sites I'm visiting. After that was El Tule, a massive, very old tree in the most picturesque town I have ever seen. Then, lastly we went to Monte Alban, the larger ruins near Oaxaca. They were again very impressive, and the tough climb for the view was of course completely worth it. I was quite tired after all this, so I stocked up on jam tarts and other sugary, bad food to refuel my energy and keep me awake until I got on the night bus. I hung around at the hostel until 8pm, then got my stuff and went to bus station.
Sarah xxxxxx
- comments