Driving to Oaxaca
Written: Jun 25 '01
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Ancient charm; ganga (bargain) shopping; awesome drive!
Cons: Heavy Traffic on narrow streets
The Bottom Line: Any road trip through Mexico would be incomplete without a layover in Oaxaca
|
|
|
| immac's Full Review: Oaxaca |
At first sight Oaxaca was like every other town we'd driven through in Mexico. Not as nice as some, worse than others. Coming into town there was a lot of junk along the road, but the traffic was tolerable until we neared the center of the city. There, the narrow streets became crowded almost bumper to bumper with vehicles of all sorts, mostly old, mostly VWs, with perhaps more private autos than most cities we'd driven through. Although our first impression was disappointing, the drive had more than made up for it.
I hadn't planned Oaxaca (pronounced wah-hock-ah) into our border to border drive through Mexico, until everyone who'd ever been there insisted we must include it in our itinerary.
After hooking into the toll road above Fortin, we climbed through beautiful coastal mountains, up through dense fog into clouds and rain. Although it was hard to see at times, the road was wide, fast, and as smooth as silk. We finally broke out on top and were rewarded with a view of snow capped Mount Orizaba against a backdrop of thick coastal clouds. Not many of us from up north seem to realize that Orizaba is the second highest peak in North America. The road continued through ranch land that turned into open desert densely populated with organ pipe-like cacti. We turned south onto the Oaxaca toll road, which is two lane but has good shoulders and very little traffic. Soon we were into the heart of the rugged Sierras, literally on top of the world. The mountains were simply awesome. As we neared Oaxaca, the land became Sedona, Arizona-like, with rolling hills, steep arroyos and gorges. The land was dotted with scattered villages, their central churches sometimes the only manmade landmarks visible for miles.
In Oaxaca, we stayed in Los Bugambilias, a B & B. As they were everywhere we traveled in Mexico, the hosts, René and Claudia were very cordial and always helpful. Our room was spacious, brightly decorated, comfortable, and the plumbing functioned as intended (a rarity in Mexico). The room came with a Siamese named Felicia who loved to jump on the bed.
Bugambilias' family-owned restaurant, La Olla, not only served the least expensive meals but also consistently the best we sat down to in Oaxaca. The full lunch "Comida Corrida" for two, which included soup, vegetable, chicken, bread, dessert, two bottles of water, coke and XX beer, was under eight U.S. dollars. The B&B's central location also put us within easy walking distance of just about everything we wanted to see or do.
What you want to do most in Oaxaca is shop.
Oaxaca, the least expensive city we encountered on our 34 day drive, is the world capital of bargain shopping. The Stores are almost all contained in old, flat, featureless buildings along narrow streets. Exception: a large area around the museum and Dominican Church is blocked off to only foot traffic. In that area in particular you can expect to see the most amazing variety of original art for sale. The stores themselves are a strange mix indeed. You have to look inside most to find out what they are selling. Signs are rare. Whatever you decide to buy, be sure to haggle. The merchants we encountered expected and seemed to enjoy it. The Mt. Albán gold treasures are on display in the museum. Personally, I'd never known such dazzling treasures had been found in the ruins of Mexico.
Be sure to stroll the Zócalo, noteworthy for huge clusters of plastic balloons and helium filled plastic toys. Oaxaca's architecture is often heroic, but has been allowed to run down, which adds a certain charm to the overall experience. Except for the motorized traffic you could easily imagine yourself caught in a time warp, mysteriously whisked back to the 16th century.
The people who insisted were right. A trip through Mexico would be incomplete without a stay in Oaxaca.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Dec - Feb
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
immac
|
|
Member: E. J. McGill
Location: Tucson, AZ
Reviews written: 62
Trusted by: 9 members
About Me:
Retired Air Force pilot and high school teacher -- presently marketing latest nonfiction book.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.