by friendlyskies » Thu Nov 13, 2008 4:56 pm
So, as I finish up a six-week gig in Oaxaca, Mexico, I feel compelled to recommend it highly. It's by no means a dangerous place, but you could probably play up the [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Oaxaca_protests"]2006 Teachers Union Rebellion[/url] (protests, tear gas, Molotav cocktails etc) and alleged Zapatista activity throughout the state if you felt so inclined. Anyway, here are my biased recommendations for things to do, see, and eat in this sunny southern state:
1. Oaxaca City: Constructed, brick by massive brick, from the ancient Zapotec-Mixtec temples that once defined this ancient capital, it was transformed five centuries ago into an architectural monument to the unapologetic height of Spanish colonial hubris. Anchored by a dozen surreal churches, fortresses on the outside and museums within, the city center is a confection of graceful old buildings hewn from that same light green, almost translucent stone, that have maintained perfect dignity watching the centuries rise and fall. Today they are packed with hip subculture outposts and high-quality tourist claptrap: Excellent restaurants, good nightlife, art galleries everywhere, fine boutique hotels and B&Bs, and fabulous shopping. Come for a festival, perhaps Day of the Dead, Guelguetza (the July folkloric dance fest) or Night of the Radishes (before Christmas), which is even better than it sounds.
2. The Food: Oaxaca is recognized as offering Mexico's finest cuisine, which is saying something. Mole, a term for seven spicy, savory, slow-cooked sauces served on chicken, tamales, enchiladas, just about anything, is the main claim to fame. But Oaxaca is also known for its chocolate, available everywhere in almost any form, but most traditionally served in a huge mug of strong, steaming hot chocolate, made with your choice of water or frothy milk, alongside a small loaf of sweetbread. The mountain communities fix an exquisite baked trout baked in the pungent leaves of a plant called "sacred herb," while the beach communities offer every other kind of seafood, cheap. Throw in a few top Mexican chefs with their own restaurants and a little bit of a rivalry going on, and it's just a foodie destination.
3. The Beaches: With around 350km of underdeveloped (by Costa Rican standards) premium Pacific coastline, you could easily spend your whole vacation just exploring the beaches. From south to north, these include:
Huatulco - a bizarre socialist beachtopia based loosely on Cancun, with all the best resorts (actually super nice ones, as well as the McVacation megaresorts with amazing pools and crappy rooms), plus lots of solid, family-friendly midrange options, fronting all the state's best swimming beaches. Golf course, good restaurants, sport fishing, ATV tours through the woods. The government just began a US$1.4 billion investment package here, too. Oddly, more Mexicans than foreigners vacation here, and it's the only place in Oaxaca where you can drink the tap water.
Zipolite - Burnout beach. The water's too rough to swim, or surf, or even in go in past your knees, but the beach long and beautiful and lined with cheap, crappy hotels filled with coked-out refugees from the backpacking circuit; my room (easily the best of the trip) cost $6 and was 100m from the high tide line, second floor view. Nice people too, smoking weed openly in the bars, which are all made of palm. The north end, punctured by awesome spiraling rocks that frame the sunset, is the nude beach, presided over by venerable Shambala Hotel, offering basic wooden rooms and a zen-monastery-style dorm with the best view ever.
Mazunte - Sea turtles!
Puerto Escondido - The more organic resort town, this fine collection of beaches and solid tourist infrastructure offers one of the world's great bone-breaking beach breaks and a truly epic beach walk, with sidewalks built into the foam sprayed cliff, connecting the main beaches with tiny Carrizillo, a deep inlet ending in steep cliffs protecting a perfect half moon of white sand. Escondido is also a festive party beach.
4. The Ruins: Well, Oaxaca's not the Yucatan, but Oaxaca has plenty of mysterious tombs and temples - none of them as overtrapped as Chitchen Itza or Tulum, either - and one really top-notch lost city, Monte Alban, just 9km from Oaxaca. Go in the late afternoon, the buildings seem designed to catch that light. All the old ruins do, actually. Mitla, 40km from Oaxaca, was preserved by such a random accident in history. The Spanish began dismantling the Zapotec "City of Rest" to build their ginormous church, when they discovered that some of the walls were emblazoned with crosses. Of course, this probably signified the four cardinal directions to the Zapotec or Mixtecs who built it (or perhaps the Southern Cross? they were seafarers). But the Spanish, some of who apparently believed their own bullshit, took it as a sign from god (yeah, Tlaloc haha) to leave the old ruins standing, sort of contiguous with the church. A very odd site. There are dozens of others you can visit, about 7000 total discovered, so far.
5. The Indigenous Ecotourism Projects: Yet another great idea compromised by Mexico's socialist tendencies, about 15 different indigenous groups have constructed what they call "Ecotourism Projects" in some of the most beautiful places you can imagine. Windy pine-forested mountains, above volcano-blue pristine artesian springs, on almost empty Pacific beaches, you name it, they've built these gorgeous little four-person cabins with private bathrooms and chimneys at high altitudes, for $30 per night. Paradise, right? IF YOU CAN LOCATE SOMEONE WITH A KEY. The management on most of these operations borders on criminal. Look, I'm not expecting Costa Rican hospitality here in Mexico, but for crying out loud, can I please speak with someone who has gone through puberty when I'm trying to organize a 30-person tour group? And heaven forbid they answer emails or phone messages. Hah. And if you just show up looking for a room, without reservations, you may be happy or may be fucked, because maybe the ONE PERSON with a key to the cabins went fishing, and might not come back until morning. Oh, and the last collective boat back to the mainland already left, so you're stuck here unless you pay $20 for your own boat back, whether we can open the perfect, idyllic, paradaisical cabin with hand-carve cedar furnishings etc, or not.
OK, I admit, some of them are really professionally run, and have their shit together, but good grief. Regardless, if you make reservations (an office in Oaxaca City can do that for you painlessly) or don't mind a little risk just showing up, these are amazing places you'd never get to sleep without camping gear otherwise. Santa Catarina...the Paloapam....just amazing ecotourism, the real deal with hiking and swimming in nature, building a fire in your fireplace at night. Nice. Tonala Canyon.
6. Valle Apoala
One of the most beautiful places I've ever seen, period, and my highest recommendation for Oaxaca State.
"4 cylinder Camaro=communism" El Presidente
"You can smoke salmon but it's not quite the same as smoking heroin." nanuq