Monte Alban

September 2008
Monte Alban, Mexico

We caught a bus to nearby archeological site Monte Alban, overlooking modern Oaxaca city.



Monte Alban is a pre-Colonial city dating back to approximately 500-BC.








Los Dazantes (the dancers) are stone carvings which have been excavated around Monte Alban. Archeologists suggest that the glyphs are images of rulers of neighboring cities, shortly after ceremonial castration following defeat.




Tombs at Monte Alban have been unearthed and many of the skulls feature peculiar cranial excavations suggesting unusual historical medical practices. Me duele mi cabeza. Mucho.



Sun dial at Monte Alban:

Oaxaca City

September 2008
Oaxaca City, Mexico

We flew into Oaxaca City and caught a colectivo to our hotel on the zocalo, Maques Del Valle. The hotel offered a prime location, clean rooms and a good restaurant to sample the local mole. After settling in at our hotel, we hit the streets. The government building on the zocalo was decorated for Independence Day and the square was alive with music and lights.



Santo Domingo church is located a few blocks north of the zocalo and is reminiscent of extraordinary European cathedrals.


Inside the cathedral.



An Oaxaca historical museum is located in the monastery adjacent to the cathedral. The artifacts in the museum are impressive, such as this skull from pre-Colonial Monte Alban:



The architecture of the buildings is almost equally impressive.



From the monastery, there were views across the adjacent botanical gardens to the Sierra Madre mountains. In all, the Santo Domingo Cultural complex covers four city blocks.



Kate in the zocalo outside Santo Domingo.


The streets between zocalo and Santo Domingo were artsy and boutique with numerous cafes and galleries.


The city had a hip, modern, vibe with excellent coffee shops, bars and restaurants.



At the north end of the Zocalo, and adjacent to our hotel was the 18th century Oaxaca cathedral.


The zocalo never sleeps with music, marches, parades and speeches. We slept to the sound of chatter and music on the street and awoke to Mexican bands.


There are a series of markets south of the zocalo. You want pan (bread), there's a city block of markets for that. You want baby clothes, there's a city block of markets for that. You want meat or fish...?


We toured Oaxaca, including Monte Alban in one day. Given the chance, we could have spent another few days in Oaxaca City.

Death Valley