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The thing I like best about Oaxaca is the zocalo, the central plaza. It's a perfect place to sit, drink a cerveza and watch the people.

Oaxaca, Mexico, September 1995

Dougburnett
2003-11-22 11:32:41

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The thing I like best about Oaxaca is the zocalo, the central plaza. It's a perfect place to sit, drink a cerveza and watch the people. It's always busy, full of locals and tourist, going about their business or having a meal. And the large trees and absence of motor vehicles means it's peaceful. It's a perfect place to rest your feet after a day of walking.

I went to Oaxaca for five days in September, 1995 - a day or two more would have been nice but you can easily see everything in that amount of time. September is in the rainy season but I was in luck - it was sunny almost every day I was there. The days were warm (high 70's) but it can get real cool at night as Oaxaca is almost a mile high, so take a jacket. I had always heard how nice Oaxaca was and I wasn't disappointed.

The first problem, after I decided to go, was where to stay. After checking the guide books, I picked the Fortin Plaza about a mile (a N$10 taxi ride or a 20 minute walk) from the center. I figured it would be quiet out there and it was. It was off season and for much of my stay I was the only one in the hotel. (By the way, don't let them give you a room in the front of the hotel which faces a fairly busy - and noisy - road.) I made my reservation through a local travel agent for three nights at $70 per. I had tried calling the Fortin directly but couldn't get anybody who spoke English - and that turned out to be the case while I was there too. When I decided to add two more nights I was charged $35 per night - need I say more?

I flew down from Michigan on Northwest to Mexico City and then Aeromexico to Oaxaca on Thursday, September 7. A van from the airport to my hotel was N$23. After I checked in - at about 6:00 in the evening - I walked down to the zocalo for dinner and a quick look around before dark.

In the morning (Friday) I headed ...