VISIT OAXACA

Today is a beautiful day. Every afternoon or early evening it has been raining, so while it is hot, there is a nice cool breeze.

I think this is my fifth or sixth morning following the same routine. I get up and head for the coffee shop in the Zocalo. For about an hour, I drink coffee, read or write and then head next door for breakfast. I know the breakfasts are more expensive around the Zocalo, but I love watching the action; the shoe-shiners setting up their posts for the day, old men reading newspapers, the sound of the marimba, the balloon vendors. Mornings in the Zocalo aren't exactly exciting, but there is an intangible charm, a charisma that brings a smile to my face.

Oaxaca is alive again.

So, you can imagine the urgency I felt to write this entry when I read the local newspaper. There was an article about how the head of Oaxacan State Tourism is begging the US ambassador to Mexico to lift the travel warnings against Oaxaca. I actually just looked at the current travel warnings and I did not see a warning for Oaxaca, however, if any one reading this blog has any doubt about the state of affairs in this wonderful vibrant city, I am here to set you straight.

Oaxaca is back to a point where I don't feel like I ever left. Every Sunday, the Zocalo erupts with live music, kissing couples and families. All the stores are open as are the restaurants and museums. Even the European tour groups can be seen following their tour guides little red flag like confused children. In fact, since El Conflicto, there are more new hotels, bars and restaurants replacing the ones who could not stay in business before. The bar scene is also up and running again with more bars to circulate through.

I think I had forgotten during my time in San Cristobal how deep my connection with Oaxaca is. There are quite a few foreigners of all ages who choose to call this city home. With that said, the Oaxacans themselves are so accepting (and tolerant) that most personal interactions are a pleasant experience. Really, I cannot describe how happy it makes me to see the city free of graffiti and full of laughter.

I will end this entry with a few suggestions of things to see and do in Oaxaca for the next time you visit.

Sights within Oaxaca city-limits:

• The ice cream market in front of the church called La Soledad on Av. Independencia. Here you can try sorbets in variety of flavors, both standard and exotic, in a nice shady plaza.


• The carne asada market located in the building behind the Mercado 20 de Noviembre. The smell of barbecue smoke may be a little over-whelming, but it is worth it. Here, in a long and skinny hallway you can eat the most authentic carne asada in possibly the entire country. Don't miss the roasted onions and fresh tortillas.


• The Friday Tianguis one block from El Llano. A tianguis is a sort of flea-market where anything and everything can be sold. The one on Fridays in Oaxaca is very eclectic.


• San Felipe del Agua. This is a nice park/nature reserve with waterfalls. During the driest season (March-May) the falls might only be a trickle, but the park is still a nice natural get-away in the middle of town.

Lastly, if there is one day-trip that I can recommend doing during a visit to Oaxaca, it would have to be visiting Hierve El Agua. All the tour companies in the city offer tours to this amazing natural phenomenon. Although the name translated in to English is "Boil the Water," Hierve el Agua is not a hot spring. Set high in the mountains, it is a cold spring that at one time produced large waterfalls that have since petrified down the cliff-side. What is left is a series of natural pools that culminate in one big pool that is literally a natural infinity pool. Once again, I recommend NOT going during the driest season (March to May).

There are a plethora of places to stay in Oaxaca and the city can accommodate everyone from a backpacker on a budget to the 5-star socialite. If you have any question about where exactly to stay, just leave me a comment and I'll try to give you a recommendation.