Suggestions from a Senior Couple Visiting Oaxaca for One Week

SUGGESTIONS FROM A SENIOR COUPLE VISITING OAXACA FOR ONE WEEK
MARCH 7-14, 2006


We hope that our experience and suggestions may be helpful to seniors, and others, planning to travel to Oaxaca for the first time.

1. Transportation:
Airfare from Miami to Oaxaca is quite expensive, from $500-600 per person R/T. Therefore we used our airline miles for free tickets.
If you have a long layover in Mexico City, as we did, you can use the Centurion Lounge near Concourse E, if you have an AMEX Gold Card.
If you would like to save some money on Oaxaca airport transfers use Transporte Terrestre Aeropuerto shuttles which cost 32 pesos/person instead of a private taxi at 130 pesos. We found them to be reliable and right on time for our 7am return pickup.

2. Hotel:
We stayed Las Mariposas Hotel and Studio/Apts.
We highly recommend it because our double room was clean and quiet and opened up onto a patio with tables and chairs where the guests had their simple breakfast (included) every morning at 8-9.30am.They serve cold cereals, yogurt, papaya, assorted breads, butter, jam, coffee and tea.
The staff is very friendly and helpful specially Lucia Davila, the live-in manager.
The rooms do not have AC but, even though the temperature was about 80-85F during the day, it cooled down to 55-65F at night and we kept the room cool by closing our windows during the day, opening them in the evening and using a fan for circulation.
Near the entrance about 20 US University students are living for three months on a study trip. They live their own lives and do not venture to the hotel’s interior where the 10 new rooms surrounding the private patio are in their own calm world.
The double room cost $US40/night which we found to be very reasonable.
See: www.lasmariposas.com.mx
las_mariposas@hotmail.com
011-951-515-5854

3. Monte Alban:
We strongly feel that this AWESOME arqueological site is a must see above all else.
Some suggestions to get as close as possible to understanding it:
a) Make sure that you are on the correct side of the plane so that you can get an aerial view when arriving.
b) Do not try to see the site yourselves with only a guidebook since you will only understand very little about its importance.
We were extremely lucky to meet a wonderful guide at the entrance to the site. Although we were wary about getting ripped off, we, along with 3 kids from Slovenia, a Canadian, and 2 women from England and Italy contracted this cool looking young man called Juan Peralta .For 2 ½ hours he talked about the architecture, history, religion, medicine, food and, above all, the Zapotec culture. He brought us, as close as possible to knowing this mystical site.
Contact him at guiasjuan@hotmail.com or 044-951-103-4004.
c) If you can you should visit the Museo Regional de Oaxaca before going to the site since its many exhibits including the gold objects from tomb 7 and a video on the site discovery will better prepare you for the site visit.



4. Santo Domingo Complex:
Another do not miss!
We already mentioned the Museo.
The Church of Santo Domingo, next to the ex convent, now the Museum is stunning.
And…still more…the Ethno-Botanical Garden behind the Museum, a wonder, has thousands of native plants including ancient cacti and almost extinct species .It is fabulous and has guided visits, in Spanish, at 10am and 5pm most days (enquire for English tours).

5. Restaurants:
We have two favorites:
a) La Biznaga has absolutely delicious Oaxacan fusion food in a laid back inner patio with a removable canvas roof and background jazz-world music. Enjoy scrumptious food and relaxing atmosphere. See at www.labiznaga.org .At Garcia Vigil 512, 951-516-1800
b) Don Juanito is a very modest small restaurant specializing in steamed tacos and pozzole. We ate there three times in the evening for a light supper since our main meal was between 2-4pm.
At: 20 de Noviembre 103 between Hidalgo e Independencia.

6. Cooking Class:
Pilar Cabrera, chef and owner of La Olla Restaurant offered a wonderful cooking class at La Casa de Los Sabores Bed and Breakfast. It started at 9.30am with a very informative visit to a neighborhood market, La Merced, about 3 hours cooking, and then eating the courses at a sit down lunch ending at 2.30pm.The menu was:
Quesadillas de Flor de Calabaza
Salsa de Tomate y Chile de Agua
Mole Negro
Arroz a la Mexicana
Helado de Pétalos de Rosa
Agua de Pepino y Apio

The kitchen was large enough so that the 10 chef-helpers could all participate while I took pictures and shared the delicious meal with the cooks.
We found the price to be very reasonable at $US60 for my participating wife and $US20 for myself as onlooker and lunch guest.
See: http://www.mexonline.com/OAXACA/sabores1.htm

7. Visiting Surrounding Towns:
We found that our Sunday trip with Descubre Tours,Independecia 308,just in front of the Cathedral gave us a great tour at a very reasonable cost.
On a Sunday we saw the Tule Tree, Teotitlan del Valle weavers(Ernesto Vasquez family), Sunday market and cathedral in Tlacolula and the Mitla arqueological site(free on Sunday).
We were picked up at our hotel in an air conditioned van at 10am and returned to the hotel at 4pm; 6 hours with a guide for 150 pesos/person.
This compared with our Friday trip to the Ocotlan market,etc. which took 4 hours at 130 pesos/hour and just a driver.

8. Oaxaca Evenings:
When looking at our itinerary below you can see that we were very lucky since the 8th International Dance Festival of Oaxaca was going on. Thus we were able to see several free outdoor performances at the Santo Domingo Square as well as a modern dance recital by a Chilean modern dance company in the stunning Macedonio Alcala Theater.
We suggest that you read the local newspaper and keep your eye out for street posters. We were able to see a very interesting trio,Pasatono, in a free concert of Oaxacan Mixteca music.
Do not miss the Guelaguetza folk dancers in the Monte Alban Hotel, near the Zocalo, daily at 8.30pm at 100 pesos/person for a 1½ hour show with 10 numbers from different regions of Oaxaca.
Finally…there is always something, or several things going on in the Zocalo.
Have a beer, a hot chocolate or whatever strikes your fancy and enjoy!

9. Budget:
Hotel $US 300
Food 200
Touring (3 trips) 100
Museums, concerts 40
Taxis-airports 60
Gifts 100
Airfare (points) 0

TOTAL $US 800
Extremely economical without being deprived of anything essential to the happy and very fruitful learning experience.


10. Pacing Yourselves:
My wife and I are both in our 70’s and require some rest during the day in order to enjoy an active evening.
As you can see by our itinerary below we toured in the mornings and early afternoon. Then we had our big meal between 2-4pm (as is the custom in Oaxaca).
We then had our daily rest/nap from 4-6pm and then went out to concerts, people watching and a late but like snack of tacos, crepes, ice cream, etc.
We had a very active, satisfying and happy week without any problem.


OAXACA ITINERARY
March 7 – 14, 2006



Tuesday, 3/7 AA 2199, dep MIA 7.29am, arr MEX 9.55am.Change money ATM
American Express Gold Card Hospitality Club
MEX 7207, de MEX 1.20pm, arr OAX 2.20pm
Transporte Colectivo
Hotel Las Mariposas (7 nights)
Rest 4-6pm
Free dance concert, Kilikam Hindu Group, Santo Domingo Square
Dinner at El Bar Jardín in Zocalo-Botana Oaxaqueña
Return-9pm


Wednesday, 3/8 Morning: Cooking Class and Lunch, Pilar Cabrera, 9.30am – 2.30pm
Casa de los Sabores
Rest 3-5pm
Museo Regional de Oaxaca, Santo Domingo
Free dance concert, Monumental Danza de la Pluma de Zaachila, Santo
Domingo Square
Teatro Macedonio Alcalá-Hunab Kú Modern Dance Group, Chile
Late snack at La Creperie


Thursday, 3/9 Special bus to Monte Alban-9.30am
Tour with Juan Peralta, 10-12.30pm
Lunch at La Biznaga 2-3pm
Rest 4-6pm
Window shopping 6-8pm
Oaxacan Folk Dance Group, Hotel Monte Alban, 8-10pm


Friday, 3/10 Private Taxi 10am-2pm
Ocotlan-Friday Tianguis Market
Santo Tomas Jalieza-Market with embroidered belts and woven products
San Martin Tilcajete-Jacobo Mendoza family, painted wood figures
Lunch at La Biznaga 2.30-3.30pm
Rest 4-6pm
Zocalo-Folk Dance Competition
Light supper, tacos at Don Juanito


Saturday, 3/11 Ethno-Botanical Garden Tour, Santo Domingo 10-11.30am
Museo Rufino Tamayo 12-1pm
Oaxaca Saturday Market 1-3pm
Typical Comida Corrida lunch at El Buen Gourmet 3-4pm
Rest 4-6pm
Concert of Mixteca Music, Pasatono, Library 7.30-9.30pm
Light supper, tacos,pozzole at Don Juanito


Sunday, 3/12 Descubre Oaxaca Tours 10am-4pm
Santa Maria del Tule, Tree and Church
Teotitlan del Valle, Ernesto Vasquez family, woven wool tapestries
Tlacolula, Sunday Market and Cathedral
Mitla Ruins
Rest 4-6pm
Zocalo
Light supper at Don Juanito

Monday, 3/13 Shopping at craft stores, craft market, other stores.
Isabel lost for 45 minutes
Comida Corrida lunch at La Olla 3-4pm
Rest 4-6pm
Zocalo, Marimba Concert

Tuesday, 3/14 Transporte Colectivo 7am
MEX 214, dep OAX 8.25am, arr MEX 9.30am
AA 2198 dep MEX, 10.58am, arr MIA 2.50pm