Checking in from Oaxaxa
 

On my 4th of 5 days/nights here.

Thanks for the hotel suggestion, crellston.

Have heard a lot of moaning from others about lodgings. Airbnb may be an option although the hotel does have A/C.

Took a taxi up to Monte Alban for 200 MXN (gringo price). I wanted to be there ahead of the tour groups (good move). Was picked up at 6:45, walked the road up with others doing morning exercise, and reached the ticket window at 8 am. Walked around the back first where it was quiet, then at 9 am the masses hit the plaza. The site pales in comparison to those in the Yucatan.

Shared a taxi back with three Canadians who were tired of waiting for the Lesca bus. 50 each. Was told that the Lesca bus is now 100 return?

Everything seems to be about 20 pesos more than quoted LOL.

Not really feeling Oaxaca. A lot of dazed looking old gringos really stand out, along with the mezcal seeking hipsters. Too many galleries around St Domingo. Reminds me of a version of Sedona, which I hate!

Had two better days with a local guide up in Sierra Norte and around his town, looking for birds, of course. Good food at Restaurante Colibrí Sierra Norte on 175.

Awful service at Casa Oaxaca at lunch today. Quininde was good.

Enjoyed the Tamayo collection.

One of the hotel staff took me for a quick walk through Abasto after his shift. Have never seen a honey section before!

Looking forward to Mexico City.

Sorry you don’t seem to be enjoying Oaxaca. We didn't see too many gringos, Mezcal seeking or otherwise, when we were there ( ok I was guilty of visiting one two Mezcal bars!) .

Monte Alban pales into comparison to the sites in the Yucatán - wow! Now I have to visit the Yucatán! Were considering a return to Oaxaca at te end of the year but may need another plan - Yucatán into Guatemala perhaps.

"others were moaning about Accomodation"? Hotel Corazón? Surely not! That was one of my favourite places on our Mexicano trip.

Sorry I wasn't clear that the moaning was about OTHER hotels, not Corazon! (Eg they expensive for what you get, noisy, no AC, etc). I thought Corazon was fine with a few minor quibbles not worth mentioning. Oaxaca has apparently become "in". Maybe you were lucky with your timing, as it's now snowbird season. Gringolandia is concentrated around Santo Domingo. Many browsing the boutiques and trying to navigate on their cellphones.

i had a better day today, wandered a few of the markets ( actually liked the small organic one "La Cosecha".) Had a nice combo of tejate and pumpkin ice there. Also like the looks of the neighborhood around Jardin Conzati. Ran out of time for the Contemporary Art museum but enjoyed the Oaxaca Painters one.

I'll post more about Yucatan when I'm home. Palenque, Uxmal, etc...

Killing time at the OAX airport..2 hour flight delay. should I have done the bus?
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...21c24d0b93.jpg
Chapulines anyone?

Moved to Mexico and Central America and tagged for Mexico

It shouldn't have been a huge surprise that you found plenty of gringos in Oaxaca. I'd say Oaxaca probably occupies the 3rd most popular non-beach expat destination/home behind Chapala/Ajijic and San Miguel. Another indicator would've been the high number of Oaxaca oriented posts here on Fodor's. Which isn't exactly known for off-the-gringo-trail travel. That's why I keep pimping Veracruz & Hidalgo.
I as well enjoyed Colibrí. Centro De Abastos I thought was uninteresting. Primarily wholesale bulk items offered to local vendors & resellers.

We've discussed it here before & I'll mention it again - it depends on when you go. I've spent the month of November in Oaxaca & again for the month of February and there was a serious shortage of N. Americans. So the good news is that a Gringified Oaxaca is perfectly avoidable. And the good news for me is if I want to go back I know to avoid January, pretty simple. And the weather was great on both trips so not sure why everyone feels the need to be there all at the same time, a mystery.

I was looking for some chicosapote so the employee from Corazon walked me through the middle covered section where it's mostly food and comedors. What was fun was seeing him greet all of his cousins (his grandma had a comedor) and then walking his daughter and niece back up toward town. And I wasn't assaulted by anyone trying to sell me paintings on cloth (who are those guys). I agree that a normal tourist should pick one of the other options.

I'll be back again and am now interested in places you are pimping, after ticking the more obvious ones.

It probably was also the contrast from other places like Puebla and Palenque. Not sure that the other months would differ. There seemed to be a conspicuous number of pairs or trios of Boomer Anglos. Maybe due to the concentration of galleries where I was walking. It diminished as I reached the NE sector near that park.

I'm missing your point regarding "other months". In any case, if the park you're referring to is Conzati, it's an area I walked through most days and isn't indicative any month of the numbers of tourists as it's out of the colonial center, few accommodations in the area, almost entirely residential (a few Airbnbs). I agree that it's a very pleasant part of town, leafier than most even away from the park. When you will see more visitors nearby is on Friday for the terrific market at El Llano park but there isn't much reason for them to go to Conzati, just a couple of blocks away, so it's lovely & quiet & local. I went by often because it was a favorite route to where I was staying farther north. I hope to find a place nearby should I decide to spend more time in Oaxaca, a possibility (but not in January).

I had a similar experience in Oaxaca after arriving from Puebla in August a few years ago. It took me a day or two to acclimate and just take the town on its own terms, as a beautiful, interesting place that does see many tourists of which I am one, though not a Boomer (had to say that, though it's gratuitous, I suppose!). In other words, I decided to get over it and enjoy. It's possible that it's busier with snowbirds in January.

Correcting the name of the restaurant that I liked: El Quinque. Still had plenty of gringos as customers. Reasonably priced, though.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura...rn_Mexico.html

Correcting the name of the restaurant that I liked: El Quinque. Still had plenty of gringos as customers. Reasonably priced, though. It was one of the recommended places from con Corazon.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura...rn_Mexico.html