mlgb

Yes, we did go round trip from Palenque, part of a bigger bird/ruin tour. We flew in and out of Villahermosa which has the outdoor La Venta park (relocated Olmec sculptures worth the visit). Our hotel in Villahermosa was the Hyatt Regency downtown. Hotel in Palenque was Hotel Mision Palenque (3 nights). We left the hotel early and had breakfast on the way (Parador Vallescondido) which seems set up for groups. Then the 10 am boat ride (about an hour one way). Yaxchilan is a wonderful site in the jungle and the ruin climbers had a field day. I think most of us would have liked more time there, it was only a few hours. According to my notes we left the site about noon, had lunch on the way back to hotel. It doesn't seem we went to Bonampak, I would have remembered the murals

mlgb

For the record I have tried to reply to Fra three times at 9AM and am being held in moderation. The short answer is yes, it was part of a tour and was a day excursion from Palenque.

Fra_Diavolo

Thanks -- I'll look forward to reading your reply when it's freed!

Fra_Diavolo

Thanks for the details!

michaelpianko

Revised supposed itinerary, deleting Tula, adding Mitla
Saturday: Flights to Oaxaca City

Sunday: Museo de las Culturas Oaxaca; if open, Museo Rufino Tamayo; if time, Museo Casa de Juárez, Centro Fotográfico Alvarez Bravo; Museo Belber Jiménez; Museo del Palacio; if time briefly possibly the churches Santo Domingo de Guzmán (7-1 & 4-8), Templo de San Felipe Neri, and/or others.

Monday: Day trip to Monte Albán

Tuesday: Whatever of Sunday's sights not seen yet

Wednesday: Day trip to Mitla

Thursday: Plane to Mexico City



Friday: Museo Nacional de antropología. Possibly walk through Chpultepec park or past El Ángel de la Independencia, and/or possibly one of the markets.

Saturday: possibly a guided tour or Zócalo, Templo Mayor, Museo del Templo Mayor, Palacio Nacional (Diego Rivera murals), various monuments

Sunday: Day trip to Teotihuacán

Monday: Museo Soumaya (Carlos Slim's art museum), if time Palacio Bellas Artes, walk past various monuments

Tuesday: Museo Firda Khalo. Possibly Mercado de Coyoacán or Antojitos Mexicanos Market Juanita. Back to Centro Historico. If time, if not seen yet, Palacio de Bellas Artes, Alameda Central park, various monuments.

Wednesday: Tlatelolco (Zona arqueológica, Plaza), if time, if not seen yet: above musems, museo Franz Mayer, Monumento a la Revolución

Thursday: Museo Nacional De Arte, possibly Museo Nacional De San Carlos

Friday: Another museum, Museo Nacional de Antropología again, and/or more self-guided touring.

Saturday: Flights back to Detroit

michaelpianko

In your judgment, would it be possible, reasonable, and/or safe to see Mitla and Hierve el Agua the same day?

It looks like from Mitla to Hierve el Agua is under 11 miles but a 48 minute drive. From the middle of Oaxaca city to Hierve el Agua is under 38 miles and a 1 hour and 31 minute drive.

If you were me (solo man traveler, doesn't drink alcohol so a side trip to a mescal distillery wouldn't be of interest, likes the idea of doing things on my own but keeps imagining my horrified mother yelling at me about how dangerous my plans are), would you sign up for an organized day trip, rent a car, or try taking the bus and/or colectivo or taxis?

My budget is low but not disgustingly low. I would consider renting a car if it would be my safest option depending on cost. I don't like to spend more than necessary.

If I travel from Oaxaca city to Mitla first, on the bus, intending to go from there to Hierve el Agua, will I have to put up with arriving in Mitla without knowing whether I will be able to get a ride to and/or from Hierve el Agua?

chrisdaniel0933

Consider possibly busing from Oaxaca to Mexico City, with a two night, one full day, stop over in Puebla. Yes, doing that is comfortable and quite safe. And, the route has some attractive scenery. Figure 4 hours for busing from Oaxaca to Puebla, and later 2+ hours from Puebla to Mexico City. In Puebla I especially like the Museo Amparo. Moving around Mexico City can be hectic.For me 6 days there (rather than the 8 days in your plan) would be sufficient. Travel as if you'll be coming back to Mexico someday, rather than trying to rush to as many "sights" as possible into the time that you have available.

It's generally less stressful, especially for first time visitors to the county, to use public transportation (such as a tour to Mitla and Agua Hervida; or paying for a taxi for a day for that purpose) rather than renting a car and driving places yourself.

mlgb

OP, when you get to Oaxaca, ask your hotel or hostel how much a taxi would be and if you need to ask the taxi to wait for you. Speak to a travel agency in town about a private tour. You are overthinking everything.There is no way that someone with your anxiety levels should rent a car.

michaelpianko

Guilt for doing something that I was conditioned to feel or perceive is dangerous and/or guilt due to the possibility of traveling in the wrong manner, skipping something I could have seen that would have been of interest to me, is what I feel rather than anxiety about travel itself; and/or part of my brain might feel afraid that I will have to acquiesce to concluding that my mother is right that solo travel is dangerous. Tentatively, I would like to avoid renting a car, although I am open to renting a car in case having a car for parts of my trip if a rental car would allow me to take day trips better than using buses or taxis or shared taxis; part of my brain needs to avoid feeling guilty for not renting a car or otherwise doing my trip wrong. If part of my brain needs the experience of travel and another part of my brain is anxious, I would rather sublimate the anxiety and go with the part of my brain that need the experience.

So far I rented a car once in my life, when I went to southwest Florida, in December 2021. It worked out ok. I picked the car up at the airport and had it for my whole trip. I told the employee that I wanted the maximum amount of insurance but that I would buy gas for the car just before returning it. I used google maps on my phone to dictate driving directions. I guess I could have checked paper maps or looked up directions in advance, if my phone had died or if I had thought I might not get cell phone service.

crellston

Nobody here can make these decisions for you. I am sure many here will have opinions on your psychological state, relationship with your mother etc. that you keep referencing but no one is qualified or able to provide reasoned advice on these issues. I would seriously suggest consulting a suitably qualified professional - a psychiatrist/psychologist maybe start by asking your own GP for advice.

Back to travel ...

If you don't want to rent a car, don't. It is that simple. I have rented cars all around the world, Africa, USA, Europe, Asia, Australasia. There are maybe a couple of places where I decided not to because it was too dangerous. A couple more where it just didn't make sense because public transport was so convenient and good, that it didn't make any sense to rent a car. Mexico fell into that latter category, I just don't think it is necessary or advisable to rent a car in Mexico unless you have no alternative or you have a specific reason. Apart from that, I agree with mlgb that someone with your levesl of anxiety should not rent a car.

As for guided tours I have an inbuilt aversion to these and rarely use them ( though I did thoroughly enjoy the personal guided tour of downtown of LA hosted by Tdiddy and mlgb earlier this year!). I have a short attention span and really don't listen to tour guides commentary but we did take a tour which covered Mitla and Hierve el Agua in the one day and it worked well. We didn't have to worry about where to go and we packed a lot into that single day, way more than we would have managed independently . I didn't have to stand an listen to interminably boring (to me) facts about this ruin or that tree and could do my own thing. I viewed the tour more as a means of getting from A to B than an actual guided tour. As a solo traveler, you would also likely get to meet other traveller which you would renting a car.
Our tour did include a visit to a Mescal place which I would think most people would find interesting regardless of whether or not they happen to drink alcohol.

mlgb

Good point that no one forces you to drink the mezcal. The bigger objection I have to tours is the forced shopping (you can bet that most group tours are going to include a stop at a favored vendor in Teotitlan del Valle) and no choice of where to eat. But often it really is the only viable option to see several spots in a day.

crellston, bodyguard services included at no added cost.

I would look at the various options on Viator and pick one that has the most time at Mitla and Hierve del Agua.

Alternatively you could go to Mitla by bus on one day and look for a half-day Hierve el Agua tour separately (especially if you wanted to hike there, I don't think most of the all inclusive group tours allow more than an hour).

crellston

"bodyguard services included at no added cost." and much appreciated - I had no idea LA was such a dangerous place.

MmePerdu

Why the change of heart, C.??

crellston

Simply because this has gone on long enough. I am now getting seriously concerned for this person. This is a travel forum and not a source of counselling. The moderators should have stepped in long ago.

MmePerdu

Apparently my concern was premature. Silly me.

briyit607

Does anyone know how the covid restrictions are for Mexico?

baldone

Almost nonexistent.

tom42

lol. You must feel validated. Also, not sure why the moderators would step in or what they would do if they did step in.

MmePerdu

Hi tom42, nice to see you in these parts.

Oh, yes, so validated. Do you remember Professor Irwin Corey, the World's Greatest Authority? I loved him. We've got them here, too, but unfortunately not funny.

tom42

haha. I do remember him.