Oaxaca: Planning to Postscript
 

Finally, all episodes complete, from first thoughts to things I learned along the way. And lots of pictures. I loved Oaxaca and, as I say at the end, I plan to return and for a longer visit next time. Oaxaca is just a great small city.

http://www.travelgumbo.com/blog/port...my-of-a-trip-1

MmePerdu, aka PortMoresby

Thanks for the link!

Thank you!

Did you get any sense of the size of the ex-pat community?

Thanks for posting. I glanced at your pages and they look great, lots of excellent photos and information.

Bookmarking for full reading in a week or two. We suddenly decided to fly to California to see the monarch butterfly groves around the Pismo Beach area.

Oaxaca has been on our radar as a place to spend some time in the winter.

Regarding the expat community, there's a good-sized English language library (see the report chapter on books) which is a sort of de facto community center. I was there volunteering my professional skills some days and it's a lively bunch of devoted residents, several of whom suggested I move there. I have no idea of numbers but you might get more specific information in that regard, if it interests you, from them.

It was still off-season, not a lot of tourists around and just prior to the influx of winter visitors/residents which begins about Day of the Dead. From very unscientific observation, I'd describe the full-time community as not large but enthusiastic, at least those I met at the library. The numbers swell substantially, I was told, between November and probably March, after which they say it's hot and dusty until the summer rains come.

Here's the library website with calendar of activities:
http://www.oaxlibrary.org/Oaxaca_Len...rary/Home.html

Not on the calendar but I noticed regular bridge games taking place on Tuesday mornings. Bridge Club site:
http://www.oaxacabridge.com/sessions.html

Thanks very much for the added info.

Am planning on a quick trip down there within the next couple of months. Looking at various retirement options in Mexico.

Weekender, I'll be interested in your impressions, and also what you find elsewhere. I doubt I'll live there full time but am thinking about spending part of the year. The only other place I've stayed is Alamos in southern Sonora and while I dislike big cities, Alamos was too small for me.

MmePerdu:

Ajijic is another option. Large expat community (maybe too large), close to Guadalajara (1/2 hr to airport), extremely reasonable cost of living, great climate. Big downside is that I don't find the town to be particularly attractive in spite of being on Lake Chapala. May be too small.

Very much like San Miguel, too.

I am looking for a place to spend 3-4 months in the winter so not a permanent move.

I've done a bit of looking at Ajijic and, as you mention, wonder if the expat community might be too much for me, similarly SM & PV.

It's tricky to get it just right,
Goldilocks

Nice report and photos. We're the protestors still living in the zocalo?

Thanks. No, not living there. Nice and clean and peaceful. They made weekend appearances, sort of a carnival atmosphere.

We've been to Oaxaca several times. Last time was this past February and it made a huge difference when they were there.

The first week I was there I ate in restaurants on the zocalo several times. But after I moved to more north in Centro I only passed through a couple of times, spending most of my time uphill or at the markets to the south. But I can see how, if the zocalo was a place you particularly liked, it could make a huge difference to have it occupied.

I found it a nice place first thing in the morning, but disliked being hounded by souvenir sellers who arrived around 10. I understand wanting business but found being the object of constant attention pretty unpleasant. Moving indoors helped but then one loses the ambiance to a great extent. It was completely different away from there, like a different city.

We were first there maybe 15-20 years ago and always went during the Xmas holidays and the zocalo was wonderful. All kinds of decorations and music being played constantly. In those days there were far fewer vendors and I don't recall being bothered at all. It was lovely to eat at some of the restaurants overlooking the zocalo and watch the goings on. This past February it was awful between the protestors camping out and the vendors, we walked by once and that was it. While the rest of Oaxaca has changed as everyplace in the world has, the other parts werent as dramatically effected. All in all its a lovely town.

Hi MmePerdu, fancy meeting you here! We usually run into each other over on the Asia forum. I'm enjoying your report - I'm about halfway through it. We have decided to travel somewhere closer to home this year - Mexico or Central America. We also continue to keep an eye out for a warmer place we might like to live. I always thought it would be in Asia, but I'm willing to look elsewhere. It seems like such a treat to go somewhere the flying time is under 20 hours!

Hi Kathie - I guess I'm less a specialist than you, have spent about equal time in Europe as in Asia and Mexico is a recent interest, despite living on the border for 25 years until 3 years ago. I, too, thought I'd be spending even more time in Asia at this point but maybe it's a timing thing, not wanting to travel quite so far or so long from family in my dotage. And other reasons you mention, including somewhere that feels more like home and where I may make some friends. So far the biggest downside of Oaxaca for me is a dearth of noodles.