Oaxaca Trip Report June 08
 

My husband and I spent a fantastic, interesting, relaxing week in Oaxaca in late June. It was his first trip, my second. We split our time between Casa de los Milagros B&B right in Oaxaca City (4 nights) and Casa Sagrada guest house in Teotitlan del Valle (3 nights). Both were great experiences. Milagros was quiet, private, very comfortable, with great breakfasts. It was located close enough for us to return in the afternoon for a quick nap or to drop off packages or refill our water bottles. The hosts were lovely and gave us great recommendations on places to go, arranged taxis, helped us figure out how to walk or take the bus places.

Casa Sagrada was beautiful and relaxing, with some of the best food I've ever eaten. Between Casa and Teatro Culinario (details below), I really think we ate better on this trip than almost anywhere I've been before, and most of the time it was not terribly expensive.


In Oaxaca City, we enjoyed meals at La Olla, Biche Pobre (the botanas surtidas was a huge meal in itself, and it was fun watching the local ladies coming in on Sunday afternoon to carry out trays of food), and Teatro Culinario. Teatro was expensive, but worth every penny (and I do not spend money lightly on fancy food). It was creative, fresh, and absolutely delicious, served in a private candelit patio, accompanied by a very nice wine from Baja. We were the only ones there--I'm not sure if that's how it works, one table per night, but it was a splurge that was absolutely worth it. One of the best meals I've ever had. We also had a nice traditional Zapotec meal at Tlamanalli in Teotitlan, and enjoyed pizza with local toppings at Pizza Nostrana.

We took the bus to Monte Alban and hired a great guide on site; we learned a ton and really had a great few hours there.

We loved wandering around the market and when it all got to be a bit much (crowded, noisy, lots of overwhelming sights/sounds/smells) we headed over to the Mayordomo store, had a sample, and then shared a cup of hot chocolate.

Some of our favorite experiences included hanging out with the families and reading the paper in the Llano Park on Sunday, and watching the kids with the "aeroglobo" giant balloons in the zocalo at night.

We took 2 cooking classes: one was with Pilar at Casa de los Sabores in town; the other was with Reyna at Casa Sagrada. Both included market visits and were very instructive. There was more hands-on with Pilar, but we got to roll up our sleeves a bit with Reyna, too. The menus were different at each place, so we got to see a wide range of food being prepared. We got to eat fresh corn fungus (huitlacoche) with Pilar that was fantastic!

We saw the contemporary art museum (an artist from Chiapas was featured); the stamp museum; and the photography museum. We especially enjoyed the exhibit at the latter on the troubles a few years back, but I'm not sure how long that will run.

We had a great half-day horseback ride with Mary Jane, one of the owners of casa sagrada. It was hard--we're not good riders--but Mary Jane gave us good instruction and the scenery was varied and breathtaking.

I'm sure I'm leaving a lot out, but figured a short trip report is better than none at all. I'd love to answer questions from folks who are planning to go to Oaxaca, and I'd like to encourage people to visit. Although there was grafitti, and some stores were clearly closed down for good, the people were welcoming and the city is full of wonderful things to discover.

Dear mmb23,
Thank you for the interesting report on Oaxaca. My husband and I have missed going there since the troubles.
Is the Zocalo the same with the sidewalk cafes and the square full of people each evening?
We loved to spend our time there relaxing and just watching people.

Sounds like a super trip. Last time we were there, we stayed at Casa de los Sabores. Breakfasts were amazing!

Thanks for your responses! The zocalo was full of people--families, couples, kids--especially in the evenings. There was a band one night that drew quite a crowd. I can't really compare the scene to before the troubles, because my first visit to Oaxaca was in July 06 and there were protestors camped out in the zocalo at that point. I will say that it looked like some of the restaurants/shops located on the zocalo were closed, and they remained closed for our entire trip so I don't think it was temporary. Most places were open, though, honestly, none of them seemed bustling. We heard from restaurant and B&B owners that tourism is still down 40 to 50 percent, unfortunately. I really encourage folks who are considering a trip there to do it, because it's a wonderful place.

Thanks for your response. All we have been waiting for is a nod that the zocalo is back or close to what it used to be....(without the campers!)
We'll see what we can do to help with their tourism slump.

There is a teacher strike every year and you will see them camped out in the Zocalo in early June, which was the impetus for all the trouble three summers back. The biggest thing you notice is the cobblestones have been replaced in the Zocalo with paving stones and there are some other cosmetic changes which, I think, detract from the way things were a while back. Nevertheless it is still a great place to have a drink and people watch.