Oaxaca was famous in Mexico for its colonial period architecture, numerous indigenous markets and handicraft villages. But one of the highlights in the city was the trip to the archaeological site of Monte Alban.
We set off early - but not too early - to find the best way to reach the massive ruins of Monte Albán. We strolled through the Zocalo (main square) and found cheap round trip bus. We bought a return ticket for 70 pesos. By 11 AM, we were on the bus with a few fellow passengers. The grand pre-Columbian archaeological site of Monte Alban was built into a mountaintop 10 kilometres southwest of the city of Oaxaca de Juarez. We shortly arrived and they give us three hours to explore the site.
Occupied from the 8th-century BC, the site was a centre of the Zapotec culture from about the 1st-century BC to the 8th-century, after which it was occupied by the Mixtecs until the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. The ruins were majestic. For 2 hours we explored the terraces, dams, canals, pyramids and artificial mounds which were literally carved out of the mountain.
Back from the pyramids, we wandered in Oaxaca, home of many impressive churches, but the most stunning was Santo Domingo. We were lucky enough to find ourselves in the middle our a crazy wedding celebration.
