Etat de Oaxaca – Oaxaca de Juarez

State of Oaxaca – Oaxaca de Juarez

August 25, 2021

Mexico

WEATHER

The region enjoys a semi-arid-hot climate, the average annual temperature is 22 ° C; with high precipitation in summer.
Exit shorts, bra, bare feet and hello jeans, sweatshirt, sneakers. Because of altitude, it is cooler. The day is pleasant with temperatures of around twenty degrees but in the morning it is rather 15-18 degrees.

TRANSPORTS
A joke the ride

Zipolite - Oaxaca de Juarez 6.30am in night collectivo for 200 pesos.
I advise you to hang on to your seat because the driver drives like crazy. Since it is a mountain road, I tend to think that he is motivated at testing the laws of physics; or centrifugal force. Or that he is trying to beat his own record. Or to simply join his sweetheart. I can assure you that you are quick to be kicked out of your seat if you do not buckle up.
Ask Sandrine 😂
She had taken advantage of the fact that there was no one there to lie down on the 5 back seats. Slowdown: flight of her flip flops and herself for that matter, which ends up sprawled out on the ground. Hurried, she will return to her seat wide awake.
Summary of the race: our Mexican Schumacher will throw us from the van in the middle of the bus station 30 minutes early; at 5:30 a.m. I had 3 seconds to realize we had already arrived, grab my things and get out. Theatrical arrival so to speak. 🤣Here I am half asleep with luggage at my feet trying to get my mind together. And there, what do I see? Planted like an oasis in the middle of the desert, the heroine of my day: a coffee seller. Suddenly full of love and infinite gratitude, I order her indispensable drink from her. A bit of softness in this brutal world😂. Sandrine, for her part, will never find a tongue, which has disappeared forever in Supervan's limbo. There she is, barefoot, luggage open in the middle of the parking, looking for replacements. The scene made me laugh early in the morning. The day is shaping up well.😁

To visit

To visit nearby

Oaxaca de Juarez

Oaxaca de Juarez, or more simply Oaxaca, is the capital of the state of Mexico of Mexico the same name.

The center of Oaxaca and the archaeological site of Monte Albán were inscribed in 1987 on the heritage list globalUNESCO. TheBaroque and Churrigueresque styles mingle with 20th century Art Nouveau.

Many public buildings, churches and government buildings were constructed with the green stones from the quarries of Oaxaca, such as the cathedral, the Macedonio Alcala theater or the Church of Guadalupe, thus giving them a singular beauty.

To visit in the town

What to say?

Noisy, polluted with a heavy atmosphere and not so pretty from having visited other colonial towns, this one does not excite me. The people are nice but all wear masks. Barricades surround the entire city center with policemen at each one; no idea why. Some beautiful monuments but hardly arrived, I know that I will not stay. I visit a maximum and ciao bye !

Hierve El Agua

Hierve el Agua is a wonder located 1h30 from the city of Oaxaca, it is about 2 cascades petrified waterfalls about 12 and 30 meters high. This historic site was a sacred place for the ancient Zapotecs.It functioned as an important irrigation system for the crops of this ancient civilization. One of the waterfalls called “cascada chica” has been artificially fitted out to allow swimming in pools whose walls are entirely covered by the natural deposit of mineral salts. The water is all year round between 22 and 25 degrees Celsius ! Just perfect !

Hierve El Agua is the site for which I came to Oaxaca and which I will not see because it is not currently accessible. Why ?

The villagers, turned against the government, blocked access armed to the teeth. 20 years of battle during which the inhabitants of San Lorenzo Albarradas have proven in different trials that they are the legitimate owners of the plot where the destination is. Despite this, Political groups and tourism companies continue to collect and keep all the royalties that come to Hierve el Agua either 2 million pesos per month. Tired of suffering unjust poverty, they took the drastic decision to block all access to the site in order to assert their rights. From this point of view, we can only understand and support them. I sincerely hope that they will be successful. The photo you see is therefore not mine but it allows you to see what this site looks like. Beautiful isn't !

Did you know ?
Hierve El Agua

These geological formations that resemble waterfalls have formed over thousands of years. They were created by sources whose water is supersaturated with calcium carbonate (white color) and other minerals (silver, barium and iron). When water comes to the surface, at a very low rate, excess minerals are deposited. The mechanism of formation is identical to that of the formation of stalactites formed in a cave. These geological formations are often described as “salt waterfalls”, “petrified waterfalls” or “stone waterfalls”.

Housing

- Andaina Youth Hostel -

Pour réserver, cliquez ici

Room reserved on Booking for 200 pesos per night (8 euros). Room including a single bed with shared bathroom. Small but functional overlooking the interior of the building so away from the noise of the street which, believe me, is noisy.

This hostel is huge, it is on 3 floors, with a reading room, a gym, several terraces including one on the roof, coworking spaces and a kitchen. For the price, there is nothing to say.

Strengths of the establishment

Many spaces available
City view from room terrace
Located in the town center
Excellent wifi
Kind and helpful staff. When we arrived at 6 am, they installed us in the coworking space while we waited for our room.
Self-service coffee and tea all day

Bars & Restos

Here are some addresses on which I had a crush

Boulenc

Bakery - Restaurant with a solid reputation, a staple in the city for breakfast and lunch. The place is crowded, you have to queue and wait in a patio to earn your table. But the wait is worth it. An artisanal bread of French quality, an amazing menu, I was surprised to find cardamom kefir there. Hey! We couldn't ask for a better start to the day.

La Ttertulia

Coffee shop with a cozy atmosphere and nice decor. Excellent coffee, smoothies and biscuits. Everything is homemade.

Encounters

I met Vincent in the coworking space. 26-year-old Californian, computer developer, he has lived in Costa Rica for 5 years. His nomadic job allows him to travel whenever he wants. Jovial, cultured, in easy contact, he will introduce me Maureen, une copine du Costa Rica venue le rejoindre au Mexique pour quelques jours. Argentine, spirituelle et d’une grande douceur, cette jeune femme de 30 ans animera nos discussions en partageant avec nous sa vision de la vie pour le moins intéressante.

Assessment

I will only stay 2 days in Oaxaca de Juarez which I do not like. Maybe it was a party town before covid, I do not know. Today, in any case, run for your life ! Those I have met think the same; I therefore tend to believe that my impression at the moment is the right one.

Sandrine decides to go to Mexico City. Have a good trip my dear ! We will keep abreast of our respective adventures.

For my part, I decide to go to Puebla which is located just below. Many Mexicans have mentioned this city to me as a must to visit. Obviously, I'm dying to go and see.

Next destination: Puebla. 6 hours by bus with the ADO company for 425 pesos (18 euros).