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skye22

Mar 1, 2006, 2:50 PM

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Postive coments on Oaxaca

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I just returned from two very interesting weeks in Mexico as part of a fact finding trip in my quest to find the "right place" to semi-retire. Before I left I read many different and varied opinions on visiting and living in Oaxaca, most of which were negetive. After living in foreign countries for over 25 years I have learned to take opinions of others with a grain of salt. Personally I loved Oaxaca. The Zocolo was alive with music, warmth, and an overwhelming sense of community. The bulk of the tourists that we encountered kept to themselves and seemed interested in the local color. There were no drunken or disorderly visitors being subdued by the Tourist Police. Instead there was a comfortable and varied cross section of Europeans and North Americans either sitting in cafes or "Marimba" dancing with the locals at one of the many musical and cultural events that took place nightly.

Oaxaca is also a culinary gem. I have never seen more restaurants in a city of this size in my life. And if you like gourmet cuisine then Oaxaca is the place to be. But one can also eat fresh and tasty Comida Corridas for as low as 28 pesos.

I also found some wonderfully quiet neighborhoods and was surprised at how easy it was to escape the urban noise and belching busses that seem all too common in many Latin American cities.
All in all Oaxaca deserves more than just a cursory glance. There is so much to experience, I can`t wait to return.

geri

Mar 11, 2006, 11:00 AM

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Re: [skye22] Postive coments on Oaxaca

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You've summed up Oaxaca beautifully. It's all here. I think anyone can find his/her niche in Oaxaca. I live in a quiet, picturesque neighborhood but the music/dance/tourism of the zocalo is only a 20-minute walk. Buses go everyone and it would take a lifetime to check out the various villages within an hour's drive.

waltw

Mar 26, 2006, 12:18 PM

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Re: [skye22] Postive coments on Oaxaca

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We've been trying to get back to the "hellhole" that Oaxaca is described as in an earlier posts for 16 years. This May or June, we will be returning. Although I agree with some comments made by others on this forum regarding Oaxaca (politicians with no regard for the well-being of the general population (isn't this worldwide?), corruption, horrid traffic, etc.), there's still something magical about the place. You either tap into it or you don't.

skye22

Mar 26, 2006, 12:54 PM

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Re: [waltw] Postive coments on Oaxaca

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We have just put our home on the market here in Canada and are slowly preparing for our next trip to Oaxaca. We will be making the long trek down from Nova Scotia by car on account of our 16 year old dog who I don`t think would make the trip by air. Hopefully we will be able to find an apartment that will accept her. We felt a magnatism in Oaxaca and a sence of belonging. We look forward to learning more about the rich culture that it has to offer.

geri

Mar 27, 2006, 4:54 PM

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Re: [waltw] Postive coments on Oaxaca

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Maybe it's the resilience, combined with the creativity, of the native peoples here. They're shy but strong. Struggling and devoted to family. Angry but not violent.

You're right, you either tap into it or you don't. Oaxaca has changed a lot in the 8 years I've been here, some for the better, some not, depending on your perspective. And, of course, MY perspective has changed also.

One thing that I think makes Oaxaca's tourism a bit different is that the customs, the dress, the crafts, the fiestas aren't done "for tourists." Oaxaquenos have been carving radishes, doing Guelaguetza, visiting with their loved ones returning from the dead, staging posadas, sharing aquas on Day of the Good Samaritan, blessing their giant fruits and vegetables on Palm Sunday, going wild on Sept. 15, etc. etc. for centuries and then lo and behold people from other countries found these customs to be "neat," and the rest is history. Sure, some stuff is staged for tourists now (more so than 8 years ago) but Oaxaca didn't spend millions of dollars on ads in glossy magazines, yet travel articles kept pouring forth. At least that's my opinion.