A Week in Oaxaca

Mexico's culture capital

Editor’s (aka Bennett’s) note: This weeks email is best if you click the link to the post and read it on the Substack website, instead of in your email. It has a lot of pictures!

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Last week, we stayed in a little apartment on a car-free street in Oaxaca de Juarez ([waˈhaka]) a.k.a Oaxaca City.

Bougainvillea blooms covered the cobblestones. An elderly neighbor worked tirelessly on her embroidery every time we walked by. We meandered down hilly streets, drank chocolate de agua, and took every opportunity to get into the surrounding mountains.

The hills & cobblestones of Oaxaca

Oaxaca City is the capital of the State of Oaxaca, one of Mexico’s 31 states (i.e. Oaxaca, Oaxaca like New York, New York).

Of all the state capitals, Oaxaca City is the second farthest south. (For those curious, Tuxtla, the capital of Chiapas state, is the only one farther south.)

Oaxaca state makes up a large part of the Mexican isthmus (istmo), before the land widens back out into Yucatan & Guatemala. Here’s the geography, so you have your bearings:

The state is home to 16 indigenous groups and over 100 different languages. In the markets, you’re more likely to hear Zapotec, one of the indigenous languages, than Spanish.

Historically one of the poorest states in Mexico, it’s now known by travelers for its food, arts, and nature.

Monte Albán

On a misty morning, we took a tour bus to Monte Albán, the ancient ruins of one of the very first cities in Mesoamerica. Pictures can’t capture its particular magic.

Predating Christianity by 500 years, the Zapotec people who lived there called themselves “cloud people” because of the high elevation.

Temples in the clouds

The man who discovered these images called them Danzantes (dancers). Recent study has revealed that the “dancers” are actually castrated warriors from opposing nations. These symbols are a warning!

What do you think? Should we add sombreros to our permanent wardrobe?

Hierve el Agua

Later in the week, we took a car ride 1.5 hours east of Oaxaca City to Hierve el Agua (Spanish for “the water boils”) to swim in mineral pools and savor sweeping mountain views.

The name comes from the water bubbling up from the springs. These are not hot springs, but they were fun to swim in!

The pools are built up for swimming today. Since pre-Hispanic times there have been canals carved into the rocks that carry water to surrounding communities.

3 pools, and marvelous views of the surrounding mountains

With our friend Lizzie. She came with us from Mexico City!

Cerámica de barro rojo

After our swim in the pools, we headed to two small towns to visit artisans in their workshops.

First, we visited a small, rural town that specializes in red clay pottery and met Lily Sanchez, a 16 year old potter who sells her pottery to stores all around the world. The nearest FedEx is a 1.5 hour walk or a 30 minute drive down a bumpy road.

Lily, making a bowl by hand. No wheel in this workshop.

The red clay is so naturally beautiful. On the left in the picture is our guide, also named Lily! (Yes, our roommate in Mexico City is also Lillie. It was confusing.)

Tapetes en telar de pedal

Later, we visited Teotitlán de Valle, a town known for its weaving traditions.

As soon as we arrived into town, we spotted room-sized looms in almost every home we passed. These pedal looms allow the weavers to craft complex patterns, all by hand.

All the rugs are made from 100% wool, using natural dyes. We got a demonstration of all the colors they make with indigo, avocado pits, marigolds, etc.

The bright red colors - distinctive of Mexican weaving - come from cochineal, a bug that lives on cacti. The tiny bug has been economically significant in Oaxaca for its dyeing capabilities since the Spanish colonized Mexico.

Squash a cochineal bug and you get the dark color on the right. Add lime juice (or another acid) and you get the bright red in the middle. Add baking soda (or another alkaline like wood ash) and you get the orange color on the far left.

We bought this little rug, woven by the woman on the right!

The rest of our time in Oaxaca was filled with good food, long walks, visits to markets, and the best chocolate ice cream we’ve ever had. We have too many pictures to include here but, needless to say, it was a wonderful trip.

Complex socio-econo-cultural dynamics

Visiting Oaxaca, like most places in Mexico, felt complex.

Swarms of Americans and Europeans visit or move there (and to Mexico City) because of its beauty and the cheap cost of living. The influx of outsiders pushes locals out of their neighborhoods and makes the city center expensive. One tour guide told us that rent prices have more than doubled in Oaxaca City since the pandemic.

We chose to spend a day with our guide Lily precisely because she’s committed to sharing the real stories of local culture and how it’s changing due to outside influence. She shared a lot with us about the economic struggles of the region and how tourism dollars tend to concentrate in the hands of the already-wealthy. Not the local people.

We’ve thought a lot about ethical tourism over the past few months and we don’t have any answers, but it’s on our mind a lot here.

What’s next

It’s hard to believe we only have about 10 days left in Mexico. We’ve loved our time here and we’re so excited to be back and give all our friends a squeeze.

You might be wondering what we’ll be up to next? We’ll be calling Brooklyn home for September through December. Come visit! We’re excited to see you soon.

Abrazos (hugs),

Anna & Bennett