A Trip from Mexico City to Oaxaca

The last couple of days spent in Canada were overcast with a perpetual grey haze of smoke that had drifted down from rocky mountain forest fires and blanketed the city of Vancouver. You could smell the fire in the air. It had that nice aroma of wood fire that fills the house when you’re burning a fire in the woodstove, except this was accompanied by a feeling of dread knowing that homes and communities were burning further north. It also made the last few days in Canada feel like the coming apocalypse. The sun barely shone through the haze of smoke and ash, giving the skies a look of nuclear winter. People still went about their business in the city. Everyone here is used to grey skies anyways.

We had stayed in an Airbnb for 3 nights. It was a lonely and decrepit looking house somewhere close to Richmond. The grass in the yard was brown having died ages ago, the owner no longer caring to try and keep the stuff alive in the never-ending drought that had plagued British Columbia all summer. The house was in a good location close to the Skytrain and food options. Although we ended up spending the majority of our time downtown, being in this area allowed us to save some cash. Swimming with the salmon, eating dim sum in Chinatown, having an amazing dinner at Kissa Tanto, drinks in Gastown, and of course visiting old friends. It was time to head to Mexico!

We booked an overnight flight on AeroMexico which arrived in Mexico City at 7:00 a.m. By the time we got to our hostel, we were completely knackered. The hostel is Mexico City Hostel in the Zocalo district. It is a clean and friendly place. The cost of a room is very affordable for this part of the city.

We spent the next few days exploring the city and the ruins of Teotihuacan. Teotihuacan is a massive archaeological site. There is a massive road through the ruins known as the “Avenue of the Dead” and there are two huge pyramids: Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. These names were given by the Aztecs, who visited the city of Teotihuacan centuries after it was abandoned. The Pyramid of the Sun is the third largest pyramid in the world.

Getting to Teotihuacan from Mexico City – Take the metro (5 pesos) to the Autobuses del Norte station on line 5. It’s very easy to navigate the metro in Mexico City, so don’t worry about finding the station. Once you’ve arrived at the metro station it’s quite easy to find the bus station across the street. Head to the far end of the station to Puerta 8. There will be a booth “Autobuses Teotihuacan” selling tickets to the ruins. A round trip ticket will cost you 100 pesos and takes about an hour. Upon arrival at Puerta 1 at Teotihuacan, you’ll need to pay a 70 peso entrance fee. Give yourself 2-3 hours to tour the ruins and climb the pyramids. When you’re ready to head back to Mexico City, exit the ruins at Puerta 2 and walk through the parking lot to the main road. The bus will pick you up there heading back to the city.

Oaxaca – We decided it would be a good idea to check out Oaxaca after hearing so many good things about it. Although news reports indicated an earthquake had struck off the south coast of the state of Oaxaca, we learned that the city hadn’t been affected much. One week after leaving Mexico City, a devastating earthquake struck there. Fortunately we were on the coast by that time, but we could still feel the tremors.

There are a few options for bus travel to Oaxaca which range from budget to luxury. We settled for something in the middle that included television, a decent toilet and fairly large seats, as well as plugs to charge your electronic devices. My advice to anyone doing his/her travel in Mexico is to take Dramamine or Gravol, a lesson learned on this trip and thankfully put into practice later when we rode 11 hours from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido.

Oaxaca is a beautiful city full of culture, good food and great shops. Accommodations are available on every street and vary in cost, but if you’re willing to stay a few blocks away from the Zocalo, you’ll save a lot. We ended up paying 200 pesos/night for a room with a shared bathroom and a television that was about a 10 minute walk to the cathedral and city square. A drink was necessary after a long bus ride so Monica and I decided on a dingy but crowded bar next to the small hotel we were staying at. We promptly ordered a couple of shots of mezcal and beer. Mezcal comes from an agave plant, similar to tequila, and is mainly grown in Oaxaca. There is a saying in Oaxaca about mezcal which goes something like, “For every ill, mezcal, and for every good as well.”

The next few days were spent sampling street food and walking around the old part of the city exploring trendy little cafes and restaurants. There are galleries displaying local artists’ work as well as plenty of wonderful art and jewellery for sale along the street. Oaxaca is a UNESCO designated world heritage site because of its rich history and architecture. You can spend days exploring the rich variety of colonial buildings and shopping in the markets. Take some time to sample the street food available everywhere as well. We found a taco stand near the Mercado Benito Juarez that was surrounded by locals and produced some of the best tacos I’ve ever had for 10 pesos a piece.

  

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