Finally, some thoughts on what we found

1. Why don’t the world famous archeological sites we have visited, have any sort of basic handout to give visitors with their ticket purchase? Not one Mayan site offered a map to show us where to go or what we were looking at, or any sort of information on the buildings, when they were built or what they were used for. We had to rely on a few very poor signs which often told us very little. Without a guide book our only resource was the internet when we got back to the hotel

2. Entrance fees are incredibly reasonable, and while we appreciate that, they could easily make more money for restoration work by charging more.

3. We have been surprised to see that the Mayan Indians look very different from the native Indians we see on the west coast of Mexico. They seem stockier, with harder features

4. The Mayan language is still spoken by over 2,000,000 people

5. The Mayans still build today the same style of house that they built a thousand years ago. At least the poor ones do. It is a small race track shaped building with two straight sides and rounded ends. It is only one room with openings opposite each other on the straight walls for ventilation. One end is the kitchen and living quarters, the other is the bedroom. There is often no plumbing. They are about 15ft long and 6ft wide, built of mud or bamboo with a straw roof.

6. We have not always felt as welcomed by local Mexican people here as we do in Puerto Vallarta

7. A knowledge of Spanish is not needed in Puerto Vallarta while it is a necessity here. Very few people speak English

8. There are many more European tourists on the East Coast than on the west as it is so much easier to get to

9. Hot water always seems to take several minutes to arrive at the bathroom in every place we have stayed

10. The water is not drinkable anywhere here, while it is in Puerto Vallarta

11. Most places we have been to, have not allowed anything but human waste to be flushed down the toilet. All “used” paper products have to be put into a bin, often without a lid, and cleared away daily. I prefer the more practical method employed elsewhere!

The craft villages outside Oaxaca

This is the last day of our trip, and no trip to Oaxaca would be complete without seeing some of the outlying villages which have become famous for their arts and crafts. Within a 50-kilometer radius of Oaxaca City there are dozens of small towns, many of which specialize in a particular art tradition. Often combining ancient and modern techniques, most of the region’s voluminous output comes from families that have spent generations becoming known for a particular item. We visit three of these villages, one famous for its black pottery, another for its art pottery and a third for its amazingly painted wood craft.


The layout of each village is similar, in that we walk through the village and are invited into different houses where the family living there has developed an expertise in a certain craft. We might have expected each house to specialize in a totally different craft, but here every family in one village makes the same items, but just interprets them differently. As we wander through their homes we can see the family members at work as well as browse through everything they have for sale. Some have just a few shelves with items on them while the more successful have huge rooms full of their art. We are delighted to discover that there is very little pressure to buy, and the families seem quite happy to share their skills with us. As we get to know the village we soon learn that the quality from family to family varies significantly, and while all are good, there are some that have rightfully earned a national reputation.

The economic advantages of this system of involving a whole village in the production of a craft soon becomes apparent. The differences between the small towns that have such a craft, and the towns that don’t are evident everywhere we look. The working villages have much building going on, and the standard of the homes is greatly improved
We are flying back to Puerto Vallarta tomorrow and it is not possible to buy what we want and get it home. We decide to wait until we return another time and are better prepared to make our own economic impact on the small villages. But it has been a fascinating way to spend our last day in Oaxaca

Valentines Night

Oaxaca has been preparing for valentines day ever since we arrived. We are becoming increasingly aware that it is going to be a big night in town.
Several of the streets are closed to traffic, and by 6pm the streets and squares are packed. It is billed as “Noche De Luces” (night of lights) and it would appear this is a regular event to celebrate friendship which takes place on a different holiday throughout the year. This time it’s St Valentine’s turn.

The two main squares have bands playing from 8 pm until 1pm.

They change every 30 minutes or so and range from full piece orchestras to trios. The quality of all the groups is amazing,. This is nothing like Merida! There are two different processions . The first lead by a group of musicians dressed in early Spanish costumes playing mandolins. They stop at every crossroad and play a piece, bringing traffic and foot traffic to a complete stop. It is bedlam, but no one seems to mind.

If we thought that was bedlam, it was nothing compared to the next procession which tries to cross the Zocalo at 10pm when it is at its most crowded. The procession is led by giant figures, perhaps 15 feet tall in brightly coloured costumes being manipulated by a “puppet master” hiding underneath the skirts. A small group of people surround these figures whirling fireworks over their heads. Behind them is a long procession, its participants all carrying candles inside large coloured plastic flowers, the light of the candles making the flowers glow. Every few yards the crowds force them to a standstill, but then a few more fireworks clear the path ahead

There are vendors everywhere carrying enormous bunches of helium balloons most with a valentine theme. Each vendor must have at least a hundred balloons floating above them and it is hard to believe that they will not become airborne.

The air is alive with the sounds of people having a good time. Courting couples are everywhere as are families with young children. In fact the good times are not limited to any particular group. The entire city is out having fun.
We try to think of an occasion in the States that might be like this but quickly become aware that if there was such a night, no one would feel safe.