This is an installment in an ongoing post series detailing a typical day in one of our destinations. Not everything in this schedule might happen on any given day, but it should give you a good idea of our usual activities. 6:30 AM – The sun begins to peak over the mountaintops a few miles … Read more
A Day in the Life: San Sebastian Etla, Oaxaca
April 4th, 2013 | Posted by in A Day in the Life | Mexico | The Places We've Been - (2 Comments)Hiking in Oaxaca – San Agustin Etla’s Aqueduct Trail
April 3rd, 2013 | Posted by in Mexico | The Places We've Been - (0 Comments)Though certainly full of beautiful and rugged landscapes, as well as a growing eco-tourism sector, Mexico as a whole isn’t necessarily known for its hiking infrastructure. There are trails to be found, but these are usually present for much more practical reasons, often as an actual transportation path and not for those wishing to escape … Read more
Why the Etlas are Better than Oaxaca de Juarez
March 19th, 2013 | Posted by in Mexico | The Places We've Been - (2 Comments)We’ve started to call the area north of Oaxaca de Juárez the “Etlas”. Our house is in San Sebastián Etla, but there is also Villa de Etla, where we make weekly visits to the market, San Pablo Etla, where we enjoyed a jam session last week at a ranch with some expats, San Augustin Etla, … Read more
Oaxaca’s Zócalo
March 18th, 2013 | Posted by in Mexico | Parks | The Places We've Been - (3 Comments)Without a doubt, the center of activity in Oaxaca de Juarez is the Zócalo. Officially La Plaza de la Constitucion, plans for the Zócalo were completed in 1529. The plaza has undergone various face lifts through the centuries, but the space itself has been the city’s heart for nearly 500 years. Today a bandstand sits directly in … Read more
Just six miles west of the center of Oaxaca de Juarez lies the large pre-Columbian archaeological site of Monte Alban. Founded around 500 BCE and continuously inhabited for over one thousand years by the Zapotec culture, the site itself sits atop an artificially leveled ridge (i.e. they chopped off the top of a mountain!), 1300 … Read more
Arriving in San Sebastian Etla
March 8th, 2013 | Posted by in Mexico | Speedbumps | The Places We've Been - (3 Comments)A week ago today we left Guanajuato and began the 10 hour drive southeast to Oaxaca where we will spend the month of March. Oaxaca (pronounced wa-hawk-a) is one of the two southernmost states in Mexico and is known for its indigenous population and culture. Its capital, Oaxaca de Juarez (often simply called Oaxaca), was … Read more
La Valenciana Mine and Church
March 7th, 2013 | Posted by in Mexico | The Places We've Been - (2 Comments)As we’ve touched on a few times in the last month, much of Guanajuato’s history and wealth can be traced to the nearby silver mines. Our daily walks through the colonial streets of the city were captivating, and we were eager to wrap our heads around the industry that made it all possible. On our … Read more
Guanajuato House
March 6th, 2013 | Posted by in Lodging | Mexico | The Places We've Been - (4 Comments)Our place in Guanajuato was a perfect little place in a perfect little location. Essentially an open split-level studio, the upper level consisted of the bedroom and bathroom overlooking the living/working area and kitchen below. Highlights include: Speedy internet. After spending a month dealing with rationed satellite web access, it was a great relief to … Read more
Everyday Essentials: Guanajuato
March 4th, 2013 | Posted by in Everyday Essentials | Mexico | The Places We've Been - (3 Comments)This is a series detailing some of what appear at first to be more mundane details of a place, but will hopefully be illuminating as insights into the grind behind the “glamour.” Streets, Callejons, and Tunnels Understanding the transportation grid is vital in trying to wrap your head around the gem that is Guanajuato. The … Read more