All right welcome back to our channel.
This video is going to be a guide to Oaxaca Mexico for both short-term visitors coming for
vacation but also those coming for a longer term stay potentially even living here.
I'm going to tell you what there is to do here, tell you about housing
where to eat give you an idea about how much it's all going to cost,
and tell you our opinion about our experience here in wonderful Oaxaca.
Let's get started.
Okay so the most obvious thing to do here is to stroll around Oaxaca's historical center.
There are several different churches,
probably the biggest is right in the main plaza the Cathedral Metropolitana.
It was built in 1535 and it's really I think the centerpiece of Oaxaca.
There are plenty of places to sit around the cathedral and just take it all in.
From there you can make your way north on
the pedestrian-only street and head over to the Templo de Santo Domingo.
This is another amazing and absolutely beautiful church.
Now if you're here in Oaxaca long term you might think that this would get
boring after a while just going back to the historical area over and over.
But I'll tell you it seemed to us like there was something different
happening and something new to see every time we went.
For example there are often weddings that take place in the area
and they sure know how to celebrate weddings here, take a look.
When Emily and I got married we didn't have a big fancy parade like this
but we did get to dance with Mickey and Minnie at our wedding.
Also in Oaxaca's historical area is the beautiful botanic garden.
There is quite a lot of desert type vegetation
as you would expect in Mexico, a lot of different types of cactus.
But just to let you know when we were there the lines to get in were long
and the tickets were selling out quickly.
Okay we think the most spectacular thing that you can do in Oaxaca
is take a trip to Monte Alban, this was amazing.
Even if you've been to a million other archaeological sites in Mexico this is a must-see.
This extensive complex was inhabited for many centuries and it includes pyramids,
temples, tombs, underground passageways, plazas, a ball court, terraces, canals,
stones carved with hieroglyphic inscriptions, and so much more.
The ancient city was built in several phases and went through a
series of successions from about 500 BC to 850 AD.
It was the political economic and ceremonial capital of the Zapotec people.
And unlike some of the other archaeological sites around Mexico
you are still allowed to climb some of the pyramids here.
And an extra bonus of coming here is getting the spectacular view of the surrounding valley.
You can't come to Oaxaca and not visit Monte Alban.
We got to the site by taking a bus.
The travel agency that runs the bus is called Viajes Touristicos Mitla.
Here's a map of where the travel agency is located.
So just as Monte Alban was in a state of decline a new site was just beginning at Mitla.
This site is located down in the valley
unlike Monte Alban which was built on top of the mountain.
Mitla had a very large religious significance when it was flourishing
which was between the year 750 and the year 1500.
The remains are in good condition partly because they were constructed
to withstand the earthquakes that are common in the area.
Once the Spanish arrived they added to the site by building a church.
The site is located about 25 miles from Oaxaca.
You can take a local bus or book a tour to get you there.
If you're coming to Oaxaca for a more long-term stay
you're going to need more to do than just the tourist sites like the ruins.
Fortunately there are plenty of events throughout the year as well as classes and workshops.
We went to a demonstration on weaving.
First we learned how the yarn is made from pure wool
and also how it is dyed and this really turned out to be so interesting.
You wouldn't think you could get a blue dye from pomegranate seeds would ya?
Next we saw how the yarn is used to make these rugs and carpets with many intricate designs.
The skill of making these carpets is passed down from generation to generation
and it can take several months or longer to make a full-size rug.
We also went to a workshop where we learned how to make candles.
Now to be honest I didn't think this was going to be too exciting.
But look at the candles they make here.
They are huge.
These aren't little candles for a birthday cake.
Candles are a very symbolic part of wedding proposals in the culture here
sort of similar to the symbolism of engagement rings for us.
We really enjoyed this experience making the candles ourselves was fun
but it was really interesting to see the experts.
Some other experiences we enjoyed were seeing a pottery demonstration
where we learned about the process of molding the clay into ceramic pieces.
And Emily took a sewing class where she learned how to make a huipil
which is a traditional Oaxacan garment worn by many of the women here.
And finally we visited a mezcal plantation where we learned how
the agave plant is used to create one of Mexico's most famous alcoholic drinks.
All right the first stop on the food tour is Los Pacos because
this is a place where you can try all seven of Oaxaca's famous moles.
Mole is a type of sauce made from several ingredients and blended together.
Let me tell you about each one.
All right let's start with the green mole made with green tomatoes parsley and oregano.
Then we have the yellow mole made from yellow chili and cinnamon.
Next is chichilo which is made with black chilies.
Next is an almond and cinnamon mole sauce.
Then mole made from capers and cinnamon.
Up next is the red mole made with 24 ingredients very tangy I would say.
And finally the black mole made from 26 ingredients including chocolate chili
nuts and raisins.
Once you've tasted them all pick the ones that you like the best for your meal.
I picked four.
The moles are mixed with meat of your choice and cost fifteen dollars.
Our favorite restaurant in Oaxaca was La Casa del Tio Guero.
We especially recommend this restaurant for those coming here for a long term stay and
that's because every day they have three new menu items for their daily special.
And the price for this daily special is really reasonable.
When we were there it was 108 pesos or just over US$5 for the special.
It includes a pitcher of the agua fresca for the day
a choice of soup one of three entrees a side and a dessert.
We talked to one expat who comes here three or four times a week.
Delicious food and an even more delicious price.
And finally we enjoy eating in the food stalls in the markets.
These are small family-run places.
And if you can get grandma to cook up delicious huraches like you see here
then your stomach will be very happy for the day.
And your wallet too it's just one or two dollars each.
There are plenty of hotels in Oaxaca if you're coming short term.
Long-term visitors should have no problems finding an apartment.
We saw several advertised all around.
Now let's take a look at our apartment.
All right we just arrived in Oaxaca let's take a look at our apartment here.
It won't take long because it's very small.
Here is the kitchen got a fridge microwave a stove top sink coffee maker.
Now look at this table here the funny thing is I owned this exact table
when we lived in North Carolina
here's the bathroom just a standard kind of bathroom.
And then I guess it's more like a studio because the beds are in this room
kind of open to the kitchen.
And we think we're going to like it here.
So our apartment you just saw goes for $700 per month but that's through airbnb which is
always more expensive due to fees and taxes.
An apartment like ours could go for more than half that price
if you are renting on a long-term lease directly from the owner.
For food we spent US$471 dollars but we went out to eat a lot at least once a day.
We could have saved if we had done more of our own cooking,
but why I mean when the food is so delicious and affordable right?
Activities came to $169 and that is for
all of the things that we showed you at the beginning of the video.
Transportation nope we walked everywhere.
Miscellaneous things like toiletries and laundry came to $72.
Nothing on health this month.
And then insurance was $364 dollars.
So that's a total of $1776 for one month for two people.
So what was our final conclusion on Oaxaca?
Well first if you've been to Oaxaca please leave a comment to compare your experience with ours.
I'm sure it'd be helpful to others to hear your opinion too.
We loved it.
This has been our favorite city in Mexico so far.
The weather is perfect, the people are friendly, the Oaxacan food is spectacular.
But we aren't done with Mexico yet.
We still have more videos from Mexico coming soon
so subscribe to our channel so that you can be notified when our next video is ready.