The Biggest Oaxacan Ruins and Tree

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Monte Alban and El Tule:


Monday, December 14th we left Oaxaca, Oaxaca and went to the archaeological site of Monte Alban and the town of Santa Maria del Tule.


The archaeological site of Monte Alban is only a few kilometers from the city and not too difficult to find.
Monte Alban was inhabited as early as 500 BCE. The site was founded by the Zapotecs and later occupied by the Mixtecs.

Monte Alban was constructed above three surrounding mountain valleys. The view from Monte Alban is very impressive. The surroundings are comprised of valleys surrounded by endless mountain ranges.
Structures at Monte Alban include a ball court, plazas, shrines, tombs and approximately a dozen buildings. The site also features a collection of danzantes (carvings of male figures with exposed and mutilated genitals). There are also carvings which are thought to represent Zapotec expansion and places conquered by Monte Alban.

We arrived to the site by 8am, had breakfast on the terrace, and then explored the site through the early afternoon.


From Monte Alban, the town of Santa Maria del Tule is about an hour drive.

El Tule is a small town to the east of Oaxaca, Oaxaca. The town is known and visited for a tree.

The tree is more than 2,000 years old and it is massive! According to the sign at the entrance to the churchyard where the tree is located, it is 42 meters high, 14 meters in diameter, and weighs more than 600 tons.

Chuck and I decided to stay overnight at El Tule. We stayed at a small hotel across the street from the tree. It was a nice evening sitting on the second floor patio, having drinks, and overlooking the tree.


From El Tule we will go to the ruins of Yagul, Dainzu and Zaachila.

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Photos

Me and My Shadow
Chuck and Leila

Monte Alban
Valley, Mountain;
Buena Vista

Monte Alban
Chuck and Leila

Leila and the tree
El Tule

Comments

[anonymous]

Me and My Shadow pic is my all time favorite picture of you two!!! Here in MN, we are expecting another day of getting snow'd in. the Blizzard is just around the corner... and here we just shovel'd out!

[Albert Webb]

bringing the sun
We are having a great time in Mexico. Spending Christmas at Playa Zipolite. Day after Christmas we will head into Chiapas. And, of course, we will do our best to bring home the sun. Shouldn´t be too difficult, and actually appropriate considering winter followed us all the way to Arkansas on our way down.