Blogs from Monte Albon, Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico, North America - page 3

Day 30 - Saturday 23 June 2007 - Oacaxa and Monte Alban Today we took a short bus trip to the ruins site of Monte Alban. The bus trip took us up quite high and past a lot of local mexican homes. The homes outside of the actual towns seem to be fairly basic. Some are even just basic walls, no flooring and sheet metal for a roof. They are also packed in together tightly. I´ve attached a pic, so hopefully you get some idea. Monte Alban began around 500 BC through 800 AD, but I don´t think anyone one actually knows why it was abandoned. It was the capital of the Zapotecs. There are 12 sites within the area and we had a local tour guide taking us around them for about 2 hours. ... read more

First to the Thursday market in Etla, a fraction of the Tlacolula market, but delightful, with the most beautiful local vegetables and fruit, and pottery. Then the entire afternoon on the mesa of Monte Albán, one of Mesoamerica's most incredible Zapotec ruins. Words and even the images don't do it justice; the expansive space and massive structures are stunning rock constructions, perched on the top of a mountain that dominates the valley below. It exhudes a power and a mystery, 'facts' are few, and even they are open to dispute. A thunder storm was moving in from the west, adding to the drama.... read more

Falto cosas sobre Oaxaca. Falto oyendo espanol circa de mi todo el dia. Al hotel mi amigo mira la television y cuando el cambia la canal saltar las canales espanol. A mi, la idioma espanol tiene significado y la puedo entender. Me gusta escuchar las noticias y las peliculas. Me encantan las palabras. Me busque siguiente una pareja mexicana en una tienda ayer acaba de escuchar a sus espanol. Compre algunas tamales de Trader Joe's para cenar. Sus aspecto estuvo bueno pero no estuvo sabroso. La comida estuvo como plastica! Me recorde la comida preparo para la Senora de mi Oaxaquena familia. Ahora esa estuvo sabrosa! En lugar de comida espanol en America, pido salado sandwhich porque esta no esta una imitacion de una cossa tuve en Oaxaca. Mostraba mis fotos a todos! Muestro mis fotos ... read more

Aprendi mucho en mi visita a la ciudad de Mexico. D.F. esta legos de Oaxaca. En carro esta seis o siete horas. Eso es el mismo tiempo de Los Angeles a Berkely. Oi una historia de Cortes, el Conquistador. Alguien le pregunto: ¿como era Mexico? Arrugo el papel y lo lanzo en la mesa. Dijo que estaria como las montanas! Descubrimos estar la verdad en nuestra viaje. Estabamos arriba del montanas. Pasamos el volcan con la nieve arriba y las nubes abajo. Manejamos sobre el puente mas largo. I learned many things in my visit to Mexico City. First, it is far from Oaxaca by car- six or seven hours. It is the same drive time as from Los Angeles to Berkely. I heard the story about the geography of Mexico. It is said that when ... read more

Friends, On Sunday we went to Monte Alban one of the most impressive and important archeological sites of Mesoamerica. We were fortunate enough to have a very knowledgeable guide in don Pedro lead our tour as he provided the different schools of thought about Monte Alban's ruins and their purpose for the ancestors of Oaxaca's present day Zapotecs. What is clear is that Monte Alban was unearthed by Mexican archeologist Alfonso Caso in the 1930s and that the ancient city was founded about 500 b.c. where they raised monumental platforms, pyramids, palaces, and a ceremonial ball court. Its present day name implies white mountain as it is atop a hill above the Oaxaca Valley and the reason the natives decided to build there can probably be attributed to it stategic location overlooking the valley. Whether or ... read more