I like to walk through the areas of a city where people live and work. This morning while it was still cool, I decided to walk to an archeological site just outside of Oaxaca. It was about a two hour walk with some very steep trail sections. The walk allowed me to see the small workshops, schools, shops and houses where the local people live their lives. Oaxaca is more of a large town than a small city though it has a persistent bustle. It is a tourist destination for people all over the world though you wouldn't know it by looking around. Mostly it just looks and feels like a busy Mexican town complete with narrow streets and beat-up concrete buildings. Layers of chipped paint, dirt and exposure to the elements has rendered every surface in this town with a unique patina. I think therein lies the charm. There is a certain authenticity to the experience in Oaxaca which is difficult to find in other more tourist oriented Mexican cities. I think it is the same quality that I find so fascinating about Kathmandu. It's as if there is nothing all that remarkable about Oaxaca that you can see but it is a very interesting place to experience. 

Once I reached the outskirts of town my path turned from street to trail cutting steeply up the hillside through scrubby cut-grass, cactus and Tepehuaje trees. Finally topping out at the summit of the hill, the archeological site of Monte Albán was impressive. Much larger than I had imagined. This ancient city was founded about 500 BC and thrived until 800 AD with an estimated population of over 17,000 people. The city was laid out squarely on a North-South axis and had an astrological observatory which helped them to precisely measure the seasons. They could also predict both lunar and solar eclipses. I spent several hours exploring the site and visited the small museum that was also on the grounds. When I returned to town it was mid afternoon and I was hungry. Fortunately for me I'm in the capital of Mexican cuisine. I'll let my pictures do the talking but it was buenisimo! I spent some time this afternoon looking at maps (Yup. Actual paper maps. No wonder my bike is so heavy) and picked out some sweet mountain roads for tomorrow. I figure I'm only about 3 or 4 days from crossing into Central America. That is very exciting for me.