On the Road in Oaxaca

As published by JPlus by The Jakarta Post, December 2015 

The Aztecs called this land Huaxyacac, which means over the tip of the gourd, while the Spanish friar Francisco de Ajofrín wrote that it was where God put all the remaining hills and mountains after creating the world.

In the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca in Mexico, you can find pre-Hispanic architectural magnificence and Spanish baroque architecture, as well as picturesque, rugged terrain and 533 kilometers of beaches along the Pacific. It’s also one of the culinary heavens of Mexico and an off-the-beat track destination for travelers.

Hierve el Agua, petrified waterfall in Oaxaca

IN THE CAPITAL

I had a tiring trip from Mexico City to Oaxaca de Juárez, the capital of the state, taking the night bus and catching up on some sleep.

Once in a while, I was awakened when the bus traversed a bumpy road. However, in general, the uphill-and downhill ride did not bother my slumber.

The bus itself was much more comfortable than those in Indonesia, especially given its larger leg room and cleanliness.

I arrived at the bus terminal in the north of the city, close to the historic centre – a well-preserved 16th-century Spanish colonial town that was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

I forgot that I was in Mexico as I walked down the Alcala Street tourist corridor: The cantera-paved streets, small alleys and baroque buildings reminded me of Spain.

My first stop was Santo Domingo Church, which had plentiful gold-coated adornments inside and a cactus garden outside.

Santo Domingo, which took more than 100 years to build, was commandeered by the army during the Mexican Reform War in the mid-19th century, although it was eventually returned to the Catholic Dominican clerics who ran the church.

Convent of Santo Domingo

It took me around 15 minutes to walk to the main square, or zocalo in Spanish, at the end of the tourist corridor.

Local traders lined the street, offering traditional Oaxacan clothes, second-hand goods, Mexican handicrafts and local snacks. I was surprised when one hawker offered me rambutan – a surprising taste of home.

At night, the zocalo heats up, with even more food hawkers and street vendors appearing. There are also fancy restaurants with live music and patios , where it's more common to hear English spoken by tourists than Spanish.

I passed by went to the food bazaar, where most of the locals were.

ON THE ROAD

The next day, I went on a guided tour, heading to destinations in the city’s southeast.

We started by climbing the hill that’s home to the Mitla archaeological site. Before entering the complex, our bilingual Spanish-English Mexican guide showed me a Catholic convent made of the stones taken from the pre-Hispanic constructions.

“Mitla” means resting place, and the local residents believe that the spirits of the dead come here to rest after their passage.

The archaeological site was occupied by the Mixtecs, who took it over from the Zapotecs, the designers of the complex’s huge stone supports and intricate mosaics. Similar to Borobudur Temple in Central Java, Mitla was built by arranging stones without any adhesive material.

It’s dominated by white cantera stones, with touches of carmine made from the bodies of the cochineal bug, a cactus parasite.

I had to climb 50-cm-high steps to reach the top of the one ruin that was previously a palace – something that must have been a challenge for the original residents, given that the average height of a pre-Columbian Mesoamerican was only 1.5 meters.

Our guide said that was intentional: The tall steps ensured that only community and religious leaders could enter the palace, which was a sacred place.

Ruin of Mitla Palace

Not far from the ruins was an astonishing site, the Hierve el Agua petrified waterfall. The name, which means “boiling water” refers to the temperature of the nearby streams.

Boiling, though, is a misnomer: The water actually bubbles, due to mineral gases below ground that force the liquid to the surface.

I was amazed by the waterfalls: One was 30 meters high; the other, 12. Both were formed several thousand years ago, when frozen running water with a high mineral content came into contact with air and instantly solidified.

There are only two petrified waterfalls in the world, in Mexico and Turkey, according to our guide.

On the way to the bottom of the smaller waterfall, we stopped several times to get a look at its bigger sibling. At the base, we were showered by mineral-laden water that could wet you, but not precisely bathe you.

Thankfully, there are plenty of small caves and nooks where you can shield yourself to take pictures.

View from the bottom of the small petrified waterfall

THE PACIFIC SHORE

Leaving the highlands, I next explored the Pacific shores of Oaxaca, stopping in Puerto Escondido, about 10 hours from Oaxaca by bus. There are also direct flights from Mexico City to Puerto Escondido that are less expensive than traveling by ground.

Simple Map of Puerto Escondido

The reason behind my stopover was simple: I was pining to ride some waves. I rented a board at Punta Zicatela Beach, a bohemian part of the coast crowded with surf and food shacks.

The surf at Punta Zicatela was perfect for a beginner like me, who does not expect big barrels.

If you long for larger swells, though, go to nearby Zicatela Beach, where hardcore surfers ride waves topping six meters along the Mexican Pipeline.

Zicatela also hosts swanky hotels, restaurants, bars and the best nightlife in the region.

Meanwhile, for those who are only interested in swimming and lying on the sand, I vouch for the calm waters of Carrizalillo Beach. If Zicatela channels the spirit of Kuta for its long shoreline, Carrizalillo Beach could be Padang Padang.

Carrizalillo is characterized by hills that surround the sea. I had to make an effort to walk down stone steps to reach the hidden beach.

Food shacks in the dunes were ready to satisfy my hunger as I sat under a palapa, or thatched palm-leaf roof.

Cove of Carrizalillo Beach

The real reason I was keen to visit Puerto Escondido was to witness the bioluminescence glow of Manialtepec Lagoon, located about 20 minutes from Puerto Escondido.

We continued to the darkest part of the lagoon by boat on a night without any moon, since any light would hide the effect.

Our boatman steered in circles so that the phytoplankton would reveal themselves, as they glow in response to movement as a defence mechanism.

We dived into the water to say hello. As I started to move, my hands were glazed by small twinkling white stars. It was a dreamlike experience.

“Three days ago I brought a group to that side. The plankton glowed green,” the boatman said. “We cannot really tell what the color of these sparks will be.”

36 BEACHES LATER

The next day, I took a two-hour bus ride to the touristy, laid-back city of Huatulco – a place famous for its nine bays of crystal water and 36 beaches.

I reached the site late and had to let go of plans to visit all the bays by ship. Instead, I followed a
suggestion from the local tourist office and took a tranvia (tourist bus) tour.

The double-decker bus went around the town square on the way to Santa Cruz Bay, where we stopped at a nearby hill to admire the view.

Santa Cruz Bay

I decided to dine by the sea with fresh seafood that night. It was around 10 pm., and the restaurants were barely serving clients, although there was a clamour from a soccer game featuring the Mexican national team on television.

I chose the nearest restaurant, since I was starving, and was not disappointed by scrumptious seafood skewers and shrimp with cream sauce served inside a pineapple shell.

Walking to Huatulco Café at Santa Cruz Square, I paused to listen to the coffee shop’s singer as he
sang standards in English and Spanish.

I savoured the experience of drinking a cold cappuccino on a warm night listening to that singer’s beautiful voice.

Grinding Machine in Mezcal (tequila of oaxaca) Distillery 

Tortilla chip with Chapulin (grasshopper) Sauce