After visiting remarkable cities, ruins, and climbing volcanoes together with our family, we had to wave good bye and left for Oaxaca, about 500 km south of Mexico City.

Oaxaca is famous for the archeological sites of Mt. Alban, the ruins of an ancient mountaintop Zapotec capital and the Mixtec ruins at Mitla, as well as the mineral springs which have built up deposits, appearing like a petrified waterfall and with panoramic views of mountains and valleys. But the most delightful spot in each Mexican village or town is the Zocalo, a central square with shady trees, with possibilities to sit comfortably and surrounded by some churches. A lively place where we can watch people selling and buying locally made souvenirs, bargaining, laughing, begging, chatting, kissing, buying ice-cream or colorful balloons for the kids and listening to the musicians.

Oaxaca has also the country's largest Indigenes population with 17 distinct ethnic groups, speaking their own languages and often wearing their colorful traditional clothes.

One month we spent in this charming town, getting used to everyday Mexican way of life, feeling at home, relaxing and getting our further trip organized.

The route is roughly fixed. Oaxaca - Puerto Angel - San Cristobal de las Casas - Palenque - Guatemala and finally through Central- and South America as far south as the Tierra del Fuego.

Bilder von Mt. Alban und von Hierve el Agua