Oaxaca, Puebla and Chipas Travel Adventures
My first visit to Chiapas and San Cristobal de las Casas, I fell in love! This was on my travel through Guatemala and coming into Chiapas from the South via bus. Cool! In the mountains. A quiet central area and surrounded by possibilities! I’ve been inspired to return several times!
It’s different now, much more developed. The pedestrian street has a feel of a walking mall in any city. Prices have increased. However, there are still authentic experiences a few steps away. Hot chocolate made from local Cacao in a family shop. Vendors around the church selling locally made shawls and scarf’s. And coffee shops selling coffee from Chiapas farms!
I went on to Palenque, spent time relaxing on the Oaxacan coast, passed through Oaxaca, had my first crispy “chapulines” (grasshopper) at a bus stop in Puebla and continued on to Cancun to return back to the US.
I’m merging this ares of Mexico here to consolidate experiences from the region.
Cultures in these areas are quite different and unique. What they have in common is friendly people! The food is unique, the climate varies, Mezcal was born in Oaxaca, mole was born in Puebla or Oaxaca depending on whom you talk with, and the beach areas are magical! Read on to feel what I experienced! If you have any specific quesitons about areas I visited, let me know!
San Cristobal de las Casas
I loved this town! It’s changed a lot in 30 years but is still quite lovely! My first trip here, I went on a tour to San Juan Chamula. They practice a mix of Catholocism and Mayan religion. It’s best to go with a guide to learn more about their rituals. And DO NOT take your camera out of your bag here. They are very disproving of having their photo’s taken. The tour includes hiking to explore local villages. Here’s another link for the church in Chamula if you would like to read more about the church and the experience there. Very nice!
It was FREEZING when I was here! I found a lady selling wool scarf’s (bufanda) near the church. That saved my butt! I still use that, so soft and warm!
My first time in Chiapas, we visited Agua Azul Waterfalls and the ruins at Palenque . There are many other activities you can explore near here so if you plan to visit, do your research to discover options!
If you are curious to learn more about Mayan Medicine, visit the Museum of Mayan Medicine! A shaman was there the day we visited and it was interesting talking with him about their practice and what he does, what he sees.
One other thins Chiapas is known for is coffee! There is some awesome coffee around town! It’s coffee from Chiapas however, with different soil types, growing at different elevations and subject to various blending and roasting technique, the flavor varies a lot. It’s fun research though so sip away and learn what you like best!
San Cristobal Adventures
Getting in the travel Groove, San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas!
This is my third full day of travel. I’m getting into a rhythm now. While traveling, I posted on facebook about my travel experience. For those of you who aren’t on facebook, I will repost some of that here later. But first, Chiapas. This is my third visit here, the
Adventures in Oaxaca and surrounding areas
The first time I was in Oaxaca, it was Valentine’s Day! The central park, the Zocolo, erupted in music and celebreation. Today, it’s still the center of life in Oaxaca. I’ve been three times to celebrate Dia de los Muertos which is an amazing celebration of life! I love that experience!
At the same time, that celebration is challenging for me. Not because of the theme of Death (which is really about life), but because there is so much going on! I don’t want to miss anything. Thus, I always get over stimulated and need to force myself to stop going to everything! Nice challenge!
The food is great. There are some lovely cafe’s for coffee and a bit of work via WiFi. The central market is a great spot for shopping and for food! The people are very friendly!
I have visited Tule, home of the stoutest tree in the world. I’ve visited Monte Alban, and gone to Santiago Matitlan, the World’s Capital of Mezcal and I visited one of the first Mezcaleria in Oaxaca, El Rey Zapoteco, the only Mezcaleria run by a woman.
I’ve been down the coast, through Pluma Hidalgo and San Jose del Pacifico, and spent time in the Sierra del Norte. This was a high-elevation and peaceful place to spend time after the festivities in Oaxaca. My last stop there was Cuajimaloyas.
There are a lot of experiences available in Oaxaca! I played in the city then headed to the beach to recover from my overstimulation! Much warmer than the mountains! A Great plan!
Oaxaca Area Adventures
Amazing Oaxaca Murals…From my morning walk!
What can I possibly say!?!? It’s been several years since I was in Oaxaca. Looking forward to the experience here, I was eager to see a new area that is rapidly growing and gaining popularity! This morning, I took a walk in that direction! And around seemingly every corner, there
Spontaneous! Awesome unplanned off the beaten Path Adventures!!
Travel secret!! OK, I’m not going to reveal all of the secret for obvious reasons. But here is part of it! Plan less, listen more! There are clearly details that are beneficial to plan in advance. Basics! Flight, insurance, first night hotel, transportation from airport, general idea of my travel
Finally! Re-learning how to plan a “wandering” trip to Mexico!
Teotihuican near Mexico City. Inspiration for “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz. It’s been several years since I traveled to Mexico to wander! In June, I found room still available in Oaxaca for Dia de Los Muertos. It was a bit challenging receiving confirmation, lodging places still reeling from
Mexico Adventure
A clue! Yes, a clue! An adventure looming on the horizon. I’ll post more in coming days. Testing and Playing! For now, I’m testing and playing with a new way of consistently laying out my posts. It will make it simpler for me, is flexible and, hopefully, be faster when
My final travel day in Mexico! Great experience!
Actually, I have tomorrow but it is moving day so that’s different. I have an early flight Thursday and with traffic, I’m moving closer to the airport for one night. That will give me a new neighborhood to explore as well. Today, I made it to Teotihuacan. I took the
Cuernavaca and weekend.
The name simply has a nice ring to it, Cuernavaca! Sounds old, authentic and somehow real Mexico. When the bus arrived, we really hadn’t. Cuernavaca has been the victim of urban sprawl and it was a long way from the edge of Cuernavaca to Cuernavaca! With the sprawl, I
Puebla Travel Adventures
The first time I had fried crispy Chapulines (grasshopper) was in Puebla at a bus stop. Men surrounding the bus during a wait for new passengers had a bag and offered them to the “gringo”. So I tried them. They are very good!
Puebla and Oaxaca have a little competition for who can claim to have the best Mole? There is a bit of that going on with the Mezcal as well.
The manager at my hotel in Mexico City, my first night, was very excited when I told her I was going to Oaxaca…her home. She told me I had to try the Mole Almendrado…the almond mole! I tasted some in San Miguel de Allende and loved it! I began looking for a place to take a cooking class but couldn’t find one. Once I arrived at Hostel Rhodas in Puebla, I asked Manuel for a recommendation. He thought for a second and then said, “my mother”? Wow! I was blessed to have her teach me!
Puebla Travel Adventures
Spontaneous! Awesome unplanned off the beaten Path Adventures!!
Travel secret!! OK, I’m not going to reveal all of the secret for obvious reasons. But here is part of it! Plan less, listen more! There are clearly details that are beneficial to plan in advance. Basics! Flight, insurance, first night hotel, transportation from airport, general idea of my travel
Puebla Magic! Mole and More…
Flowing to Puebla Sometimes an Uber to the bus station has taken 20 minutes or more. This time, they arrived within minutes. The rest of my trip flowed just as nicely! The bus left a few minutes late but…we made it to Puebla in 4 hours rather than the 5
Random Photo's
Here are some random photos of my experiences there. So many choices, but I selected these few. Such great memories come sweeping back looking at these photos and writing about them!
I will go back in the future!
The most direct and least expensive flight to Mexico is Mexico City. There is a bus station at the airport. Depending on where you are heading, it’s possible to reach a lot of spots directly from there.
I took the subway to the Central Del Norte Bus station and spent the night near there. It was late when I arrived. And, there was a direct bus from there to Guanajuato.