Oaxaca and Monte Alban

We have finished, for the time being, our time on the coast and headed into the mountains. The drive from Puerto Escondido to Oaxaca is only about 158 miles but it took us 7 1/2 hours because of the severe elevation gain and switchback city with the roads. Although it was a long drive it was beautiful and not nearly as nerve racking as driving along the coast because the road was in much better condition. Oaxaca is a beautiful historic city set at about 6,500 feet which has been a central hub for many of the indigenous tribes in this area of mexico. We were able to visit one of the largest archeological sites in the area called Monte Alban. It was quite an experience to see ruins that had been there for up to 2,500 years. The sure don't build them like they used to. Jessi and I have come to love this city because of the diversity of food and a really good price. It is funny because all the best food we have eaten has cost the least amount of money. About 20 pesos for a good carne asada taco, which translates to $1.85. They grill the meat right in front of you, throw it on a plate with some beans, give you ten tortillas with a bunch of spicy condiments and you go to town.

We love the food so much we have adopted that style of cooking and enjoyed a Thanksgiving dinner of black beans with onion, jalapeño, cilantro, traditional Oaxacan cheese, and of course hot sauce. We leave Oaxaca tomorrow for San Cristobol but have a feeling that we could spend a lot of time here in the future.