On day three of B’s week in Oaxaca, Benito (Discover Oaxaca) returned to pick us up a little after 9:00 AM. We wound our way up to the archeological site, Monte Albán — the imposing former capital of the Zapotecs. Construction of this commanding site, on top of an artificially flattened mountain, began around 500 B.C. By 350-550 A.D., it had become the economic, political, and religious center for the Zapotecs, and one of the first urban complexes in Mesoamerica. Though we were only there for two hours, I learned more from Benito than I had on my previous five or six unguided visits. While we were there, a specially fitted drone (archaeocopter) was being used by archaeologists — the sound was annoying, but once we figured out it was for research, it became more tolerable and rather intriguing. There is still so much to be uncovered!
Monte Albán – looking down onto the main plaza.
Coming down off the mountain, we took the scenic route, circling around the western base of Monte Albán, often bouncing along on dirt roads as we headed south to the Ex-monastery of Santiago Apóstol in Cuilapam de Guerrero. Construction began on this massive and elaborate Dominican complex in 1556 but was temporarily halted in the 1570s and never resumed — leaving behind a towering roofless basilica, ornate frescoes, and a magnificent Gothic cloister. There are several theories as to why it was never finished — lack of funds due to the extravagance, a dispute over land ownership, the decimation of the local indigenous population from 43,000 in the 1520s down to 7,000 in 1600, leaving few workers to construct it and natives left to convert. Climbing the stairs up to the second story terrace yields an impressive view and site from which to contemplate the impact of the Spanish conquest.
Murals inside the Ex-monastery of Santiago Apóstol, Cuilapam de Guerrero.
After an hour of roaming through the unfinished remains of the Ex-monastery, we returned to the van for the 4-mile drive to Villa de Zaachila. Thursday is market day and the village was alive with shoppers. From where we parked, we walked through the market, with B marveling at all there was for sale — from fresh fruits and vegetables to tools and kitchen ware to clothing and needlework to…. And, we never even made it to the livestock market.
Moto taxis taking people to and from the tianguis on market day in Villa de Zaachila.
Once through the market, we walked past the church and up a hill to the small archaeological site of the last capital of the Zapotecs and later conquered by the Mixtecs, not long before the Spanish arrived. It is mostly unexcavated, but has two small tombs that can be accessed.
Tomb 1 – The Owl (Tecolote, Búho) of Zaachila.
We were about to head to lunch, when we were waylaid by Benito’s inquiry if we knew about and would like to see the Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) murals decorating the walls of Calle Coquiza — a street that connects the church with the municipal cemetery. Of course we responded that we would love to see them! If you are in Zaachila, they are worth checking out. You can see more of the murals on my blog post, Muertos murals in Zaachila.
Muertos mural along Calle Coquiza, Villa de Zaachila.
We were starving by the time we had walked the length and back of Calle Coquiza, so we made a beeline for the van that would take us to Restaurante La Capilla de Zaachila. It felt so good to sit, relax, and eat!
Tortilla Zachileña de guisado al horno.
It was a fairly quiet return to the city — we were satiated by food, sights, and information. However, following a few hours of rest, B and I met up again to stroll down to the zócalo, sip mezcal on rooftop terrace of Casa Crespo — though the music was a bit loud, the mezcal was good and the view of Santo Domingo couldn’t be beat.
By the way, this day’s travels took us to many of the major sites where the legend of Donaji takes place.
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