Monday we took a trip to Monte Alban, which is an archeological site outside the city. We`d gotten directions on which city bus to take and where to take it from via the lady at the front desk of our hotel. Now remember that the bus system here, though organized in some fashion (we vaguely understand it now) is like nothing back home. It proved to be an important lesson learned when we got on the wrong bus. The name of the bus we got on was "Monte Alban COLINAS" and what we needed was "Monte Alban COL." The difference between the two was where in relation to the ruins they stopped.
Instead of a 20 minute walk each way that the driver promised us, we were hiking for 45 minutes to a hour. But you can´t complain much for a 35cent ride! The driver and his assistant gave us plenty to watch. The traffic here does whatever they want and since rush hour was winding down there was plenty of determined and maybe crazy drivers. When our driver decided the "lane" he was in was not going fast enough, the assistant jumped out and began pounding on the back of the bus, which meant it was safe to back up. This continued until he was far enough back. The bus we where in was at least 10 years old ( and that is probably being generous). The driver`s vision is narrowed because of this great Mexican tapers try that is hanging from the ceiling about 1/2 the window is covered with it. As you can imagine it was quite an adventure.
Visiting ruins is very unpredictable because you never really know what you are gonna find. This set of ruins dated back as far as 200BC, though most of it was built from 300 to 700 AD. Some of it had been touched up or changed over time. However there are a few key features that make it stand out. Monte Alban was a highly organized, Zapotec society that was run by the religious society of the day. It is found on a flattened hill top with an amazing view of the valleys surrounding it. There are many temples, a palace, several tombs and other buildings built our of huge stone blocks. All the buildings have steep walls. It is estimated that over 10,000 people were a part of this community. One building also has carvings and pictures on it that they believe tell stories of what must have happened back then. It is fun to imagine what life must have been like so long ago.
A Long time
11 years ago
1 comment:
Hey, thanks so much for your posts. My girlfriend and I are currently planning a trip to Mexico for approximately 10-14 days. We definitely would like a beach vacation, and are intrigued by the path you have taken in recent weeks (i.e. Oaxaca, Zipolete, etc.). We would like to get some small advice from you. Would you be available via email or is the blog a better means of communication? My email is themarcuss@gmail.com. Thank you, Eyal.
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