A Day Exploring the Oaxaca Valley

On Thursday, we booked tickets for a tour of several locations in the Oaxaca valley south of Oaxaca.  Given the complexity of deciphering the local bus system, and given the distances involved, we decided that an arranged tour with a guide made the most sense.  So for 200 pesos each (less than $20 CDN), we had a van and driver for 10 hours, a guide who spoke passable English and was an interesting guy in the bargain ("My name is Dan.  You can call me Danny Boy"), visited 5 sites in the Valley and only had to follow where we were led.

We visited the village of Tule, the home of a cypress tree with the largest circumference of any tree in the world and about 2000+ years old, 

Teotitlan, where there was an artisan weaving demonstration, 

the village of Mitla, where there is a Miztec archaeological site also about 2000+ years old, 

a Mezcal "factory", where they cook, ferment and distill agave into the alcoholic beverage, 

and finally, Hierve el Agua.  Here, mineral deposits that have formed pools and waterfalls reminiscent of Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park in the USA. 

So, a good way to see a number of locations in one day.  We didn't get back to Oaxaca until after dark, hopping out of our van once we reached familiar territory and walking back to our apartment.