Job Discussion Forums

[ls650]

I spent this last weekend visiting Oaxaca City.

As you may have read, on Saturday morning (Feb 3rd) the zocalo was completely barricaded by police in full riot gear. No one was allowed in. This came as a surprise to me; when I asked around it turned out that a 'megamarch' was scheduled for that day.

The demonstrators marched within perhaps two or three blocks of the zocalo. The crowd was estimated at anywhere from 10,000 to 35,000 depending on whose report you believe; from what I saw it was probably at the lower end of that range.

The march ended peacefully, and the cops started taking down the barricades at 4:30. By 5 o'clock both tourists and locals started flooding into the zocalo. I ate dinner in a zocalo restaurant along with three friends. It was very peaceful and pleasant.

On Sunday, other than more cops than usual in the zocalo, plenty of patched-over graffiti, and the rare building with some broken windows, I couldn't really tell that there had been any major problems in the city. I visited the Abastos market, did some shopping, and had a great steak for dinner.

My biggest annoyance of the trip was the bus ride back to the coast. A gasoline tanker flipped over on the mountain highway, blocking traffic for a whopping EIGHT hours.

[MamaOaxaca]

A couple of our teachers were blocked on the otherside, trying to get back from the coast.

The state is in full "please please please come back and spend your money here" swing right now so if any of you want to visit Oaxaca, this coming Easter week looks like it will be a great time to find some good deals!

[dixie]

What do you mean find good deals? Do you think staying in the city will be cheaper than normal? Does that apply to the coast too??

I'm still trying to find a way to get there......

[Samantha]

Dixie wrote:

[MamaOaxaca]

Actually, if hotels are not full, the prices will not go up. I had a hotel manager once tell me, the last 5 rooms (his hotel had 35 rooms) go at the highest rate, no matter what season it is. So, if people stay away, you will be able to find good rates on rooms, excursions, and good prices on handicrafts. But if Mexicans, the primary tourists during Easter week, give Oaxaca a chance, then it will be business as usual.

[dixie]

thanks for the advice...guess it all depends on how much of a risk I want to take!! hehehe...

I know going to the beach during semana santa isn't the cheapest thing..but it's when I have the time to travel the distance...going to the oaxaca beach on a long weekend....it just doesn't work for me! To much travel time and not enough relaxing time! But if it's going to be really expensive...I guess I"ll have to rethink the whole thing. Maybe I'll hang out in the beauty that is Torreon...hehehe Lots of sand there...