We woke up at 0600, bleary-eyed but excited, to walk over to Viejas Turísticos Mitla to grab tickets for our day trip to Monte Albán — one of the oldest and most important archaeological sites in all of Mesoamerica, built by the Zapotecs around 600 B.C.? Just thinking about how ancient it was gave me chills. It was only about a 30-minute drive each way, but knowing my body, I made sure to pop a Dramamine ahead of time — no way was I going to risk getting violently nauseous on the road.
The ride there was a blur. I drifted in and out of sleep until my friend nudged me awake to say we had arrived — or so we thought. We were stuck in a traffic jam right outside the entrance. I wasn’t sure what the holdup was, but time ticked by a little too slowly for comfort. Our entry tickets were for 0730, and the last thing we wanted was to miss our window.
When we finally made it inside, all worries melted away. Standing before the ruins of Monte Albán was something else — it felt like touching the ancient soul of the Earth itself. Giant stone monuments sprawled across the mountaintop, their weathered faces whispering stories of a world long gone but never forgotten. The scale of it all was staggering: intricate stone carvings, grand platforms, crumbling stairways — all crafted by hands that lived over thousands of years ago.
I couldn’t help myself — I snapped photo after photo, trying to bottle up the awe I felt. But honestly, pictures could never capture the full magic of being there. At the hilltop, we found the observatory, which offered a breathtaking 360-degree view of the valleys and mountains rolling endlessly into the horizon.
We stayed until close to noon, soaking it all in. Vendors lined the entrance selling colorful knickknacks — small pottery, toys, figurines — but I wasn’t tempted to buy anything. For me, the memories, the photographs, and the quiet wonder would be enough to take home.
The ride back to the city was uneventful. On the bus, we chatted about what we should do next — this was, after all, our very last day in Oaxaca, and we wanted to make it count.
When we exited the bus, we made our way to Mercado Benito Juárez, a vibrant maze of stalls filled with everything from food to handicrafts. My mission was clear: I needed to bring home mole Oaxaqueño especial and small gifts for people back home. My friends picked up different types of mole to sample.
We stopped by Nieves Chagüita, famous for their tuna ice cream — not tuna like the fish because that sounds disgusting, but tuna as in prickly pear fruit. I was skeptical at first, but one bite in and I was sold — it was bright, fresh, and not too sweet.
After that, we wandered the colorful streets one last time, picking up handmade gifts for family, friends, and colleagues back home — I settled on embroidered bags to give away.
It started raining, so we ducked into the nearest restaurant we could find without even bothering to Yelp it — Don Juanito Taquería y Pozolería.
Sometimes the best meals are the ones you stumble upon by accident. The rain made me crave something warm and hearty, so I ordered the green pozole, my favorite kind. It was so damn good — hearty, had the right amount of spice, comforting — and somehow, a steaming bowl of this humble soup hit harder than some of the high-end meals we’d splurged on days before. Even better, it only cost about $2. I loved that for us.
The staff must have seen how much we loved the food because they generously gifted us shots of mezcal. The mezcal that they served us was strong… strong enough to put hair on your chest. We threw them back, laughing and grimacing all at once.
As we finished up, a bittersweet feeling crept in. It was our last night in Oaxaca. We were sad to leave but so grateful to have experienced a place so rich in color, flavor, and soul.
Back at the Airbnb, we spent the evening doing our final load of laundry, carefully packing our suitcases, and reminiscing about all the adventures we packed into such a short time. Our host kindly offered to drive us to the airport in the early morning, so we made sure everything was ready for a quick getaway.
It would be about a four-hour flight back — and once we landed, another drive home from Tijuana. It was going to be a long day tomorrow but at least we’ll have the beautiful memories.
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