Welcome/Bienvenidos

My name is Gina Tano Mitchell, and I am a 23 year old college student. I am interested in travel, culture, physical/mental health, and education. Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog.

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#1 Favorite experience in Oaxaca

1. Monte Albán

Monte Albán is in my top 5 experiences in Oaxaca for many reasons, but I will narrow it down to just a few. The first reason is the history behind it. I’m not going to explain it right now, but I highly suggest looking into it before or during your time there. There are tons of informational resources once you get there. Something that was incredible to me was the energy there. I know it sounds cheesy, but it really had this energy there that I’ve never felt anywhere else that I was very intrigued by. When I went into June, the weather happened to be perfect; sunny, warm, and all of the nature looked amazing. I am unsure of how handicapable friendly Monte Albán is, but I am pretty sure that there are ramps to the main parts (not 100% sure). If able, I HIGHLY suggest climbing up the pyramid that isn’t roped off, and taking tons of pictures. These pictures are my favorite pictures of me at the moment haha.

I do not know the exact cost since my school paid for my entrance, but I think it was like 80 pesos for non-mexican citizens. There is also a museum that is free to explore before or after going in to see the ruins. This part of my Monte Albán experience really hit home for me because of the artifacts that are on display there. A huge part of the culture there in ancient time was the human sacrifices, and the museum has examples of this. It was so interesting to see. The energy in the museum was interesting as well.

A couple things to keep in mind when visiting Monte Albán: all gems/stones/articafts being sold by street vendors around and secretly inside of the area are not legit. One of my local professors said that these items are often sold as genuine and to not fall for it. While I was inside of the “park”, 4-5 people came up to me saying that they found this small ancient rock carving a few moments ago and tried to sell me “real artifacts”. While these are really cool souvenirs I would not trust that these vendors are selling legit artifacts.

**I’m pretty sure this video is on my blog already, but I figure that it’s best to just include it in this post just in case. 

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#2 Favorite experience in Oaxaca

2. Attend La Feria Internacional Del Mezcal

Again, this part can only be experienced in the month of July (from what I understand). La Feria Del Mezcal is a giant fair of mezcal, food, and artisan vendors that come together in the Parque El Llano in Oaxaca City. I think that the entrance fee was somewhere around $6 USD. I actually think it was less than that, but around that price is what should be expected. Let me tell you guys, with that entrance ticket one can taste as many samples of mezcal as you please.. With that said, drink responsibly and have a great time.

Upon entering, there were informational booths about how the famous mezcal is produced and amazing decor. Farther into the festival, there were (what seemed like) hundreds of Mezcal vendors selling and sampling their goods. There were plenty of food vendors on the inside of the festival, who often sold out of everything towards the end of the night (so please eat as soon as you get inside, or right before entering to be safe!). I went in the late afternoon, and the experience was amazing. They had a great live band, everyone is dancing and drinking; it was incredible.

During this time I was with my classmates (a group of around 10 students), and not once did I feel unsafe in the festival. I felt as though everyone there was very respectful, and that also made the experience great. So I 100% recommend this event to anyone that likes music, mezcal, and a great time.

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#3 Favorite experience in Oaxaca

3. Shopping from Street Vendors in and around the Zocalo

Shopping in the Zocalo was such amazing. The clothes, art, and food were all amazing. There are street vendors every day in the Zocalo, but during the second half of July there are hundreds of vendors all over. I bought most of my souvenirs and such from here, and I cannot even count the amount of times I bought food from the kind food vendors at all hours of the day.

If you venture away from the Zocalo, there are two main markets that I would go to for food and shopping in general. The first one is called “Mercado 22 de Noviembre”. This market is full of many smaller restaurants that serve all different types of mexican cuisine. There is a “meat” section of this market, and you can pick your meat from stalls that will cook all of it for you right then and there. In addition to the meat the workers there will supply you with all the fixins that you could ever want; beans, tortillas, chiles, avocados, pico de gallo, etc. This part of the market get very crowded around dinner, but I still highly suggest it! The other market that I frequented is called “Mercado Benito Juarez”. This market had everything you can imagine; Clothes, shoes, toys, flowers, pets, mezcal, quesillo, and muuuuuuch more. One of my favorite things to buy in the markets and on the street was a bag of chapulines. Chapulines are crickets cooked in garlic and spices for snacking! They have an acquired taste, but I absolutely loved them. I suggest buying mezcal to take home from this market because the quality is excellent and the vendors sell it cheaper than the other places closer to the Zocalo. (**or you can find better or equal prices for Mezcal at the Feria Del Mezcal.. Which will be mentioned shortly)

This is a photo right outside of the Zocalo. There are many vendors here selling children’s toys and balloons. 

I had to share this photo of these giant vegetables! They looked so delicious lol. 

Here is one of the many Mezcal stands in Benito Juarez. 

This is a photo of my Oaxacan host mother (Chela V.) buying chapulines for the house. :)

**I highly regret not taking more pictures in the markets, BUT the vendors that sell artisan goods do not like when tourists take photos of their inventory. Unless the vendor approves, it is a known thing that many companies take original indigenous designs and remake them in the US and in other parts of the world without permission for a big profit. 

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#4 Favorite experience in Oaxaca

4.Experience a Calenda in El Centro for the Guelaguetza (and explore the nightlife after the parade)

This experience is very specific, and can only happen if traveling during the month of July. This month if very special because it is the month of the Guelaguetza, a giant festival of the regional dances of Oaxaca. The time of year brings in the most tourists and is very beneficial for the economy in and around Oaxaca City. Something to consider though, is that prices on hotels and flights go up significantly during this month. (Oaxaca is generally lower cost in terms of hotels, but just for the traveler on a budget, be prepared for that).

I can’t tell you exactly what a calenda is but in my experience it is a parade that consists of dancing, live music, fireworks, spinning globes and giant paper mache figures all over the streets. The people of Oaxaca participate in calendas for celebrate weddings, graduations, religious sacraments, etc; but the calendas specific to the Guelaguetza are more extravagant. Experiencing my first calenda for the Guelaguetza was my most memorable experience in the three months that I spent in Oaxaca. I will include many pictures and videos in a separate post so that you too can see what I saw. It is an explosion of colors, sounds, and heritage.

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#5 Favorite experience in Oaxaca

5. Take a guided tour of Hierve el Agua

Hierve el Agua is a small collection of beautiful petrified waterfalls off the mountainside of a small Oaxacan pueblo. It is about an hour drive from Oaxaca City. People go there to swim in the natural pools that are filled with water that comes from channels in the mountain. Don’t forget your bathing suit/towel! The water looks different from any other body of water I’ve ever seen. Depending on the time of year and the weather, the water gives off different colors.

There are many locals that work there giving tours, and there is a tour/hike that takes about an hour to complete and ends at the two pools. Our main tour guide told us that they have an agreement with the locals that only local tour guides are allowed to give tours of the falls. I did not personally go on the tour, but almost all of my classmates went and said it was absolutely amazing! The views of the waterfalls are very different from the standard views that you would get without the hike. I would not suggest the hike for people that have a hard time hiking.

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My top 5 favorite experiences in Oaxaca.

 Let me start by saying that this list was very difficult for me to put together. I could go on literally for days talking about these 5 places. I tried to narrow down my input, but it is still pretty detailed and long. If you would like any more information about these places, PLEASE send me a message and reach out! I have tons of information about my experience in Oaxaca City and can try to help you by going into detail.

Another thing to keep in mind is that I spent my summer (June-August 2017) there. So depending on when you do plan on going, your experience may be different from what I experienced. 

I am going to post them all in separate posts so I can add all of my favorite photos from each activity. 

**Si quieres este artículo en español, mandame un mensaje! :)

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Todas las fotos son desde Teotitlán Del Valle. 

All of the photos are from Teotitlán Del Valle.

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Humboldt State University in Teotitlán del Valle

Short video of our field trip to Teotitlán Del Valle, a small town known for their artisanal tapestries. **Our bus broke down here, and we were able to go into a tapestry factory and eat a delicious dinner in a family-owned restaurant.

Breve video de nuestro viaje a Teotitlán del Valle, un pequeño pueblo conocida por sus tapetes artesanales. ** Nuestro autobús se rompió aquí, y pudimos ir a una fábrica de tapetes y comer una deliciosa cena en un restaurante de propiedad familiar.

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Humboldt State University in Mitla!

A short video of our trip in Mitla, another ancient archaeological site in Oaxaca (this one has a grad market though!). 

Video corto de nuestra excursión a Mitla, un antiguo lugar arqueológico y gran mercado en Oaxaca.

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Humboldt State University at Dainzú

Short video of our field trip to Dainzú, an ancient archaeological site in Oaxaca.

Video corto de nuestra excursión a Dainzú, un antiguo lugar arqueológico en Oaxaca.

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Changing my style/ Cambiando mi estilo

Hello to all of you who have been following my blog!

I have decided to change up my blog design and write my entries a bit differently than I have been entering them in. Instead of picking up where I left off at in Oaxaca, I’d like to change my blog into something easier to read, and talk about topics that people actually want to know about. If you do have any questions about my experiences studying abroad, or any questions about Oaxaca, please feel free to contact me! I do have an Ask portion of my page, as well as a contact section too. My next post will be about my top 5 favorite things to do in Oaxaca (other than going to school). I will also be posting my favorite pics as I go as well.

See you guys soon! Thanks!

¡Hola a todos! Yo decido a cambiar el estilo de mi blog. Quiero escribir mis puestas un poco diferentes. No voy a continuar con mis publicaciones en el diario Oaxaqueño, estaré escribiendo artículos más cortos y divertidos. Quiero escribir artículos sobre temas que serán beneficiosos para la persona que lo lea. Si ustedes tienen preguntas sobre mi experiencia ser una estudiante extranjero o sobre Oaxaca, mandame un mensaje! Tengo un “Ask” en el menú, y tengo un enlace de “contacto” también. Mi próxima puesta seria sobre mis “top 5” actividades favoritas en la Ciudad de Oaxaca (aparte de ir a la escuela). Yo voy a publicar mis fotos favoritos también.

¡Nos Vemos! ¡Gracias!

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Pictures from San Agustin Etla!/ ¡fotos de San Augustine Etla!

I totally forgot to post photos from our first field trip to San Augustine Etla. Here are the pics!

Me olivdé de publicar las fotos de San Augustine Etla. Aquí están.

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HSU at Santo Domingo!