Monte Alban
Tuesday, 01 December 2009 15:38
After Mitla, I was off to Monte Alban. I needed to ride 40 miles back to Oaxaca, through the center of town and another 10 miles to the west.
When I entered Oaxaca, I noticed a motorcycle cop riding a BMW 1150 RT. He was making good time through the traffic, so I tucked in behind him and started following. After a few blocks, we stopped next to each other at a red light and I got him to break out of his serious look and crack a smile. About that time, he got involved escorting some motorcade with about 6 other motorcycle cops. One or two of the guys would ride ahead to the next intersection and block traffic and the others would clear the road. I just kept my position behind the guy with the 1150 RT and we made it through town in no time at all.
Monte Alban
Monte Alban is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site dating back to 500 BC. It was the first site of its type that I’ve visited, so I was pretty excited to get there. It turns out that Monte Alban was the center of a large Zapotec community - the guide pointed out several hill tops where you could make out shapes of other similar buildings. The site is still used by locals for religious ceremonies. Current historians say that the city was abandoned around 600 or 700 AD, but the guide assured me the Zapotecs are still living in the locals of Oaxaca.
Zapotec Conquest Carving
Zapotec Medical Work
