| It can take as little as 4.5 hours and be | | | | marketplace. On Sunday there's an even |
| traffic and problem free, but just as easily | | | | larger series of temporary stalls selling |
| you can be met with congestion and road | | | | crafts, plants, etc, two blocks down. In the |
| repairs, extending the trip to six hours or | | | | same area is the area known as Parián, and |
| more. On the other hand you can elect to | | | | the Barrio de Artista, both not to be missed. |
| increase the length of your journey by taking | | | | Of course there are nearby ruins and other |
| in a few select sites and some interesting | | | | sites, but for a brief stopover it's the |
| scenery, including a snow-capped volcano near | | | | downtown that's the "must see." For a |
| Puebla and another peak near the Orizaba / | | | | splurge spend the night at Mesón |
| Córdoba cut-off. | | | | SacristÃa (written up in a coffee table |
| | | | book about the 1,000 best inns in The |
| The first leg of the trip is from Mexico City | | | | Americas) in Los Sapos. For economy, stay at |
| to Puebla. The main problem you will likely | | | | Palas or Palace, on 2 Oriente, a block from |
| face is leaving the nation's capital, along a | | | | the zócalo and about four blocks from Los |
| thoroughfare known as Zaragoza. Unless you | | | | Sapos. |
| happen to be starting out very early, or late | | | | |
| at night, there will be congestion, so much | | | | The drive from Puebla to Oaxaca, without |
| so that vendors of soft drinks and water, | | | | stopping other that for a couple of pit |
| snacks, freezees, and an array of other | | | | stops, takes about three and a half hours. |
| foodstuffs, will be walking ever so slowly, | | | | However, during 2007 and at least well into |
| meandering through the lines of stopped | | | | 2008 there are two or three road construction |
| traffic, plying their products. And | | | | sites which will slow you down. Again, be |
| therefore, arriving at Puebla can take | | | | patient, turn off your engine, and see what |
| anywhere from one to three hours, the latter | | | | the vendors have to offer. And at the toll |
| applying particularly during extended rush | | | | booths there will be even more offerings, |
| hours and on the weekends. The name of the | | | | from uniquely Poblano sweets known as |
| game is patience, plain and simple. And if | | | | camotes, to wholewheat tortillas, to puppies. |
| you're picking up a rental car at the | | | | Two lanes become one and a half, as you |
| airport, ask your attendant to draw a map, | | | | approach the turn-off to the right to |
| and regardless of its quality, at every | | | | continue on to Tehuacan and Oaxaca. You'll |
| opportunity ask other motorists and | | | | see the breathtaking snow-capped peak as you |
| pedestrians how and when to turn onto | | | | look ahead towards Orizába (but don't take |
| Zaragoza. Once on this "highway" your only | | | | that road or you'll end up in Veracruz). |
| difficulty will be getting off of it. To | | | | |
| give you an even clearer picture of the | | | | Next there are two recommended stops, unless |
| congestion on Zaragoza, in 2004, while | | | | you also want to spend time at Tehuacan. The |
| driving a three ton cub van on the roadway, | | | | first is at the onyx / marble village of San |
| the police wanted to pull us over (for who | | | | Antonio Texcala. Take the second Tehuacan |
| knows what reason), the cruiser several | | | | exit (after the Tehuacan toll booth), onto |
| vehicles back with siren blaring. We elected | | | | highway 125 leading to Huajuapan. After 6 km |
| to simply ignore the command and continue, | | | | you'll arrive at the village, with five or |
| hoping the traffic would never allow the | | | | more factory outlets where you can by almost |
| police to catch up and they would eventually | | | | anything into which these stones can be |
| give up. It worked. | | | | shaped --- tequila sets, plates, sinks, |
| | | | lamps, tables, bowls, boxes, unicorns, fish, |
| Virtually the entire roadway from Mexico City | | | | hash pipes, and of course a number of diverse |
| to Oaxaca is well-marked and -paved toll | | | | ornaments with religious imagery. Prices are |
| road. Signage is large and clearly lettered. | | | | about half of what you'll pay elsewhere. |
| However, a few key pointers are in order. | | | | |
| You want to be where it says "cuota" and not | | | | Next is the Museo de Agua, or water museum, |
| "libre," the former being the toll road and | | | | actually a misnomer because it is so much |
| the latter the much slower, single lane | | | | more. Take the well-marked next exit after |
| highway. "Autopista" is invariably the toll | | | | your return to the autopista, for Sangabriel |
| road. En route to Puebla you'll see signs | | | | and Chilac. There will also be signage for |
| directing you to the city, and then from | | | | the museum. You'll be given a tour (in |
| Puebla, the signage will indicate Oaxaca. The | | | | Spanish) in the main building, and of the |
| highways are either two lanes each way, a | | | | outside surrounding landscapes. You'll learn |
| lane and a half, or a single lane. However, | | | | how progress is being made to teach villagers |
| custom dictates that cars going slower move | | | | in desolate regions where water is scarce and |
| to the right and onto the paved shoulder when | | | | soil fertility is lacking, to conserve and |
| they see you coming, so regardless of the | | | | recycle water; to use compost, worm culture |
| type of highway, most of the time you should | | | | and other techniques to enrich the land; and |
| be able to go at the speed to which you are | | | | to grow and market nutritious produce such as |
| accustomed. There are, however exceptions as | | | | amaranth. |
| with any rule. Sometimes, for example, large | | | | |
| tractor trailers are too wide to move over | | | | In terms of the land and townscapes, near |
| enough to let you pass. But when they see | | | | Tehuacan you'll see long narrow white-topped |
| that the roadway ahead is clear, they'll put | | | | buildings where poultry is produced and then |
| on the left-hand signal, telling you it's | | | | trucked throughout the state of Puebla and |
| okay to pass on the left ... assuming you | | | | further abroad. There will be a couple of |
| trust them. A solid center line tends to be | | | | locations demarcated as stops for tourists to |
| suggestive only and you'll quickly learn that | | | | pull over and appreciate and photograph the |
| with cars moving over to the right for you, | | | | deep valleys and high mountaintops. Long |
| you can pass notwithstanding the solid line | | | | well-marked expansion bridges serve to |
| ... except when there's a significant curve, | | | | showcase the valleys and mountains. You'll |
| peak or valley up ahead. There are many gas | | | | pass over a geological fault. There will be |
| stations along the entire route, most of | | | | several kilometers of impressive "telephone |
| which now have "The Italian Coffee Company" | | | | pole" cactus. Close to the approach to |
| franchises alongside, with clean washrooms. | | | | Oaxaca you'll see vendors on each side of the |
| Credit cards are generally accepted for | | | | highway selling brightly colored miniature |
| filling up, and now as well at the many toll | | | | wooden trucks. |
| booths ... except when the system has broken | | | | |
| down. | | | | The last toll booth is called Huitzo. About |
| | | | 15 - 20 minutes further you'll approach |
| Leaving Mexico City you'll pass through a | | | | Oaxaca. A few minutes after entering the |
| number of stretches of comedors along each | | | | city, you'll be given two opportunities to |
| side of the highway. You'll gradually | | | | turn to the left (one of the signs is |
| ascend, through a number of easy curves, | | | | difficult to interpret), but unless you've |
| leaving the smog of the valley behind. The | | | | been provided with specific instructions to |
| scenery is nothing special, but the ease with | | | | get to your hotel or B & B, and know it's in |
| which you'll be able to negotiate the curves | | | | a northern suburb, best is to just keep |
| at a reasonable speed will more than make up | | | | driving straight, eventually entering onto a |
| for the non-descript landscapes. The curves | | | | one-way street which will lead you to the |
| and valleys will become more dramatic, to the | | | | core of the downtown area and the zócalo. |
| extent that there will be a red line on the | | | | |
| pavement demarcating how vehicles with | | | | Until 1995 when the toll road opened all the |
| failing brakes should proceed, leading them | | | | way from the capital to Oaxaca, for much of |
| off the pavement and onto a roadway ending at | | | | the route you were required to travel along |
| a soft a embankment of straw. | | | | secondary roads and highways, pretty well |
| | | | doubling the length of the drive. Now you |
| You will see at least a couple of exits to | | | | have the benefit of a much shorter and |
| downtown Puebla, marked as "Puebla Centro." | | | | definitely a safe trip along quality |
| Puebla makes for a great stopover for a day | | | | well-marked pavement, with the added feature |
| or two, if you're in no great rush to get to | | | | of the option of getting off the main highway |
| Oaxaca. It's large and sprawling, but the | | | | and venturing into some villages to take in |
| downtown core is quaint, small and full of | | | | additional sites, scenery and local culture. |
| interesting shops, crafts, restaurants and | | | | The only cautionary note is to not drive |
| clean, inexpensive hotels. Within a couple | | | | outside of any major urban center, and in |
| of blocks of the zócalo are good hotels, | | | | particular on the highways or even toll |
| an extensive pedestrian walkway with many | | | | roads, at night, unless absolutely necessary. |
| shops, and Los Sapos, a few streets filled | | | | Lighting tends to be lacking or |
| with crafts, antiques and collectibles. | | | | insufficient, and laws regarding impaired |
| Arrive on a weekend and there's an open air | | | | driving are rarely enforced. |