I arrived in Oaxaca around midday and made my way straight to the central plaza. I needed some lunch, and the plaza is always a good place to get the vibe of a new city. I figured a couple of hours just hanging out there would be good, then start looking for accommodation. It seemed a bit more up-market than most places, with sidewalk restaurants having tablecloths(!) and waiter. Also wifi, which was handy cos I needed some. Had a nice lunch and cappuccino, a bit more expensive than usual but not too bad. Lots of musicians and almost as many shoe-shine guys working the plaza.
Sometimes it takes me a while to find suitable accommodation. Price is a big thing, but then there’s bike security to think about and finally my own needs. I went to about 4 places in Oaxaca without finding one with the right combination of features. Then I stumbled across the Hostel Don Nino. I don’t usually seek out hostels, not because I don’t like them but mainly because they often cater to the backpacking crowd and are less likely to have parking for the bike. Well Don Nino was very swish with a nice restaurant and bar at the front, 2 TV lounges, a bunch of computers and a roof deck. For 160 pesos ($13) for a bed in a 6 bed dorm, breakfast was included AND a free shot of Mescal every night. It was spotlessly clean too. Just across the street was a plaza which was full of various vendors – clothes, toys, but mainly food! I didn’t go anywhere else to eat in my stay there – just wander across the road and choose from about 50 different food options.
I enjoyed my time at the hostel, met a nice bunch of people there. I got talking to a Dutch couple who told me about an eco-tourism enterprise run by a group of villages in the mountains 30 miles outside of Oaxaca. There are 7 villages in the mountains, some as high as 10,500 ft (3200m), which all have cabanas for rent and hiking trails connecting the villages. Sounds great, let’s go!
http://www.sunofmexico.com/ecotourism_oaxaca_mexico.php
