By Helen Paris Riemer
Phone: (011 52 951) 501-6100 Fax: (011 52 951) 516-0732
oaxaca@caminoreal.com.mx
Come to Oaxaca, the trouble is over; the weavers spin, the potters burnish, the painters exhibit, the restaurants are ready, everyone is hopeful.
This capital city of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, a 40 minute flight from the pristine beaches of Huatulco, is waiting to captivate again. To dazzle the eyes with the variety of its art, to quicken the heartbeat with the vibrancy of its well loved zocalo, lined with cafes, pulsating with music, shouting with flowers and balloons, draped with soft shade from giant Laurel trees. Come for the astonishing markets, for the tiny jazz bars, for the gourmet cooking lessons. Come for the hand loomed rugs, for the ancient ruins, for the performances in the Teatro. Last year’s teacher’s strikes slowed tourism to a trickle, wages were reduced, hotels closed. One of Mexico’s loveliest colonial cities lay down sick. But she’s up again, fresh and sparkling; the zocalo hums, the vendors twine, the musicians play, the art galleries heave with overstock, and the best hotel in town is suddenly affordable.
A discreet brass plaque on a plain outside wall in the middle of the city gives no hint of the loveliness within. Four centuries old, this ex-convent is all arches and lush courtyards. Worn stone floors and ancient walls, a tinkle of fountains, a smile from a waiter sliding by. Explore the grounds between the cloisters. Find the famous “Las Lavadores”, sheltered under its own arch supported roof. Note the bowls carved into the pitted stone rim. These were the nun’s laundry tubs, the fountain feeds the bowls, and the runoff holes tip back into the fountain. Find the chapel, trails of faded frescoes ivy the ancient walls. A wisp of Gregorian chanting floats by, barely discernable. Sink into a chair near the pottery wall, embedded with examples of the region’s clay work. Order a drink. Relax.
Colonnaded walkways lead the guests through wings that occupy a whole city block. At night tiny synchronized lights perform a slow ballet that make the gardens magical. The large blue swimming pool bounces sun up onto its own courtyard walls and palm trees, and a bar is tucked discreetly right beside it. Four restaurants provide impeccable service, Los Cantaros is hung with masterpieces of colonial painting. Arcada los Naranjos, beside the ‘singing fountain’, offers live music with lunch. La Cocina Antigua, an old style kitchen, serves buffet breakfast from wood burning stoves. Las Bugambilias, beside a garden completely lit by candles, hosts mariachis bands on Saturdays.
Rooms
The 91 colonial rooms and suites are ranged along internal courtyards. Every room is different. All are decorated with fine fabrics, soft lighting, beautiful paintings. The rooms are small, but luxurious, with views over gardens, or fountains, or swimming pool. There are seven suites with large living rooms. Outside rooms face 5 de Mayo, a pedestrian walking street during the day, lined with art galleries and shops.
The breakfast buffet offers specialties such as squash blossom with melted string cheese, eggs tossed with ancho chiles, as well as Mexican dishes like huevos rancheros, and regular American breakfast fare. The individual restaurants serve fine Oaxacan cuisine. Try the filet of chicken breast enveloping a piece of cooked plantain, sprinkled with
walnut crumbles, on a platter of puréed guava, or chiles stuffed with rice and zucchini blossoms. Try enchiladas with black or red mole, the famous Oaxacan sauce made from chocolate. Here, in the state of the chapulines, the adventurous can sample grasshopper quiche drizzled with red tomato and honey sauce. Of course western dishes are also on offer for the more cautious palate.
The street in front of the hotel is full of galleries and shops, a few blocks away the zocalo teems with activity. Pick a spot, buy a snack, sit and watch. Book an excursion right from the hotel. You can visit the ruins of Monte Alban, or take an all day tour that includes visits to a rug weaving factory, the ruins of Mitla, a mescal distillery, and an amazing petrified waterfall that can only be reached after an equally amazing bus ride over a twisting mountain road. Live jazz plays at 9:30pm in the tiny Café del Borgo on Muriega street. Check the schedule at the Teatro Macadonia; this lovely theatre features live music and dance. Oaxaca’s markets are justly famous. Visit the two permanent ones, the big Benito Juarez, and the huge Abasto, as well as the smaller ones that spring up on weekends. Catch a flight on Aero Tucan, Camino Real’s preferred airline, to the bays of Huatulco. $240 buys a return 40 minute flight to those pristine beaches. Or vice versa, come from there to here.
This hotel is a beautiful experience that is affordable right now. Because of last year’s strike and the subsequent drop in tourism the rates are much lower than they have been in the past, although the service is still splendid. Rooms that once were in the $350 range can now be had for less than $200. Search the web for deals.