Introduction to Oaxaca

Oaxaca and Chiapas have larger Indian populations than the other states in Mexico. These Indians don't just keep to their own little villages; you see them everywhere. Over the centuries, their practices, beliefs, and customs have shaped the local culture, making these two states fascinating places to visit.

In Oaxaca, there is a large population of Zapotec and Mixtec Indians in the central highlands surrounding Oaxaca City. It's a land of mountains and valleys checkered with cornfields, at its prettiest during the rainy season (Jun-Oct), when the corn is green. The villages here are famous for their crafts and attract visitors from all over the world. Many families now earn more by selling handicrafts than they do by growing corn. But growing corn carries much more weight in their ordering of things -- it's part of their identity, it's part of what makes them Indians.

Their ancestors established agriculture and civilization in these valleys centuries ago. They were the ones who built and rebuilt the magnificent ceremonial center of Monte Albán high upon a mountaintop above Oaxaca City. Up there, you'll find an intriguing collection of buildings, ball courts, and plazas with designs distinctive from those of the Maya to the east and the many cultures of central Mexico to the northwest.

But my favorite part of a trip here is visiting the city of Oaxaca, a colonial city of stone buildings, plazas, and courtyards. With the pleasures of elegant surroundings, good food, and warm, welcoming people, I find myself very much at home here.

Chiapas, too, has a central highland area that produces beautiful handicrafts. Its center is the town of San Cristóbal de las Casas, which is higher, cooler, and wetter than Oaxaca. It's best to come here during the relatively dry season (late Oct-May). San Cristóbal is much smaller, with a more provincial version of colonial architecture -- narrow cobblestone streets, tile roofs, old adobe walls, and wooden balconies. It looks less monumental and more Indian.

Besides the beauty of the mountains and the many handicrafts, what brings people here are the villages of the highland Maya, a people who cling so tenaciously to their beliefs and traditions that for a long time the area attracted more anthropologists than tourists. These communities have a high degree of autonomy in religious and social practices; a visit to the church in San Juan Chamula will bring this home in a way no description can.

North and east of San Cristóbal are the lowlands, where you can visit the famous ruins of Palenque, a Maya city of the Classic age. Thanks to the deciphering work of epigraphers, we know much about the history of Palenque and its kings. One was King Pacal, who lay buried for centuries inside his pyramid until an archaeological team discovered him in the 1950s.