In recent months the city of Oaxaca has gotten great press. It has been mentioned in a number of magazines (most recently “National Geographic” and “Travel & Leisure”) as the 5th or 6th most desirable travel destination in the world — right up there with Paris, London, Venice and other renowned cities. Wow! Who would have thought? But it turns out Oaxaca has been a waypoint for cyclists touring Mexico – and the world – for quite a number of years. People riding bikes from Alaska to the furthest tip of South America pass through here; likewise those pedaling from extreme south to far-distant north. Today I met and rode with Andrew and Stephanie, two young people from Germany on a 3-year around-the-world bike tour. They left home two years ago, heading east through Iran, Kazakstan and China, then flying to Alaska to start their journey through North, Central and South America. Today was a well-earned one-day rest stop on their epic adventure. They were staying with Alex, who advertises his home as a way station on the “Warm Showers” network (https://www.warmshowers.org/). Omar and I met up with them and pedaled up to the archeological ruins of Monte Alban, the ancient Zapotec capital city and Oaxaca’s premier tourist attraction, situated on a hilltop 1326 feet above the floor of the central valley. We left them to explore the archeological site while Omar and I rode into the Etla valley to the west of Monte Alban and then back to our home. We wish Stephanie and Andrew well when they set out tomorrow on their way to Guatemala and points south. May they eventually return safely to Germany with legs of steel and endless happy memories!
