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Most Mexican towns have a zocalo (town square), and Oaxaca is no exception. One of the endearing sides of Oaxaca is that the zocalo continues to serve its traditional role of being the town center both physically and socially. There's a bandstand in the middle where free concerts are performed in the evenings. One side of the plaza is a building containing the government offices, where one evening we watched what seemed like the entire population of a nearby village stage a march to protest an issue that we never did get straight. There is, as always, a cathedral on the zocalo. And naturally, there are many restaurants and vendors and other places where people can hang out and socialize. We did, pretty much every night. |
| There are vendors selling everything from balloons to hot dogs to jewelry to who-knows-what. | |
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One side of the zocalo. There are many restaurants, with colorful tables out on the sidewalk. |
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Another view. |
| While we were there, some men were working with hammers and chisels on the facade of the government building. There were about eight men, and we saw (and heard) them every day. It occurred to us that in the U.S., there would be two men and a jackhammer instead. |  |
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Oaxaca has several markets just a few blocks from the zocalo. Unlike the artisan markets, these are places where local people do their shopping and eating. This picture shows the mercado that's devoted to food. These stalls are where meat dishes are grilled to order — to the left, you can see meat (and, um, other parts) on display. Smoke from the cooking fills the hall and wafts out the vents in the roof. I took a picture, but we didn't actually risk eating anything here. |
| The outside of the main mercado. |  |