What did I notice?
I now understand why the ruins are called Monte Alban (White Mountain). Our journey out of Oaxaca started comfortably. We made our way out of town and began our ascent. At first, we commented on the incredible view of Oaxaca below us. Soon the hills quieted our conversation, leaving the noise of our shifting gears. We occasionally pulled over to check the map, drink some water, and note our increasing heart rates. As I was staring down at my pumping legs a man ran past us and amiably offered up a, "poca a poca" (little by little). A little over an hour into our ride, we rolled into the parking lot for the Monte Alban ruins. After a little granola bar break, we made our way into the Ancient Zapotec capital. At first, the ruins seemed to be like many of the other archeological visits we have made, but when we reached the top pyramid we realized what made this location different. Climbing to the peak of the pyramids allowed us to see mountains lowering in all directions. The view was worth the journey.
The rest of our journey really was downhill, but offered some of its own adventures. We turned off on a river basin road to head to the small town of Arrazola. Trees shaded the road of red sand as we pushed forward, skidding through corroded sections of the road. Thank you mountain bikes. We stopped to ask a man with two oxen if we were heading in the right direction. Soon we were in the town where we each contributed to the economy by buying one of the small, boldly colored animals.
We got back on our bikes for our last stretch of the journey. A steady descent took us quickly into the city traffic and smog of Oaxaca. We pedaled into the bike shop five hours after we left, tired, hungry, a little sun-burned and very satisfied.
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| At the Ancient Zapotec Capital Monte Alban (White Mountain) |
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| Navigation |
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| Our Map...Some sections of our journey were clearer than others. |
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