The state of Oaxaca has some of the most impressive ruins in all of Mexico. Along with the region's numerous small villages that each specialize in their own particular art, they make for some fantastic weekend trips.

The ruins of Monte Alban are just outside the city of Oaxaca. It was inhabited continuously from 500 BC to 750 AD. The original settlement was built by the Zapotec people and became their capital, spreading throughout the surrounding valleys at the height of it's population (35,000 people). The ruins that we toured are actually the remains of the temple square. In this area, the top of the mountain was leveled by hand and rebuilt into an area for temples, ball courts, and tombs.

Inside the city of Oaxaca is a hill known as Del Fortin. This used to be a small fort looking over the valleys surrounding the city. Now an auditorium has been carved into the hillside and a planetarium positioned on top. Every June the auditorium is the home of the Guelaguetza. This is a national celebration of indigenous dance. Del Fortin remains popular the rest of the year with tourists and locals alike. Houses line the steps leading up the hill, and the summit offers a spectacular panoramic view of the city.

Teotitlan is perhaps the most famous weaving village in all of Mexico. Its entire ecenomy is based on weaving rugs and wall hangings. All the dyes are made from natural products (blue from fermented indigo, green from alfalfa, brown from nut shells, yellow from marigolds and tumeric, and red from a cacti fungus), and all weaving is still done on hand-worked looms.

The Zapotecs settled Yagul around the same time they founded Monte Alban (500 BC). But Yagul flourished after 800 AD and was inhabited until around 1500. Though it was never as large as Monte Alban, its pelota court, for ritual ball games, is the largest in Mexico and the second largest in Mesoamerica.