They come prepared to sit from well before the 10 a.m. starting time until well into the afternoon in an amphitheater with no protection from the subtropical sun. Before their performances, dance groups from the seven regions of the Oaxaca valley, representing Zapotec, Mixtec and other local cultures, greet the crowd. Others are much more colorful. Each Monday's pageant lasts for hours, and for those who can't get enough, the Ballet Folklorico de Oaxaca presents the legend of Zapotec princess Donaji in the stadium both Monday evenings. In the days between, the spirit of Guelaguetza spreads throughout the city.
Visitors bump into parades, concerts and other events at every turn.
Our hotel was easy walking distance from the zocalo, and we did lots of exploring on foot. It's a huge site, occupied through the centuries by Zapotecs and Mixtecs who built temples, tombs, an observatory and a ball court after, apparently, flattening the top of a mountain. On another day, we headed east on the Pan American Highway to Mitla, the home of another, smaller archeological site with significant differences in history and construction from the older buildings at Monte Alban. On the way, we stopped to gawk at the giant ahuehuete tree outside the Santa Maria church in El Tule. It's not too much taller than the church steeple, but the trunk of the cypress is about 190 feet around.