Oaxaca, Mexico, Monte Alban Pyramid Ruins and Uxmal

To see the Monte Alban Ruins you will need to stay at Oaxaca (pronounced "Wha-Ha-Ka") The Hotel Monte Alban is a suitable establishment to stay at in Oaxaca, on Alameda de Leon, the plaza next to Zocalo and near Oaxaca Cathedral and the cultural museum for Oaxaca region "Instituto Nacional De Anthropologia e Historia" a beautiful building in colonial Spanish style and interesting exhibits and the Museo de Arte Contemporareo de Oaxaca which was not very good, but also a great colonial building. We did not find any good restaurants in Qaxaca.

From Oaxaca we took the bus to Monte Alban, which goes from Hotel Meson des Angel near Zocalo. Monte Alban is another ruin, the ancient Zapotec capital 400 metres above valley floor a few kilometres west of Oaxaca. Great ruins in a reasonable state of repair and still being rebuilt, as with most of the sites. A very good condition ball court with stone hoops for a game similar to Basketball. It was first occupied in about 500 BC and at its peak, between 300 and 700 AD, had a population of about 25,000, but was abandoned between 700 and 950 AD.

Uxmal (Oosh Mal) is another fascinating ancient site which was occupied between 600-900 AD and means "thrice built" in Maya, but was actually rebuilt 5 times. It didn't have much water and a large population, so Chac the rain god was very significant. It was excavated in 1929. The nearby Kabah is not so impressive and has hardly been restored at all yet.

The Gran Hotel overlooking Parque Hidalgo just one block from Plaza Mayor, an excellent location and rooms with balconies and pleasant views, costing less than £50 ($100).

We found some good restaurants in Merida. Amaro is a pleasant courtyard restaurant, formerly the house where Andres Quintana Roo, the poet, statesman and drafter of Mexicos Declaration of independence was born 1787. Restaurante Partico de Peregrino is a colonial courtyard restaurant specializing in Yucatecan dishes.

Other interesting things to see in Merida include another Cathedral, Banamex Bank on Plaza Mayor with its interesting colonial architecture, formerly Palacio de Montejo built in 1549, Palacio de Gobierno on the northern side of the Plaza, now executive government office, built in 1892 and MACAY, the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Artenfo de Yucatán.