We took the motorcycle back into the city this morning to meet Stephan and Ashley and visit the ruins of Monte Albán.
Monte Alban is the most important archaeological sites of the Valley of Oaxaca. Inhabited over a period of 1,500 years beginning about 500 BC to 800AD by a succession of peoples – Olmecs, Zapotecs and Mixtecs – the terraces, dams, canals, pyramids and artificial mounds of Monte Albán were literally carved out of the mountain.
Admission to the ruins was very reasonable – 70 pesos per person (about $3.75USD). We found an English-speaking guide who gave us a tour of the site. We entered the site near the North Platform. There was scaffolding around the side of the ruins shoring up damaged areas from the September 2017earthquake. 
The ball court below was also damaged in that quake. Our guide asked if we felt the tremors that were in Oaxaca last night, but none of us had. Apparently it registered 5.9! 
The main part of the ceremonial center which forms the Gran Plaza is roughly 300 x 200 meters running north-south with a platform at either end. It was huge! Our guide explained that the people were known for their healing and medical abilities, as well as knowledge, traditions and artistic expressions. There were several stone carvings showing medical procedures, fertility, childbirth, and even birth defects. He called it the Mayo Clinic of Monte Albán. Our guide also stressed that there was no paper here, all of the writing was done in stone.
At the end of our tour we climbed to the top of the South Platform and had a view back to the north. The site is impressive with its size and number of buildings which have been excavated.
We stopped in the museum to see several of the stone carvings discovered on the site. Many reproductions of carved stones like the one below have been placed outside the structures near the areas where the originals were found. It gives visitors the opportunity to visualize the site while preserving the original stonework.
After our visit, we headed back into the city with a stop at a small roadside restaurant for lunch. We tried four different kinds of tacos and they were so good, we ordered four more! It was Stephan and Ashley’s first time eating at a roadside restaurant and they liked it, too!
Back in the city we decided to check out the Centro – old part of town. We walked to the Zocalo (town square). We were surprised to see the square filled with tents and tarps. We found out the National Torch Movement, a left-wing political group focused on poverty reduction, is staging demonstrations in Oaxaca and Mexico City. Some 10,000 people are expected to participate in a march to the Zócalo tomorrow so we won’t go back into the city!
Just south of the square is one of the local markets. We did enjoy walking through to see several of the booths where the local people shop. One of the local delicacies we did NOT try were the dried grasshoppers. They say they are good for you, but we decided to pass!
We went into the Temple de Santo Domingo de Guzman. From the outside we could tell it was very large, but the simplicity of the structure hides the incredible beauty and wealth inside!
Begun in 1575, the church and monastery were constructed over a period of 200 years, between the 16th and 18th centuries. The monastery was active from 1608 to 1857. In the period of the revolutionary wars, the buildings were turned over to military use, and from 1866 to 1902 they served as a barracks. The church was restored to religious use in 1938. The church has been fully restored. Its highly decorated interior includes use of more than 60,000 sheets of 23.5-karat gold leaf!
In our wandering around the city, we went by the Teatro Macedonio de Alcala. 
After a long day of sightseeing and walking, we had dinner at Tobaziche. It is rated #14 on Tripadvisor, so we thought it should be great. Not so much. I had a pulled pork torta (sandwich) and Tobey had something I can’t even describe. The best part of the meal was the Agua Frutas (fruit water drink). I guess you can’t believe everything you read on the internet!! 
With some fun, new memories made with Stephan and Ashley today, we said our goodbyes and headed back to our campground. We look forward to seeing them both again soon! They will head to Mexico City and we will head to the Pacific coast. Buenas noches!
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