Oaxaca Getaway in Mexico

SusanHoward — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 02:12:00 GMT

Oaxaca is as spectacular as always and it was with much joy that we came back to find the city bright with new paint and thriving--the museums and our favorite restaurants are open, as are all the craft shops that make this such a tourist Mecca. We usually come for a few week in the dead of New England winter and this year arrived on Jan. 7 to spend four weeks under the Oaxaca sun. And what a glorious sun it is--the weather is what we dream about, soft warm air during the day, cool in the early morning and again in the evening. Oaxaca has been chock-a- block with cultural events: two concerts at the Macedonia Alcalá theater, a baroque gem in the center of town, one by an extraordinary popular singer, Eugenia León, who wowed the audience, and another by a young Oaxacan soprano with a lovely voice and demeanor--and both concerts were free to the the public (now there's something we could use more of in New York).
We've danced every Wednesday night in the zocalo to danzon--what a treat and how graciously we were accepted by the stately Oaxacan couples gliding around. We even got a round of "aplauso" for being dancing New Yorkers. And there are marimba band concerts in the elegantly revamped zocalo twice a week and a band concert on Sunday at noon, Mexican color and charm at its authentic best.
Spending some time at the Oaxaca Equestrian Getaway in Teotitlan is an integral and most special part of our annual Oaxacan vacation. Perched on a hill top overlooking the town, it's serene and vibrant at the same time; you can relax in a hammock on the wide bouganvilla-lined verandas after a fabulous meal, take hikes, cooking classes or ride (or do all three!) and, of course, shop for the incredible rugs that have made Teotitlan famous.
I love to ride and there are eight sure-footed, well-trained, eager horses to choose from. If you are a horse-person, cantering through that magnificent countryside is as good as it gets. Mary Jane Mendoza, proprietor-extraordinaire, is a wonderful guide and instructor--an experienced rider herself, she knows all the trails and flora and fauna, and is an expert on all aspects of life in Teotitlan. This is a Mexican must.
Susan Howard, New York

For more information on this ride, check out the Hidden Trails website at:
http://hiddentrails.com/tour/america_central_mexico_oaxaca_explorer.aspx