One of the advertised highlights of the trip was a visit to
the ancient site of Monte Alban, where we went on our second day. It is located on a high hill in the middle of
the Oaxaca Valley, and was occupied by the Mixtecs and the Zapotecs between 500
BC and 850 AD. It was also heavily influenced by the Teotihuacan
culture which was north of this area.
This is a massive site with large buildings and a lot of open
space. Right away I noticed the stark
contrast between the highly decorated Mayan ruins I visited 2 years ago versus
the mostly plain facades here. Below are
some photos.
When our group got to Monte Alban, and since this was an archaeological
tour, our resident archaeologist proceeded to give us a lecture. I only stayed through part of it, since I was
itching to get around the site. My mission,
as usual, was to find the high energy sacred places there. It didn’t take long. I got the biggest hit at the altar in the center
of a sunken plaza. I took out my small
crystal skull to get imprinted with that energy.
Building J was the other place here that fascinated me. It was clearly built with archeoastronomy alignments
in mind, but to date, no one has been able to figure out what they were
exactly. It's oddly angled walls and fortress like structure is unique in all of Mesoamerica.
Here is what remains of a doorway that hints of something megalithic.
That afternoon, we took a walking tour of the area around
the hotel. The architecture is fabulous, and there are
many old churches and haciendas that have been converted into small hotels,
museums and galleries. Hidden treasures were around every corner.
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