Taxco Cost of Living - Guia Completa
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- Опубликовано: 5 сен 2024
- We spent a week walking around the steep and narrow streets of Taxco. We indulged in Taxco specialties, including pozole (at Tía Calla and Tía Felix), mole rosa (at Rosa Mexicano and Hermoso Cariño). We even tried salsa made with jumiles or stink bugs. We see the town from two amazing viewpoints. Getting to Cristo Rey is a rollercoaster ride, and the teleférico ride to the Montetaxco hotel for sunset was beautiful. Of course, you can't leave Taxco without exploring their expansive silver market.
Stick around until the end for an Airbnb tour, our top recommendations, and the full cost breakdown for our 7 day stay.
Hola Georgia and Dave. You may be in Zaachila now, or on your way, or perhaps you were there and have left. Anyway, I hope the market is/was worth your time. I hope the tombs are open if you try to see them. If you haven't yet seen Cuilapan this would be a good opportunity. The "Casa de Cortes" might be of interest too. I'm glad you enjoyed Yanhuitlan and found Teposcolula before I mentioned it. There is another great convento in the Mixteca Alta, Coixtlahuaca. It used to be a bit out of the way, via a side road north of the highway 125 turnoff, northeast of highway 190. Now it is just 1-2 km off of highway 135D, with an offramp to the town. In many ways it is the least changed of the great conventos. The capilla abierta dates from 1546, the church itself dedicated in (probably) 1576. The carving on the west and north facades are notable, as is the retablo mayor. Closed Mondays, I think, as are most of the colonial monuments in the Mixteca Alta. You could still see the exterior on a Monday, and possibly the church interior. There are a lot of other churches and at least one archaeological site in the area, but as you pointed out your calendar is already overflowing with places to explore. You may need a second trip to Oaxaca. If you haven't had a chance to visit the markets in Ocotlan (Friday) or Tlacolula (Sunday) this may be your last chance, or you may already be packing up for your trip to Pachuca. The Mixteca Alta has changed a lot in the past 50 years. When I visited the paved road ended at Putla de Guerrero. As far as I can recall there wasn't any pavement in the town. My photos around the plaza and market area certainly don't show any. All of the streets were cobbled with rocks or were dirt. Imagine my surprise when I recently watched a video of someone driving around Putla for 30 minutes on paved streets in what is now a good size town. Mostly new since I was there, and it looks like there is at least one modern hotel in the town.. When I was there for the Sunday market vendors were set up haphazardly on several streets. Today the market is organized with row after row of tiendas, but I noted that several tiendas sell huipils from the area, especially those from the Amuzgos and Triqui Indians. I'm sure you have noticed the Triqui Indian women around Oaxaca, in their bright red Huipils. The Saturday market in Tlaxiaco was even bigger, and probably still is. I hope Oaxaca has been a great and rewarding experience for you. I'm looking forward to your videos.
We were in Zaachila when you wrote this comment. We did start the day at the Cuilapan ex-convento. Friday we visited some mezcal distilleries in Matatlan and saw the arbol de Tule. We are already planning a return trip to Oaxaca next year we absolutely loved it. I don't think I would have found a few of the attractions without your recommendations, so thank you again. We have seen a couple of exhibits with photos from the 50s-80s and we find it fascinating to see how much the cities have changed since then! If you haven't already you should definitely have your photos digitized.
@@GeorgiaandDavid Hola Georgia and David. At some point I plan to get the slides digitized. I'm happy with hundreds of them, maybe thousands, but if they were digitized I could edit them a bit, or take care of some of the under exposure problems. The other problem I had when photographing the Indians 50 years ago is that most of them didn't like the idea. The camera I had was a Konica rangefinder camera with a 40 mm lens. At a respectful distance the Indians would have looked like dots. So I shot from the hip, or actually mid-thigh. I set the focus on infinity and the lens speed (or maybe it was the aperture, I don't remember after 50 years) and got as close as I could and took my pictures. A surprisingly large number came out great, although some could benefit from a minor cropping. A few could benefit from a tweak in the exposure. My best success was in Chiapas where the people in the markets were out in the open and crammed together, providing natural light and an opportunity to get close to my subject. In other places I couldn't get very close without arousing suspicion so a little digital cropping would help. I had no idea how anything was turning out until I returned to San Diego and could view the developed slides. Some church interiors as well as very early morning or late afternoon photos could, in some cases, benefit from an extra stop or two of light. Yesterday I sent an email to INAH to see if they would be interested in my photos of the markets and Indians, some cuexcomates, and a coastal village that decorated the facades of their thatched roof houses with the seashells that were plentiful on the beach. Sad story about that little village (Cuautla, Nay). A couple of years after I was there someone got the bright idea of cutting a channel from the ocean to the estuary further inland. That cut the 100 km long beach in half, which was drivable at low tide. The bad part is that over time the original channel, which started out at about 10 meters wide is now many times wider and very deep. At least 80 percent of the species that previously lived in the estero can no longer be found there, and thousands of acres of mangroves have died out. The charming houses that used to be there were replaced with what were probably better masonry houses, but they were crammed together like mobile homes in a trailer park. Better or not isn't helping, because erosion from the channel and general sea rise from global warming are washing away the village, row after row of houses falling into the sea. I guess that's progress, but this is definitely one village that I liked better the way it was.
I hope the INAH takes you up on your offer. I find old photos so interesting. Sometimes the progress is great other times good intentions seem to spoil a place.
That looks like a really lovely. location. The views are amazing, and the streets look very steep. LOL How was the walking for you? Did you struggle at all? They look steeper than Bernal or San Miguel. I LOVED those 2 toned portraits that you briefly showed around 6:45. LOVE LOVE LOVE. Do you know the medium? Charcoal? Watercolor? Ink? Arcylic? Oil? Hard to tell, but the blending looked very smooth. Love the run down at the end, especially the food option. (Btw, nice blending on the eyeshadow in the wrap-up, Georgia.) ~Gina
The streets are very steep the only place we have been that was about the same steepness was Guanajuato. My legs were definitely feeling the burn but the weather was mostly cool so we didn't have any issues. They were charcoal and quite impressive. Thanks, even with this nomadic go with less lifestyle I can't give up my makeup 😊
What a view! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching!
I found this video quite frustrating, but I did watch it through to the end. I would've thought in visiting a place you could give it the respect it deserved, and even learned how to pronounce "Taxco" correctly. I did find the commentary reminiscent of most of the US tourists I have come across in Mexico - unresearched, a little condescending and expectations that Mexico is the 51st state of the US.
Not entirely sure why you would take the time to watch the whole thing if you disliked it so much, but thanks for the watch I guess.
@@GeorgiaandDavid I wanted to be objective and to see if there was a nugget I could take away. But don’t worry, I won’t be commenting on any of your other videos. By the way, have you learned to pronounce Taxco yet?
Hola Georgia and dave. A beautiful video on a picturesque and sometimes frustrating town. My second visit to the town was much more enjoyable than the first (it was hot in the summer, parking was a challenge, etc). During my second visit six years later my opinion of Taxco was much better, no doubt improved by the start of a romance with a beautiful Brazilian woman. Santa Prisca was definitely the high point of my visit to Taxco, one of the best Mexican colonial churches of the era. I envy your digital camera. Interiors are so much easier to photograph. I was shooting Kodachrome slide film, which worked out to about 35 cents per picture, or about $1300 total (my biggest expense by far). It was a relatively slow film, could not be developed except by Kodak, and was subject to being affected by heat if kept for a long time before developing. Plus one never knew if a picture had come out until the film was developed. On one trip my primary, 50mm lens stuck open and I didn't discover I had a problem until I returned home and viewed my film. Exteriors were washed out with the 50mm lens, but ok indoors where it was dark. The wide angle and telephoto lens were ok. Interiors of churches were still problematic, with dim lighting presenting a challenge for film but scarcely noticed when using a good digital camera. Silver made Taxco what it is more than once. You mentioned Jose de la Borda's role in the construction of Santa Prisca. Estimates range from $1 million pesos to several million pesos as the cost of the church. It is arguably the best "mine" church in mexico, followed by La Valenciana which overlooks the town of Guanajuato. The Borda Garden in Cuernavaca cost an estimated $1 million pesos, but I think I read that a relative used Borda's money to build it. Prince Maximillian and Carlotta used it as a summer residence. The second time silver made Taxco was when Willian Spratling visited Taxco in 1925. An architect by training he came to Mexico to study Mexico's colonial architecture. 1n 1929 he settled in Taxco and opened a shop to sell locally made crafts. This was before the road from Cuernavaca was passable by automobile. No one was making silver jewelry in 1929, so Spratling started by training six people to make the silver jewelry he designed. By the mid 1940s more than 400 people were working for Spratling, creating his designs which now are seriously expensive collectors items. Today many of the silver workers in Taxco are 4th or 5th generation craftsman that can trace their history in the trade back to an ancestor who was trained by Spratliing. Taxco has retained its colonial charm largely due to Spratling's early interest in the town's colonial architecture. He started by preserving the exterior appearance of numerous colonial era houses but converting the interiors to contemporary living standards. Eventually everyone loved the look and ambience of a colonial era town. So, enough history. I'll soon send a list of Indian markets around Oaxaca that you may consider visiting, as well as a number of archaeological sites, and another list of churches and colonial era buildings. You probably won't have the time or interest in seeing everything, but at least you can make more informed choices of where to go and how to spend your time. You may already be in Oaxaca so I should get the lists ready to send. In 1974 when I drove between Oaxaca City and Puerto Escondido or Puerto Angel (there was no coast road) much of the mountain roads were dirt or gravel with an average speed of about 10-15 miles per hour. I wish you safe travels and friendly cops.
Buenos dias, we made the six hour and very twisty drive to Oaxaca yesterday.
Sants Prisca is definitely one of the more impressive churches we have seen so far. I can't imagine the frustration of trying to work with real film I've been spoiled by digital cameras most of my life. If something doesn't come out, you know in the moment and just adjust the settings and take another.
I did read about Spratling but we never made it to that museum.
I look forward to your recommendations!
Thank you
@@GeorgiaandDavid Hola Georgia and Dave. This is the first part of my suggestions of places to visit. I'm not sure four weeks will be adequate to see everything, so feel free to pick and choose. The area between Mitla and the Mixtica Alta may have more to see than any area of similar size in Mexico. There is no point exhausting yourselves unless you are really enjoying the places you are exploring. And maybe not even then. Before I get started I suppose you drove to Oaxaca City on Hwy. 175. When I drove on it the first 100 (more or less) miles from the coast were rough dirt or gravel in some spots. Often less than two lanes wide. I barely escaped hitting a bus on a curve. The bus was going faster than was safe (SOP) but we managed to stop before we collided. I met some Canadians in Oaxaca who had not been as lucky as I was and their camper suffered some front end damage from a bus in a similar incident. The current Hwy. 175 appears to follow a different route than it did 50 years ago, based on a comparison of old and recent maps. At the summit the clouds came down to the roadway. Picturesque, as the trees disappeared into the mist. I wish I had managed to get a photo of the man walking in the rain using a giant elephant ear leaf as an umbrella. At one point there was a three hour delay. A flatbed trailer hauling a huge crane over the mountains blew several tires on a curve and the road was completely blocked. Everyone had to wait while the truck crew built a ramp with railroad ties so the crane could be driven off of the trailer. They got the crane off but the railroad ties were all broken. Eventually the trailer was pulled far enough so traffic could continue. It was dark when I finally arrived in Oaxaca. The first part of this list will be the city of Oaxaca, starting at the Zocalo and working south toward the main market across the railroad tracks (Saturday is market day- the Central de Abastos is open every day but Saturday is the best day), then from the Zocalo and working north to Santo Domingo and the Plazuela del Carmen Alto, where Trique women weavers may still weave on backstrap looms. The Trique huipil is red and easily distinguishes them from other groups of Indians. Another list will cover the area south of the city, including some great churches and markets along the part of Hwy. 175 closest to Oaxaca. A third list will cover the area between Oaxaca and Mitla, and a fourth will cover the Mixta Alta. As long as you leave even a brief response to my comments I can save my writings in my emails and eventually print out my "memoirs" for my nephews. / Starting from the Zocalo, the Palacio de Gobierno is across the street walking south. I think there is a large mural about the history of Oaxaca inside. / West of the Palacio de Gobierno, opposite the southwest corner of the Zocalo is La Compania, a Jesuit church c. 1760s. Facade, north portal, main altar. The adjacent convento extends southward down Cabrera, formerly Calle Flores Magon (non of the street names used on a 1909 map are in use today). Most of the facade has been converted into shops and apartments, and only one of the four patios, the one closest to La Compania, still belongs to the Jesuits. That patio has a Moorish-style arched inner doorway. / Two blocks east of the Zocalo, on Guerrero at Fiallo, is San Agustin. The facade dates from 1696 (the 1696 earthquake destroyed many buildings) while most of the church dates from 1732. The facade and gilded baroque alterpieces. / A block south of La Compania is the Juarez Market, formerly the Porfirio Diaz Market, at Cabrera and Las Casas. / Continuing south, across from the Juarez Market, is San Juan de Dios, at Aldama and 20 de Novienbre. This is the site of Oaxaca's first Catholic church, which burned down and was rebuilt towards the last half of the 19th century. It has a rare (for Oaxaca) trapezoidal wooden roof painted with biblical scenes. The sacristy and side chapels contain unusual folk santos, and numerous paintings are hung on the nave walls. The rest of the block is taken up with the 20 de Noviembre Market. This market specializes in sit down places to eat, although this market as well as the Juarez Market may still have a few stalls selling handicrafts. / About seven blocks east of the 20 de Noviembre Market lies the church of Los Siete Principes, located between Cristobal Colon and Ignacio Lopez Rayon at Gonzalez Ortega. The narthex, one of two found in Oaxaca, dates from the late 1700s. There are some important paintings in the church. The adjacent convento belonged to the Las Capuchines de Abajo, the daughters of the indigenous elite. Today it is the Casa de Cultura. Patio fountain and another fountain at the entrance of the convento were the end point for the city's aqueduct. / Next is La Defensa, located four blocks south of the Zocalo and three blocks east of Cabrera at La Noria and Armenta Lopez. Rebuilt after 1796. North doorway, Churrigueresque altar. / San Francisco, located five blocks south of the Zocalo on Bustamente at La Noria. Facade, which dates from about 1780. The adjacent Chapel of the third Order is a few decades older. / The Central de Abastos, or the main market, lies about eight blocks southwest of the Zocalo, across the train tracks. I recall seeing a train stop at the market before continuing on to the station. Dozens, perhaps a couple hundred Indians and Mestizos, poured out of the passenger cars as well as the freight cars, loading whatever they had raised or fabricated onto their heads or backs (using tumplines) and walking or running as fast as they could to the market to get the best price for their goods. This market should have some interesting crafts, although photos of the Oaxaca market from the 1930s show stalls piled with items that would probably be considered collectible today. Oaxaca is an area that is really rich in crafts, although I can't really attest to how much is left, since I haven't been there for about 50 years. San Bartolo Coyotepec for black, polished pottery, Teotitlan del Valle for serapes and blankets, Ejutla (Thursday market) for knives, daggers and swords, Santo Tomas for woven sashes, Atzompa for dark green glazed pottery and intricate clay figurines, San Antonio and Mitla for embroidered blouses and dresses, Ocotlan for woven reed baskets, etc, Oaxaca City stamped and colored tin, huipils from Amuzgos, Yalalag and the Mixteca Alta, and San Martin Tilcajete, Arrazola Xoxo, and Cuilapan for alebrijes (the best alebrijes are amazing works of art and can fetch several hundred dollars, and they are worth it- one of my favorite books in my library of 30 feet of books on Mexico depicts more than 150 astounding alebrijes created by the artisans of San Martin Tilcajete- artisan family names include Angeles, Mendosa, Fabian, Fernandez, Gomez, Hernandez, Lopez, Melchor and Ortega- visiting the Jacobo Angeles gallery would probably be a rewarding experience if they aren't sold out). Lacquerware and masks made further afield in Olinala may be available, as well as locally made silver and gold jewelry. You probably haven't the time to become experts in the area's crafts. 50 years ago the best craft shops were north of the Zocalo and that may still be the case. I suggest you look at a few to get a sense of the best quality (the markets may have a lot of mediocre material aimed at tourists rather than discerning collectors). The following shops may or may not still exist. Those sponsored by the government probably still are, although they may have moved. / "Aripo"- Garcia Vigil 809 at Cosijopi- state government run- excellent quality / "Cocijo"- Garcia Vigil 212 between Morelos and Matamoros / "Yalalag"- Alcala 104 near Independencia / "Fonart"- Garcia Vigil at Bravo / "Victors"- Porfirio Diaz 111 between Morelos and Independencia / "Artesanias Chimalli"- Garcia Vigil 513 / "El Cactus"- Alcala 401 / "Copil"- Alcala 303 / "Oro de Monte Alban" - Gurrion near Alcala (gold, immitation Mixtec jewelry). I remember shopping at some of these stores. They often manage to get the best quality material, and the prices may be no worse than if you try to buy in the little town of manufacture unless you are good at bargaining. As usual my comment is getting a bit long. I will send this one and then send the second part that covers north of the Zocalo.
@@GeorgiaandDavid This is my suggestions for the area north of the Zocalo. / The CATHEDRAL, north of the Zocalo, facing the Alameda. About 1733. Facade, south facade, pipe organ. Spain's coat of arms still grace the gables of the facades, a rare occurrence as most have been destroyed. / HOTEL MONTE ALBAN (LA CASA de ORTIGOSA) at Hidalgo and Alameda de Leon on the Alameda. An 18th century mansion. Facade and interior patio, now the restaurant. I can't vouch for the food, but the location might be worth the splurge. / LA MERCED at Hidalgo and M. Doblado, six blocks east of the Zocalo. Belongs to the Mercedarian Order. Dates from the 1690s with remodels after earthquakes. Ornate neoclassical interior and the adjacent convento (Queen of the Angels). / BISHOPS PALACE directly north of the Cathedral on Independencia. / SAN FELIPE NERI, at Independencia and Tinoco y Palacios, two blocks west of the Cathedral. Built by the Oratorian Order, a conservative Catholic Counter Reformation order. 1730 to 1803 when the towers were completed. Facade, late baroque altars. The VASCONCELOS HOSPITAL lies behind San Felipe Neri on Morelos. / LA SOLEDAD, five blocks west of the Zocalo, between Morelos and Independencia at Mier y Teran. Facade, pipe organ, dome, vault, paintings, museum. / TEATRO MACEDONIO ALCALA two blocks east of the cathedral on Independencia at 5 de Mayo. 1903. Built in the French style preferred during the Porfirio Diaz regime. Louis XV style lobby with lots of marble. / LA NIEVES (Our Lady of the Snows), three blocks east of the Cathedral on Independencia at Reforma. Dates from early 1700s and remodeled in the 1770s. Originally the Jesuit seminary of San Juan. Facade, circular water fountain in front, gilded nave and transept alterpieces. / SAN JOSE, located four blocks west of the Zocalo, on Morelos at Crespo, opposite the Palacio Municipal. Dates from the early 1700s, and the adjacent convento built for the Franciscan Order of Capuchin nuns was completed a few years later. These were Capuchinas de Arriba- daughters of the Spanish aristicrats, as opposed to Los Siete Principes, which was for the daughters of the Indian aristocrats (Capuchines de Abajo). The cloister is now the School of Fine Arts. / PALACIO MUNICIPAL (not the Palacio de Gobierno on the Zocalo). Attached to the north side of the Basilica de la Soledad, facing the Plaza de la Danza. Former convent of Recollect nuns. 1697. Facade, arcaded interior patios. / RUFINO TAMAYO MUSEUM (LA CASA de VILLARAZA), at Morelos 503, between P. Diaz and Tinoco y Palacios. 18th century mansion. Facade, interior courtyard fountain. A great museum of pre-hispanic artifacts. / LA CASA de CORTES, Macedonio Alcala 202 at Morelos. Early 18th century mansion. Built long after Cortes died. Now the Museum of Contemporary Art. Facade, interior courtyard, carved and painted dome above stairway. / CASA MAGRO (SCHOOL of ARCHITECTURE), at Calle 5 de Mayo 100 at Morelos. 18th century mansion. Facade, lobby, interior courtyard. / SANTA CATALINA (HOTEL PRESIDENTE), at 5 de Mayo between Murguia and Abasola. A former Dominican nunnery, dating from the 17th century. The rather plain nun's chapel has paired doors on the south facade. There are five cloisters and courtyards around the chapel. The refectory has been converted into a dining room. LOS LAVADEROS fountain and nun's wash house in the rear courtyard is a rare example of this type of structure. Another possible place for a splurge meal, depending on the food. I've never seen a video of the nun's wash house. / CASA BOHORQUEZ, at 5 de Mayo, opposite Santa Catalina. Facades. The north side is across the street from the Labastida Garden, a monument to the Caja de Agua, the main outlet to the 18th century aqueduct. / SANTO DOMINGO, located six blocks north of the Zocalo on M. Alcala at Gurrion. Dedicated 1575 but construction was from 1550 to about 1660. Facade (scarred by shells since it often served as a fort), coro bajo, nave, Rosario Chapel, cloister. The convento serves as the OAXACA STATE MUSEUM, housing Tomb 7 from Monte Alban as well as the Burgoa Library. An ethnobotanical garden is on the property. During the French intervention the church nave served as a stable, some of the reredos from the main altar were pulled down and burned for firewood, and some of the oil paintings were washed and pounded to remove the paint so the canvas could be recycled. CARMEN ALTO, opposite Santo Domingo at Garcia Vigil and Carranza. Late 1600s. Built to house the daughters of the Spanish aristocrats. The convento has been converted to secular uses. There is a narthex at the west entrance (the only other narthex belongs to Los Siete Principes). The upper level camarin is accessed by an exterior stairway. Facade, south entry. The Chapel of Santa teresa is on the south side. At the southern gateway a stone cistern was once connected to the city's aqueduct. The PLAZUELA del CARMEN my still be occupied by Triqui Indian women weavers using backstrap looms, and they may have something to sell. / JUAREZ HOUSE MUSEUM, at Garcia Vigil 609, opposite the Carmen Alto. Juarez was apprenticed to the household and given an education. The house shows how wealthy Mexicans lived in the early 19th century. A few notes. 50 years ago most shops closed for two or three hours in the afternoon, and then stayed open until about 7:00 pm. This may or may not still be the tradition. Most shops were closed Sunday. Most monuments are open Sunday, and some seem to be open seven days a week. Stalls in the markets seem to always be open. There is sometimes free entertainment in the Zocalo or Alameda. The Hotel Monte Alban and Hotel Presidency used to stage nightly shows of Indian and folk dances. Well, this should be enough to fill out your day. I hope there is room on your phone for my book. The remaining lists will probably be a bit shorter.
Took me a while to respond because I wanted to sit with my phone and computer so I could star and make notes on your suggestions in Google maps. We really appreciate all of the information. The road we took (175) had huge chunks missing looks like heavy rains at some point washed parts of it down the mountain. In many parts it was less than one lane wide so it seams not much has changed. We stopped for lunch in San Jose del Pacific for lunch and the views were amazing.
Thanks again for the detailed recommendations. You saved me (Georgia) hours of research and grouping them by location makes planning the itinerary so much easier!