Last day in Mexico

One last day in Mexico, spent around the ancient Zapotec ruins of Yagul and Mitla. The sun rose with a golden flourish, and we enjoyed the warmth of the day, knowing what awaits us when we head north again tomorrow. It's going to be hard to go back to those below-freezing temperatures!

Golden fields surround the ruins at Yagul, full of dried flower heads -- and hundreds of birds feasting on the seeds.

A Curve-billed Thrasher surveys its domain from a convenient candelabra cactus arm.

The old city of Mitla was known as the City of Death. It was where the highest ranking retired priests and rulers spent their final years. Above is one of the palaces, once home to a retired ruler. The stonemasonry is mind-boggling: tens of thousands of individually carved stones, carefully placed together -- without mortar -- and still standing hundreds of years later. Interesting that newer buildings all throughout Oaxaca have fallen in earthquakes while this one still looks relatively untouched.

Monte Albán

Today, we visited Monte Albán, the largest (and in my opinion the most spectacular) of the Zapotec ruins found in Oaxaca. The ancient city was huge, containing some 40,000 people and sprawling across four hilltops. The main site measured some 300 meters by 200 meters (roughly 900 feet by 600 feet) and it was leveled completely by hand; the whole top of a mountain was removed and carted off -- and the Zapotecs had no beasts of burden, and no metal tools. I marvel at the vision someone had of what could be, and at the dedication needed to turn that vision into reality.

I've always loved the layered look of hills receding into the distance.  

This is the view from the entrance to Monte Albán.

 The steps up to the north platform, as seen from the main plaza. Once, this whole structure would have been covered with painted stucco.

The ever expanding city of Oaxaca laps at the base of Monte Albán's hills.

For me, birds are never far out of the picture; this aptly named Thick-billed Kingbird was calling and hunting just down the hill from the ruins.