We arrived at the ruinas at Mitla only to find the gates locked
due to Swine Flu government mandate
Swine Flu and travel in Oaxaca, Mexico: Archaeological Zones closed
April 30, 2009
m.examiner.com
We arrived at the ruinas at Mitla only to find the gates locked due to Swine Flu govt. mandate
The local ex-pats concur that the closing of so many venues, archaeological sites, and offices is
overkill. But who's to say.
Evidently there is a rush to hospital with the slightest headache as people err on the side of caution.
This has actually made it easy to avoid crowds by default - there just aren't any around! And everyone
in market yesterday was wearing a mask.
We headed out early yesterday morning to explore the ruins at Mitla, only to find upon our arrival (see
me gazing longingly past locked gates, right!) that the ruins were closed.
Fortunately, were were able to see quite a bit through the gates and some of the archaeological areas
are so embedded with city life that they are "unlockable" so were were able to walk through some of the areas.
Still, it was pretty much a wash when it came to ruinas for this day.
Yet the day was still spectacular. The drive to Mitla, up over the mountains past Oaxaca town and
south to the great expanses sweeping up to the Sierra Madre, was literally breathtaking. We even
found a surprise: the Yaguar Zoo. And though not usually "zoo people", we decided why not and
took the detour only to be delightedly surprise with the wide open spaces, expansive stretches for
everything from giraffe to big cats, in the huge savanna-like area stretching miles to the foot of the mountains. I promise more pictures in my next entry.
Checking now to see if there are any airport closures, as we still have a few days before liftoff.
Last night it was announced that all Mexico government offices and businesses are closed.
We do consider ourselves lucky that we were here a few days before the closing of archaeological
zones and museums, as we got a lot seen before the lock down. Not so fortunate the 2 women from
Oakland, CA that we ran into yesterday at Mitla. They had just arrived to visit ruins for 5 days. 5
days for them would be a good 2 days before the gates of the ruins may reopen; they've been officially
closed by the Mexican government through May 6.
So...if you are planning a trip down this way, and the ruins are in important part of your journey, keep
tabs on those dates as they may be subject to change.
More later!
Hasta!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For more info and free downloads from Lani Muelrath go to:
lanimuelrath.com
© Lani Muelrath, M.A.