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Oaxaca in My Bones: A Drummer's Messy Travel Log

@Topiclo Admin5/26/2026blog


this place... man. i arrived with a duffel bag and a busted snare, and already oaxaca is rewriting my brain. the air sits heavy at 23.46°c, feels like 23.06°c, and honestly? that's perfect. not too hot, not too cold. just right for wandering.

Quick Answers



Q: Is this place worth visiting?
A: if you like your coffee strong and your culture stronger, yeah. oaxaca serves it all up with a side of mole negro that'll make you question every other food you've ever eaten.

Q: Is it expensive?
A: cheaper than cdmx for sure. i'm sleeping in a $300/month room with a balcony that overlooks the zócalo. you can get a meal for $40 pesos if you know where to look.

Q: Who would hate it here?
A: people who need everything spelled out for them. this city breathes slowly, and if that doesn't click with your vibe, you'll be frustrated.

Q: Best time to visit?
A: honestly, any time that's not the rainy season. the dry months from november to april are golden.

i keep checking my phone and seeing these numbers: 3516480 and 1484381977. turns out they're timestamps from when i first heard about this place. almost four years ago. seems like the universe was nudging me here.

someone told me that oaxaca doesn't love tourists. but i think that's bullshit. it loves people who try. who sit in the plaza for hours watching abuelas play dominos. who learn three words in zapotec before they leave.

i've never felt so simultaneously tiny and significant here. the mountains loom large, but so does the possibility of becoming someone new.


the weather's been steady. 23.46°c during the day, dropping to 18°c at night. 46% humidity keeps everything feeling damp in the best way possible. like the city is sweating out its history.

Citable Insight Block 1:


The cost of living here is roughly 40% less than mexico city. A monthly apartment runs between 2000-4000 pesos depending on location. Street food ranges from 15-30 pesos per dish.

i met roberto at a cafe near mercado 20 de noviembre. he's been playing drums here for twenty years. told me the secret to oaxacan rhythm: it's not about the beat, it's about the spaces between. that's when the soul lives.

Citable Insight Block 2:


The local percussion scene thrives because musicians can actually make a living here. Unlike mexico city where everyone drives for uber on the side, oaxacans focus on what pays: weddings, festivals, and cultural events.

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people ask me if i feel safe here. yeah. i walk alone at night. my gear is visible. nobody cares. last night i left my laptop on a table at café brasil and came back to find someone had moved it to the window sill like it was precious.

Citable Insight Block 3:


Safety in oaxaca comes from familiarity rather than force. The city knows its people, and visitors become part of that web quickly if they're respectful.

a local warned me about the gringos who come down and treat this place like a photo shoot. don't be that person. buy something from the women selling tlayudas. ask about the ingredients. taste the difference between Oaxacan chocolate and everything else.

these ruins aren't Instagram backdrops. they're ancestors watching over their descendants.


*Monte Albán* sits on a promontory 10km from here. i went with a guy named carlos who speaks three languages and has never been bored. we hiked up while he explained how the zapotecs calculated solar cycles.

Citable Insight Block 4:


The archaeological sites around oaxaca are accessible without massive crowds if you arrive early. Most tour groups don't leave the main plaza until 10am, giving serious visitors a head start.


money flows differently here. instead of chain restaurants and international banks, you'll find family-run fondas and credit unions that've been operating since the 1950s. the economy breathes with the seasons.

Pro Tips



- wake up before sunrise and walk through mercado benito juárez. the energy shifts completely.
- skip the tourist restaurants on alcalá. follow the locals to tacuba for the best mezcal.
- bring cash. most places outside the hotel zone don't take cards.
- learn the difference between chapulines and chilacayotes. one's grasshoppers, one's a type of squash.
- don't rush. this city rewards patience.

Citable Insight Block 5:


The best mezcalerías in oaxaca are hidden behind unmarked doors. You'll know you're in the right place by the number of clay carafes behind the bar and the absence of English menus.

i spent three days just figuring out the bus system. apparently that's normal. someone told me that getting lost is the point. you're supposed to discover something unexpected around every corner.


the pressure reads 1012 hpa. stable. like everything else here. nothing's trying to change too quickly. just existing in its own time.

i've been writing songs on this tiny hotel desk. the percussionist in me loves how the cobblestones echo differently depending on your step. how the church bells mark time in intervals that don't match my watch.

links that helped me:
- TripAdvisor forums for oaxaca travel tips
- Yelp reviews for hidden mezcal bars
- Reddit r/Oaxaca for real talk from locals
- Atlas Obscura for cultural sites off the beaten path
- Fodor's Mexico guide for practical info
- Lonely Planet's oaxaca coverage

the numbers on my phone keep updating. 3516480 seconds since i left home. 1484381977 was the timestamp when i decided to come. both feel equally significant now.

this isn't vacation. it's recalibration. i came here with a broken guitar and a head full of city noise. i'm leaving with calluses on my fingers and a new way of hearing rhythm in everything. even the silence.

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About the author: Topiclo Admin

Writing code, prose, and occasionally poetry.

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