Mexican Byways: Destination, Tehuantepec - City that Rocks with Markets and Dancing

Used to be that the market women in the Isthmus cities of Tehuantepec and Juchitan wore their brightly embroidered velvet blouses every day,

Nowadays, you'll need to know the dates of special occasions to see them dressed to the nines. Lonely Planet Mexico lists festival days in Juchitan. For Tehuantepec, you'll need to do some checking, starting with neighborhood festivals in January and February. The accompanying photos come from a special dance evening at the Tehuantepec Casa de la Cultura.

The active market city of Tehuantepec, off the beaten gringo trail, is very much worth visiting. Five hours south of the city of Oaxaca by first or second class bus along a road that winds through hills most of the way, Tehuantepec can be a destination or one corner of a Oaxaca-Tehuantepec-Pacific beach-Oaxaca trip.

Where to see the velvet blouses any weekday: At the Tehuantepec Casa de la Cultura, traditional women's clothes are on display. Even though you will see them on slender mannequins, not on sturdy isthmus physiques, you can easily imagine them on the women who sell their wares daily in the center of town.

What's special at the Tehuantepec market? First of all know that what you see first is not all you get. Besides the street market along the old railroad track, Tehuantepec has a large, full-to-the brim indoor market full of food, inexpensive clothes and more. Friday is the main outdoor market day. Maybe the most prized item is iguana soup, served either with or without a piece of iguana in it. The delicious hot chocolate drink made with water and sold along the main market street is delicious. You can buy a roll from the stall or start by going farther down the street to the bakery. Whoops, almost forgot all the fresh cooked shrimp for sale. My own special find one evening, prunes soaked in a sweet wine (5 pesos for three).

Swimming, anyone?: To swim in thermal waters where the Aztec emperors went, drive or bus to Ixtepec and from there a few kilometers more to Ojo del Agua, open daily, except maybe one day for cleaning) or farther on to Laollaga, open only on the weekend. A closer choice the protected Pacific beach called La Ventosa near Salina Cruz where the water may be cooler than expected.

For history buffs: That railway track you see running through the market area used to be the main way to transport freight between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans until the Panama Canal opened five years later.

When to go and where to stay: Tehuantepec has several hotels priced in the low 200 peso range for the solo traveler. I stayed in the Colonial and the Donaji, preferring the second one which is more secure, has pleasant rooms surrounding a courtyard, a small swimming pool and gym, and, isthmus style, a morning hour of warm water showers.