All photos taken by me with Pentax Spotmatic II (35mm film SLR).

Website designed by Tom Spinker
email:   tspinker@hotmail.com
This page released on 18 May 2004
This page last updated 16 Jan 2005

Copyright ©2004, 2005 All Rights Reserved

I make no warranties as to the accuracy of any of the information on this website.

Immigration, X-rays etc
I carried four rolls of slide film with me (not in checked luggage) to Mexico. I had to go through three X-ray machines on the trip south -- one at Valdosta before I got on the plane, one at Immigration in Mexico City, and one at Customs in Oaxaca. Each time I asked if the film could be hand-checked and each time the security people complied. It was ISO 200 film which is probably safe in X-ray machines, but the X-ray may have cumulative effects.

On the way home I had 15 rolls of exposed-but-unprocessed film which I passed through the X-ray machines. (I did not want to ask the security people to hand-check 15 rolls.) I only had to pass through two X-ray machines on the return trip. One in Oaxaca before boarding the plane and one in Atlanta at a security check point.

I have read that you should never put unprocessed film into checked baggage, because the X-ray machines are much more powerful. And I have read that X-ray proof containers for film are a poor idea because the power of the machine is increased until it can see through whatever is in your luggage.

Customs
On the flight down, my checked luggage was sent all the way to Oaxaca where I retrieved it from the conveyor and cleared Customs (aka Aduana).

On the return flight it was necessary to retrieve my checked luggage at Altanta, clear US Customs at Atlanta, then recheck the luggage for the flight from Atlanta to Valdosta.

I can email the name of the hotel to anyone who is interested. I do not want to put it here until I see how much interest it generates. It might be in the Foder's guide.

Mexico City Airport
The flight to/from the USA always uses the northern-most gate at the airport. And the flight to/from Oaxaca always uses the southern-most gate. And the terminal has been enlarged since the last time I was there so that the northern-most gate is now even farther north.

When I got off the plane at Mexico City on my way to Oaxaca I quickly walked through Immigration where they stamp my passport and tourist visa. Between the gate and Immigration I passed several ATM's and currency exchanges, but I wanted to get through Immigration first because in prior trips the lines had been long. Once past Immigration, there are no more ATM's or currency exchanges. It appeared that I would have to walk out of the secure area and back-in (and probably thru another X-ray machine) to get some currency changed.

The point is: If you need pesos, stop and get them before you go through Immigration.

The red numbers indicate the approximate locations of the photos which follow.

North is more-or-less to the top, but the streets in Oaxaca actually run slightly to the north-east rather than true north.

North-south streets change names at Independencia. (So rather than South Cabrera and North Cabrera we have Cabrera and Garcia Vigil.) East-west streets change names at Alcalá/Bustamente. Except Independencia, Hidalgo, and Morelos, which do not change their names.

House numbering starts from Independencia and from Alcalá/Bustamente. House numbers start at 100.

The green areas on the map are plazas/parks. Abbreviated as follows: L      Plazuela Labastida A      Plaza Alameda Z      Zócalo

The yellow rectangles are buildings. Abbreviated as follows: Sto Dom   Iglesia Santo Domingo C      Oaxaca Catedral Gov    Palacio de Gobierno

I drew the map by simply drawing a rectangular grid.

Blocks in Oaxaca are 100 meters in length (approx one-sixteenth mile).

Huge (153k) Version

Huge (120k) Version

Huge Version (115k)

Huge Version (173k)

Photo taken 14 April 2004 at about 11:00am. 20mm lens. Kodak Gold 200 print film.

Huge Version (185k)

Photo taken 4 April 2004 9:37am. 24mm lens. Kodak Gold 200 print film.

Fullsize = 90k

Fullsize = 86k

Fullsize = 148k

Photos taken 13 April 2004 in the morning.

fullsize = 141k

Looking south at Victoria and Las Casas 24mm Vivitar lens --- Ektachrome film 9 April 2004 about 11:19am

# 10   fullsize = 38k

View south at intersection 5 de Mayo and Constitucion. 4 April 2004 11:09am. 20mm lens.

fullsize = 65k

Intersection O'Campo and Colon. 9 April 2004. 10:28am 28mm lens. Huge (148k) Version

fullsize = 61k

Looking NE at 20 de Nov and Hidalgo. 4 April 2004. 4:06pm. 20mm lens.

One person commented that my photos were too bleak. It was not my intent to depict Oaxaca as a bleak city. I love Oaxaca. I lived there for thirteen months from summer 1999 until summer 2000. But I have always thought that the word beautiful is overused in describing Oaxaca. Oaxaca is photogenic, but beautiful only in the starkest sense of the word. I think there is an interesting crumminess to the city of Oaxaca. I would have liked to capture the crumminess in the photos, but I don't think I was successful.

fullsize = 46k

Looking SE at Independencia and Juarez. 10 April 2004 9:24am 24mm lens.

fullsize = 50k

Periferico and Galeana. 7 April 2004 10:10am. 24mm lens.

fullsize = 85k

From the cross on the hill across Rio Atoyac. (Cross the bridge near Parque del Amor and go up the hill until you come to the big cross.) 19 April 2004 about 3:00pm. 300mm lens. This is looking NE along the SE leg of the Periferico, which is called Eduardo Mata.

fullsize = 46k

About three miles east of the Oaxaca city center near the village of San Antonio de la Cal. There is a lot of animal traffic along this road. 22 April 2004 9:39am.

fullsize = 58k

Templo San Felipe Neri at intersection of Independencia and Tinoco y Palacio. Looking north. 3 April 2004 12:58pm. 24mm lens

fullsize = 43k

Looking east at intersection Fiallo and Rayon. 4 April 2004 6:02pm. 24mm lens.

fullsize = 47k

Intersection Rayon and Fiallo looking north. 3 April 2004 1:53pm. 20mm lens.