Oaxaca 2024

I traveled to Oaxaca, MX for the second time in the spring of 2024. It was a dry hot time of year, in contrast to when I had been previously in fall 2019. Monte Albán, the Mesoamerica ruins in the area were a sea of tan dead vegetation, not the green I had expected. The city itself was cast in harsh shadows, shade found in parks but not often on sidewalks.

In the 4 years since I had last been tourism has grown substantially in Oaxaca, with finer dining, and luxury gift shops where I had not remembered them. Prices were similar in Chicago where I was traveling from. While I am hopeful that this cash influx has been good for the local economy I fear what the cost increases mean for the folks from the area. I grapple with what my participation in this tourism means exactly. 

I tried to capture the contrast of the bright sun and shadows in these photos. I tried to capture the dry air hovering over the colorful buildings on stone streets. Tried to capture the quiet human moments visible even when everyone is inside on a very hot day. Tried to capture times march forward, an unvisitable past.