Mexico is enjoyable all year-round, but October to May is generally the most pleasant time to visit. The May-September period can be hot and
humid, particularly in the south, and inland temperatures can approach freezing during December-February. Facilities are often heavily booked during Semana Santa (the week before Easter) and Christmas/New Year, the peak domestic travel periods. Mexico's is hot and humid along the coastal plains, and drier and more temperate at higher elevations inland .

Mexico City is also known as the Federal District (Distrito Federal in Spanish, hence the abbreviation D.F. that officially follows the name of the city, Mexico DF). The capitol city of Mexico boasts a population over 20 Million or roughly the population of Australia, and is the worlds most populous of cities. However, Mexico City, extends beyond the limit of the Federal District and covers 59 municipalities. So it is important to be patient here as there is so much to see, do and discover. Literally, whatever your interests you can find it in Mexico City. Don't miss Tehotihuacan pyramids, just an hour out of this great city, and there are many options to "tour Mexico City" such as the TuriBus that will wind through Zocalo, Palacio Nacional, the museums, and many other areas of the city. When night falls look for your favourite kind of bar or night club in Polanco or La Condesa. A long stay here is recommended as this is one of the largest cities in the world.

arm when you see a bus approaching -- it will probably pull over (some first class, long haul buses will not). You can usually get off by hailing the bus driver at any point along the bus's route like blue line buses in Delhi. Local buses often really do run on a schedule; ask someone, like a bartender or shop clerk, when the buses will run in the area to which you're headed. You'll need a ticket for a bigger, long distance bus, but you may be able to buy it on board if there are seats.

Mexico City is also known as the Federal District (Distrito Federal in Spanish, hence the abbreviation D.F. that officially follows the name of the city, Mexico DF). The capital city of Mexico boasts a population over 20 Million or roughly the population of Australia, and is the world’s most populous of cities. However, Mexico City, extends beyond the limit of the Federal District and covers 59 municipalities. So it is important to be patient here as there is so much to see, do and discover. Literally, whatever your interest you can find it in Mexico City. Don't miss Tehotihuacan pyramids, just an hour out of this great city, and there are many options to "tour Mexico City" such as the TuriBus that will wind through Zocalo, Palacio Nacional, the museums, and many other areas of the city. When night falls look for your favourite kind of bar or night club in Polanco or La Condesa. A long stay here is recommended as this is one of the largest cities in the world.

It is a very pleasant overnight journey from Mexico city to Oaxaca. The Oaxaqueno leaves Mexico City in the evening and arrives in Oaxaca late morning. There are several places in northern & central Mexico where train travel is a competitive alternative to bus travel. This is one of them with a very scenic route and the music of the train curving through the mountains is quite nice. The sleeper car service to Oaxaca was discontinued sometime ago and I have not heard report of its being reestablished. The reclining seats are quite comfortable. Ride special class (clase primero especial). If you cannot, then take the bus, as 1st and 2nd class are pretty arduous. Yes it is safe... It is only in the far south that train passengers expose themselves to risk (bandidos).

Oaxaca, pretty amazing city is good for shopping, ruins and culture, the coast is pure pleasure and in between are beautiful mountains. On the coast you can fraternize in the beach towns of Puerto Angel and Puerto Escondido, or get lost on miles of remote stretches. The best thing about Oxaca is economical living that won’t stress your pocket. Only thing I like better about Guanacaste is the jungle and the monkeys. Oaxaca jungle is scrubbier and alas, no howlers.

There are lots of local surfers, but watch yourself. Unless you are an expert, think twice before paddling out -- the water in some places is deadly. Puerto Escondido, at least, has a point that is more forgiving.

My partner and I spent some good times in Oaxaca during February 2007.. The ethnobotanical garden tour at Santo Domingo Church was a highlight of our trip (we took the English tour, the guide was very knowledgeable). As 2 people in their early 40's with only one week vacation, we prefer a trip that's not at rock bottom level, but allows us both relaxation and a valuable experience.
It would be unthinkable to visit the city and state of Oaxaca, and not go on THE day trip of the area: The Zapotec capitol city ruins on the flattened hilltop called Monte Alban. With absolutely stunning views of the city of Oaxaca along with the surrounding hills and valleys for many kilometers around, a trip here is a must no matter how many other sites you've already seen. A well-planned museum (complete with English language bookstore and cafeteria) with local guides available and an extensive number of buildings restored to near-original status grace this once proud city. To get there: Go to the Hotel Rivera del Angel at Mina(building) No. 518. The ticket office of Autobuses Turisticos is in the lobby. Buses (16 pesos round trip) leave every half hour from 8:30am to 3:30pm. The museum entrance fee is 30 pesos (about $3 U.S. Dollars).

After a day of exploring, learning, and photos, buses will return to the city from the tree-lined parking lot entrance where you were dropped off. Workers on the archeological site also take these buses, so you can have some pretty interesting conversations if you speak even passable Spanish. A minimum of three hours or so should be planned to really get the most from this world-famous site. Do be careful, however, of buying "artifacts" from locals, as they may be stolen and illegal to remove from the country or copies of very poor quality.

From Oaxaca City, Puerto Angel is accessed via Route 175, a narrow and curvy road that passes over the Sierra Madre del Sur from the interior. Mexico Route 175 is the only route one can take from Oaxaca City down to the coastal towns and resorts of Puerto Angel, Puerto Escondido and Bahias de Huatulco, without having to go far out of one's way.

The road winds treacherously over the Sierra Madre del Sur with little, if any, shoulder, through lush greenery and giving one fantastic views of the Central Oaxaca Valley as you travel up from the interior moving towards the coast, and of the verdant foothills falling towards the Pacific Ocean approaching Pochutla.

This stretch of highway, from Miahuatlan to Pochutla, is a mere 148 kilometers long. When we travelled it took us close to 4 hours to make that part of the drive. As we climbed into the mountains and entered the pine forests, fog closed in about us and wafted spectaculary through the magueys and ferns drooping on the sides of the road. The smell of woodsmoke was in the air and the few settlements along the route consisted often of sodden, wooden shacks with dripping sheep and burros standing outside the doors. The road had several spots where small mud slides had occurred, and fortunately there wasn't much traffic to have to worry about on the windy, narrow road.

Coming down towards the Pacific, past San José del Pacifico, the fog thinned and we were treated to views of deep, green valleys, numerous roadside waterfalls, giant moss and vine covered trees, all with the feeling of an oriental painting which nature brushed on the surroundings with light, wispy strokes. Bananas began to appear among the trees, and a whole family of Coatamundis wisked across the road in front of us, tails curled above their backs.

We spent a night at a fantastic place on the hillside above Puerto Angel called Gundi y Tomas. For $15.00/night, we got a nice clean room with shared bath in a beautiful leafy wooden structure. A beautiful veranda, with perfect view of the bay and lots of hammocks. Very secure atmosphere, no worries. Being old people, we preferred the fishing village to the more laidback Zipolite Mazunte area. One of the guys at Gundi's said he had to make regular trips to Zipolite to get pot, but Puerto Angel has a few very acceptable restaurants and a nice beach. The Turtle Center museum at Mazunte is well worth visiting, and colectivos can take you to Zipolite, San Augustanillo, Mazunte for a few pesos. You can even walk, which we did one morning. If you fly via Huatulco, walk to the road from the airport and catch a bus to Pochutla ($3). From there catch a taxi to Puerto Angel (about $7.00). You can also usually get a colectivo between Puerto Angel and Pochutla for a couple of dollars

Remember to bring your earplugs if you sleep light. Whether it's roosters and dogs, or vehicles, Mexico can get noisy. The prices I mention are all in US dollars. Oaxaca is also great for museums and concerts. We saw a solo violin concert, and a worldclass singer named Lila Downs, whose material ranged from Mixtec Indian to Gershwin to political and world music. Look for posters.