Tourists return to Oaxaca, Mexico

"Business practically died off for eight months," Chavez Hernandez said as he threaded strands of naturally-colored wool into a complex pattern that might take weeks to finish. "We looked for other places to sell, some families left (for the United States), and some people did more farming."

While the protests were mostly limited to Oaxaca City, tourists largely avoided the entire state of Oaxaca, rich with archaeological ruins and quiet beaches. Tourists are returning throughout the region, and rediscovering once popular sites.

Just outside the city along the road to Teotitlan, visitors will find the Zapotec and Mixtec ruins of Mitla and Yagul, and just a bit further on is Hierve el Agua, a kind of giant outdoor stalagmite in the form of a frozen waterfall.

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In fact, archaeological sites and artisan towns practically surround Oaxaca city in every direction: the ruins of Zaachila and San Bartolo Coyotepec — known for its black pottery — lie to the south; the hilltop temples of Monte Alban and Arrazola, known for its woodcarvings, are to the west. Hiking and mountain biking tours through these towns and sites are also available.

And to the south, a few hours' drive away, are the Pacific coast beaches of Huatulco, Puerto Escondido, Puerto Angel and Zipolite.

Perhaps the biggest change has been for local residents. For them, downtown Oaxaca has once again become what it was for generations: a meeting place, a site to relax, chat and watch life go by.

"Before the problems started, we would do what we're doing right now, which is to come to the main square on weekends," said Hector Chavez, 45, a Oaxaca construction worker, as he listened to a free concert in the plaza. "Now, the peaceful atmosphere has returned, but the tourism and the job situation haven't yet recovered."

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That means visitors are more likely to meet local residents than other tourists in the square. But one thing they are less likely to find are the street vendors who had long carved out their own space on one side of the plaza. Except for a few balloon vendors, the vendors are no longer allowed.

That has drawn complaints from some tourists, who now find the plaza a bit antiseptic. It also has drawn the ire of the vendors themselves — precisely the kind of social tension that keeps Oaxaca's political pot bubbling.

"A lot of the vendors in the downtown historical district have approached us, looking for our help," said Florentino Lopez, the spokesman for the group that organized the 2006 protests. "We are reorganizing, and preparing for new demonstrations. For us, the political movement in Oaxaca continues."

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