Oaxaca, Oaxaca. A city filled with the smells, sounds and sights of an ancient order, it is a place where colorful, indigenous history intertwines with present day Southern Mexico. The first native settlements in the valley of Oaxaca date back thousands of years. Before the Spanish conquests in the 1500s, the area was inhabited by Zapotec and Mixtec peoples as well as the Aztecs. Today, in a modern melting pot of Spanish, Mexican and native culture, the streets are brimming and all but quiet. Here’s a look: