Designed to hold mescal, the Chango Mezcalero has become a very collectible folk art item whose history has been recounted infrequently, if at all. While by all accounts it originated in the State of Oaxaca, home of mezcal — the spirit distilled from the baked, then fermented agave plant — it's now highly sought after by collectors residing much further abroad.

The traditional Mezcal Monkey was used to hold, display and/or gift mezcal. The clay bottle is just that, usually with a stopper made of cork, or a small piece of corn cob. read more

Enrique Flores is one of the most prolific Mexican artists of his generation. Of course having been mentored by the late great master of contemporary Mexican art, Rodolfo Morales, hasn't hurt; nor has the fact that two of Oaxaca's most prominent art galleries, Indigo and Arte de Oaxaca, were his patrons for many years. But there's no substitute for hard work, talent, and vision. read more

Driving in Oaxaca, Mexico, became a little more difficult in September / October, 2009. That's when federal, state and municipal governments actually began enforcing the law, at least in the City of O... read more

Comic strips, a young Canadian's self portraits, and photographs of violent deaths in a Mexican daily newspaper, make strange bedfellows. But they constitute a major part of the driving force for the c... read more

Day of The Dead is upon us in Oaxaca, and Juanita's hotel still has rooms available for one of the busiest times of the year. The City of Oaxaca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Southern Mexico, relies on tourism for its very existence. Juanita is trying to figure out where she went wrong, realizing that Día de Los Muertos should top up her bank balance, just like the Christmas season, the summertime festival weeks known as Guelaguetza, and Easter. Time and again she asks herself, "Am I paying my staff too much?" read more

Aficionados of folk art of the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico are already familiar with Arden Aibel Rothstein and Anya Leah Rothstein's Mexican Folk Art From Oaxacan Artist Families. It was surpris... read more

The countryside in Southern Mexico is tropical and beautiful. There are "must sees" all along the way as you drive from San Cristobal de las Casas to Oaxaca. read more

This 2,000 kilometer driving tour serves the needs of vacationers to Oaxaca who also want to take in the sights in central Chiapas. It is also useful those who want to at least consider visits to the Pacific coastal resorts in Oaxaca and the Gulf beaches and cultural sights in the state of Veracruz… all without foreclosing a side trip to Puebla. The south central circuit of Mexico provides travelers with a leisurely and culturally diverse driving segment within the context of a two or three week vacation, with virtually no backtracking. read more

We usually think of weddings and baptisms as rites of passage we attend on separate occasions. But November 27, 2008, marked the celebration of both in San Lorenzo Albarradas: the nuptials of a couple in their early twenties, and the baptism of their three-year-old daughter. What resulted was a melding of highly organized custom... read more

PROFECO has its limitations. However, it does provide an important and valuable alternate means of dispute resolution.

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Every visitor to the city of Oaxaca has the potential to make a significant contribution. read more

"Look at that female warrior over there... notice the belt I made for her, with penises hanging from it, her trophies." Artist Manuel Reyes aspires to exhibit his work in art galleries in Oaxaca and M... read more

The third week of May, 2008, Hertz in Oaxaca changed its downtown location from a side street to the main drag, the pedestrian walkway known as Alcalá about a block and a half up from the zócalo. The... read more

Jacobo Ángeles' work is prominently displayed in The Smithsonian, Chicago's National Museum of Mexican Art, and elsewhere throughout the continent and further abroad, in museums, art colleges and gall... read more

Some 30 years ago, a youthful 27-year-old acquired a piece of machinery by chance. Not knowing exactly what to do with it, or how it could somehow become a positive factor in his life, he took a gamble... read more

The options are innumerable. It's simply a matter of doing a bit of homework - asking, and then committing yourself to a vacation dedicated in large part to your children. Oaxaca has traditionally bee... read more

Advice to heed before heading out the door to the airport, questions you'll have after landing, and money issues that will arise in the course of your vacation You don't need to take travelers' checks... read more

"Remember in the market I told you there were two types of gusano worm? Here they are, so who wants to try?" Oaxaca's unique gastronomy is rich in unique herb- and spice-accented flavor combinations that are its hallmark. Chef extraordinaire Pilar Cabrera inspires and sates travelers with a sensual day-long immersion into sights, sounds, smells and, yes, tastes and time-tested recipes of southern Mexico. read more