Porfirio Santiago is at his loom, diligently weaving a massive 2 x 3 meter rug with traditional designs, from memory, with representations of Zapotec diamonds, rainfall, maize and mountains… just as his father Tomás, grandfather Ildefonso and great grandfather before him. Wife Gloria is carding a mix of white and caramel colored raw wool. Behind […]
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The Mexican state of Oaxaca is renowned for its handicrafts. From black pottery and handloomed Zapotec rugs to silverwork and alebrijes, the collector will find a wealth of beautiful handcrafted work. For some time, the Aguilar sisters of Ocotlan have created colorful terracotta sculptures, including figurines of women in traditional Oaxaca costume. Friduskas are newcomers […]
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Hierve el Agua is stunning, one of Oaxaca’s most impressive attractions — and perhaps one of the most spectacular in the entire country. Yet, surprisingly, it is one of the least visited. With its bubbling springs and petrified waterfalls, Hierve el Agua should be considered a “must see” for naturalists, photographers, hikers and anyone else […]
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If you’re getting married, turning 50, or planning that anniversary bash… consider Oaxaca They say that Mexicans really know how to party. Here in Oaxaca we do it in spades, because it’s part of a longstanding cultural tradition. Also because it’s affordable, certainly relative to what it would cost in the U.S. or Canada. What […]
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If visitors to Oaxacan cooking school La Casa de los Sabores came away with nothing more than great recipes and a wonderful meal, they would leave fully satisfied. Oaxaca’s unique gastronomy is rich in unique herb- and spice-accented flavor combinations that are its hallmark. But a visit with owner and chef extraordinaire Pilar Cabrera also […]
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Whether you live in Oaxaca or vacation here on a regular basis, if you’ve begun to integrate into the community, eventually you’ll be asked to be a padrino or madrina (godparent) to an ahijado or ahijada (godchild), so you’d better familiarize yourself with “compadrazgo,” or co-godparenthood. In a nutshell, it’s a web of mutual rights and obligations of monumental importance throughout Mexico and […]
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Many travelers to Oaxaca simply don’t have the time, patience or inclination to seriously tour the city’s multitude of small storefront art galleries replete with wonderfully unique and provocative offerings. It’s understandable, given the number of culturally rich and diverse sites to be taken in over the course of a brief vacation. Certainly the larger […]
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