First-time travelers to Oaxaca, as well as return visitors and snowbirds, can all help to improve the financial lot of many struggling residents, aside from simply visiting the city and spending. It’s a fact that tourism has indeed returned to the central valleys of the state of Oaxaca. But as a result of the US […]
Continue ReadingTransporting your worldly possessions into Mexico is both an art and a science, even more so if you intend to do so on your own… truck and all. Then the task also becomes a challenge and an adventure. No matter what the Canadian or American Consul in Oaxaca advises, and regardless of the steps the […]
Continue ReadingThink of mezcal as you would a single malt scotch, or better yet when comparing red wines of different vintages from the regions of France. Or perhaps grape varietals from the diversity of valleys and coastal areas in Australia. Forget about the worm for the time being, and forever the reputation with the college crowd […]
Continue ReadingIt’s the impact that the storms have on electricity that is stunning, both while the skies are thundering and for perhaps 12 hours after the last bolt of lightning has illuminated the cerros. From May until well past summer’s end, Oaxaca can be subject to extreme weather patterns. While we’ve all experienced torrential downpours and damaging […]
Continue ReadingSome say it’s one of the oldest professions in Oaxaca, yet it garners little if any respect from most of the population notwithstanding the tradition and ceremony that has been its trademark for generations: the chivero, or slayer and preparer of goat, and its barbequing in-ground oven. There are a number of caprine cattle that are cooked […]
Continue ReadingBetween the birth and the death came a crazy-quilt of only-in-Mexico experiences that resonated with my memories Daniel Pérez González was a beautiful baby. His parents Flor and Jorge thought so; my wife Arlene and I agreed. Few are able to share our certainty, though, because we were among the very few to see him […]
Continue ReadingTemazcal is akin to the Iroquois sweat lodge. Who would have thought that we could ever have such a first-hand experience during modern times? Curandera Doña Mariana chants while controlling your body with the laying of water over hot rock, as the mysterious meandering of a range of herbal bouquets piques the olfactory sense. Traditional healer, or […]
Continue ReadingIf expats want to be accepted into the broader society, then they must act the part and treat custom and societal standards with the respect they deserve. It’s not enough to throw money at causes and do charitable work. When one attends a cocktail party in the US one dresses appropriately. It’s the same for […]
Continue ReadingDon Isaac recounts awaking at 4 a.m. then walking from his village of Matatlán, with his mule, to Oaxac. He arrived some 14 or 15 hours later… just to buy a large cántaro, the traditional clay vessel then used for making and transporting mezcal. Often he would stop en route, at Santa María el Tule, for a […]
Continue ReadingAdvice 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. ATMs are common, safe and reliable and, while pesos and American cash rule, a VISA card will get you through […]
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