New Website Coming Soon!
Hello friends, We have been working behind the scenes to improve Oaxaca Cultural Navigator and have a few big updates to share. First, after we go live on or around April 15, notices will be coming from hola@oaxacaculture.com. That’s change #1! Please add us to your contacts so these emails continue to land in your […]
Today! Expoventa in Albuquerque
Where: Fiber Arts on 4th, 6463 4th Street, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM 87107 When: 10 am to 7 pm — Opening Reception from 5 pm to 7 pm At 1 p.m., I am talking about Craft and Culture in Mexico, with a special emphasis on why we travel to remote villages, artisan life and […]
2026 Bucket List Tour: Monarch Butterflies + Michoacan Folk Art
Come with us to Mexico, 9-nights, 10-days, February 11-20, 2026 Back by popular demand! I never knew that visiting the Monarch butterflies in Mexico should have been on my bucket list until I got there. Tucked into the mountainous forests of Michoacan and Estado de Mexico is the terminus of the butterfly migration from North […]
Textile ExpoVenta in Albuquerque, NM: April 3-5, 2025
SPECIAL EVENT! EXPO-VENTA SALE!April 3-5, 2025 — Albuquerque, New Mexico Oaxaca Cultural Navigator Textiles-Folk Art-Jewelry AND Hoon Arts Uzbek Silk Ikat + Baskets of Africa Norma is Participating One Day ONLY — Thursday, April 3, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. @ Fiber Arts on 4thhttps://FiberArtsOn4th.com 6463 4th Street, Los Ranchos, New MexicoOpen to Public — Thursday, 10am […]
Oaxaca Coast Textile Study Tour: Discover the Mixteca Baja
Arrive on Tuesday, December 2, and depart on Wednesday, December 10, 2025 — 8 nights, 9 days in textile heaven! Home in time for winter holiday preparations. Please send us an email to tell us you are ready to join! December is a perfect time to visit the Oaxaca coast. The weather is at its […]
Guatemala 2026: Study Tour in Textile Cloth + Culture
Registration is now open: January 22-February 2, 2026, 11 nights and 12 days. A $750 non-refundable deposit will reserve your space. We begin first in Guatemala City, with an overnight stay at one of the best Zona 10 luxury hotels. The next morning, we will visit the Museo Ixchel, which features a comprehensive collection of […]
Chiapas Textile Study Tour 2026: Deep Into Textiles
Dates are set and registration is now open — March 3-11, 2026 At Oaxaca Cultural Navigator, we aim to give you an unparalleled and in-depth travel experience to participate and delve deeply into indigenous culture, folk art, and celebrations. The Maya World of Chiapas, Mexico, spans centuries and borders. Maya people weave their complex universe […]
Dental Tourism in Oaxaca: It’s a Thing
Come to Oaxaca for a two-week vacation and leave with excellent reconstructive dentisty. And, if it isn’t, it should be! Two years ago while in Taos, I had a front tooth break off. It wasn’t pretty and I needed an immediate remedy. I could not be walking around with a missing front tooth! My local […]
Prairie Rebels Band Features Our NO MORE WALLS Photo
This Oklahoma-based band tells it like it is through music. You will love the lyrics and the music! At least, I hope you do. During DT1, ex-pats gathered to hold a rally in downtown Oaxaca protesting the deportation of immigrants and the construction of a wall. The cost could have been used to feed the […]
Espadin Agave Replaces Native Landrace Corn Fields for Mezcal Production
We call native corn here CRIOLLO. This term refers to landrace varieties of plants that have adapted to local conditions over generations. Maiz (corn) criollo is a traditional, non-hybrid corn variety grown by indigenous and rural farmers. Criollo can mean something authentic, traditional, or deeply rooted in a region’s culture. I’ve written a Substack essay […]
Pop-Up Sale: Norma’s Collection + Rugs, Teotitlan del Valle
When: Saturday, February 22, 2025 Time: 11:00 am to 3:00 pm Where: Norma’s Casita, Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca RSVP: WhatsApp or text +1 919-274-6194. Send an RSVP and I’ll send directions. Payments: We accept pesos, dollars, Zelle transfers. With PayPal, Venmo, and credit cards we add a 4% transaction fee. Spend $100-299 and we will […]
Indigo Dye Workshop in Antigua, Guatemala
We are with our dear friend Olga Reiche who uses natural dyes on cotton thread and works with indigenous weavers in Coban, Guatemala. They weave very fine gauze cotton blusas in indigo, cochineal, wild marigold, avocado, and other plant materials used for dyeing. Olga has known me and Eric for many years and she agreed […]
With Pikbil Weaver Amalia Gue in Coban, Alta Verapaz
It’s a miracle for me to visit Amalia and her family of weavers in a remote area of Coban, which is seven hours by van from Antigua. I first met Amalia years ago at an expoventa for the Textile Museum in Oaxaca. I immediately made plans to see her again at the International Folk Art […]
Chichicastenango Market and Hotel San Ramon
Well, what’s to say but nothing less than spectacular, a treasure trove of textiles, art, vintage jewelry, and a cultural immersion experience. THIS is the famed Chichicastenango market, a warren of stalls almost as complex as the souk in Marrakech. It took about three hours to get there from Antigua, not much compared to the […]
Antigua, Guatemala: Meeting Weaver Ixnal on the Street
We are doing a walking tour with Olga and I’m straggling because of the treacherous ancient cobblestones on the streets, using my two hiking poles for balance. An indigenous woman and her sister come up from behind. She greets me in English: Hello, and welcome to Guatemala. I ask her how she learned such perfect […]
In Antigua, Guatemala with Lidia López López
It’s a short 30 minute drive from Posada de Don Rodrigo in the historic center of Antigua to San Antonio Aguas Calientes to visit famous weaver Lidia López López. I met her several years ago at the Santa Fe Folk Art Market and again last year at the WARP conference in Denver. Her work is […]
Guatemala City Cathedral and Mercado Central
Zona 1 is about a twenty minute taxi ride from the more upscale Zona 10 where we are staying at the Hyatt Centric, which has been very accommodating. (I’m still trying to figure out the conversion rate for USD.) I’m traveling with Carol Estes and Mike Schroeder who are on our tour that starts tonight […]
Guatemala City, Museo Ixchel Indigenous Clothing and Popol Vuh
Guatemala City is a big surprise! It is clean, filled with great restaurants, excellent hotels, and glass buildings. It is definitely an international enclave. In the elevator of the Hyatt Centric where we are staying downtown, I met a young man from Japan and a local who both work for Honda motorcycles. Down the street […]
From Oaxaca to Guatemala: Getting There
Passing the two Mexican volcanoes this morning on the flight from Oaxaca to Mexico City was spectacular. Legend The Aztecs believed that Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl were lovers who were unable to be apart. According to legend, a warrior who was jealous of their relationship misinformed the emperor that Popocatépetl had died in battle. Iztaccíhuatl believed the false […]
Sunday in Oaxaca: Great Weather as Our World Disintegrates
This post is not for tourist advice, travel, textile experiences, or day-to-day life in Oaxaca. Oh, wait. The day-to-day in Oaxaca is seeing the impact of the newly elected dictator of the United States of America wave his mighty hand and destroy the values of the founders. What the heck. The Constitution doesn’t really matter, […]
Oaxaca Textiles, Craft + Culture Tour with Taos Wools January 2026
This January 8-15, 2026 program is more than a tour. It includes weaving and natural dyeing for workshops, a visit to artisan markets, and studio visits to meet makers. Immerse yourself in all that Oaxaca has to offer with travel and hands-on experiences. We are partnering with Joseph Barry and Taos Wools, located in Arroyo […]
New Textile Shop Discoveries in Oaxaca
In the last two weeks, I stumbled across three amazing textile makers/shops in Oaxaca. I want to share these with you. 2. Next Up is Kiti Kuati, tucked away in a tiny storefront on Humboldt 109, behind the Botanical Gardens and around the corner from Casa del Barro. They have been here a while, but […]
Driving in Oaxaca
It’s not for the faint of heart. Driving in Oaxaca can be daunting, especially if you are a foreigner who doesn’t live here. It is for me, and I’ve lived here for twenty years and driven a car here for sixteen of those. First off, you need to know that while car rental costs may […]
It’s a Dog’s Life in the Campo
Twelve years ago, when I moved into my casita in the campo, I was the only one out here except for a few wild dogs, discarded by owners because they were either no longer cute puppies, grew bigger than expected and ate too much, or needed veterinary care that was too expensive. It was all […]
A Writer’s Life in Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca
Oh, goodness. Where to start? Since Thursday evening, January 2, I have participated in a women’s creative writing workshop retreat in the Oaxaca village of Teotitlan del Valle. I have produced this workshop (or something like it) for the past fourteen years (minus the last two, when we took a break). We end on Wednesday […]
Holiday Greetings! Best of the Best Oaxaca Photo Workshop
Sending you warmest greetings from sunny, sparkly Taos, New Mexico, where we are basking in high desert winter sunshine and 50 degrees (20 degrees above average). Perfect walking weather. Global warming? Definitely! I’m getting ready to return to Oaxaca on December 30. I won’t be complaining about the mid-70’s there. I want to thank you […]
Sweetening the Pot, Now 25% OFF Oaxaca + Chiapas Textiles
Still time! Brighten your holiday season with a stunning selection of handmade clothing from Oaxaca and Chiapas — to wear or to gift. We offer 11 pieces today. Get it before 12/24 (depending on the post office) — order today. I will mail within 24 hours of your purchase. How to Buy: Send me an […]
Reduced 20% — Holiday Sale
Brighten your holiday season with a stunning selection of handmade clothing from Oaxaca and Chiapas — to wear or to gift. We offer 11 pieces today. Get it before 12/24 (depending on the post office) — order today. I will mail within 24 hours of your purchase. How to Buy: Send me an email to […]
Celebrating the Giver of Miracles: The Virgin of Guadalupe
December 12 is recognized throughout Mexico as a Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, when she appeared as an apparition and miraculously changed the course of history in Latin America. In Oaxaca today, there will be parades and masses and people lighting votive candles to honor the woman who symbolically brought indigenous peoples under […]
Norma’s Taos Collection Sale Continues
The Collection Sales continues, with most pieces priced at or below cost. Brighten your holiday season with a stunning selection of handmade clothing from Oaxaca — to wear or to gift. We offer 12 pieces today. Be sure to scroll down to see them all. How to Buy: Send me an email to tell me […]