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Oaxaca Textiles, Craft + Culture Tour with Taos Wools January 2026

Posted on Thursday, January 30, 2025 | Comments Off

This January 8-15, 2026 program is more than a tour. It includes weaving and natural dyeing Po for workshops, a visit to artisan markets, 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 Seco, a charming village on the way to the Taos Ski Valley, to offer this program.

Visit artisan studios in Teotitlan del Valle, the tapestry weaving center of Mexico, including silk and wool weavers
Participate in a two-day natural dye workshop
Learn or enhance your skills in a three-day tapestry weaving workshop using a frame loom
Travel to the mountain village of Chichicapam for a one-day drop spindle (malacate) spinning demonstration, carding churro fleece
Wander the expansive Sunday Tlacolula Market, a confluence of art, craft and more
Meet a red clay potter in her famous ceramic studio
Enjoy a Oaxaca City grand finale dinner with our group and leaders

(No prior weaving or dyeing experience is necessary. This is open and valuable to all levels of fiber artists and fiber admirers.)

DAY 1 | Arrive, settle in & welcome! – January 8, 2026

Arrive, travel to Teotitlan del Valle on your own, at your own expense. We will provide directions from the airport via secure taxi. No host dinner at a local comedor. Overnight in Teotitlan del Valle. Meals included: None.

DAY 2 | Introduction, visit weaving cooperatives, begin dye workshop —January 9, 2026

Breakfast, introduction to the textile culture of Oaxaca with a presentation including topics of community, traditions, and culture. We will meet with two cooperatives and workshops in Teotitlan del Valle that create tapestries, clothing, and handbags. We will meet at the dye studio and begin creating naturally dyed skeins of wool. Overnight in Teotitlan del Valle. Meals included: Breakfast and lunch.

About the Natural Dye Workshop: Participants will dye a range of colors using a variety of plants and over-dyeing techniques. This includes dyeing 15 wool skeins of 10 grams each, with enough colors and materials to weave a small sampler on our weaving day. Participants should bring a notebook and pencil to take notes of the dyeing process.

DAY 3 | Natural Dye Workshop – January 10, 2026

We’ll resume the natural dye workshop to dye skeins of wool exploring locally sourced plant materials of indigo, pomegranate, wild marigold, plus cochineal. The workshop will cover chemistry in dye preparation and techniques for over-dyeing. Box lunch at dye studio. After lunch, we will visit a studio that grows silkworms. Here they spin, dye, and weave the silk into fine garments. Overnight in Teotitlan del Valle. Meals included: Breakfast and lunch.

DAY 4 | Tlacolula Market Meander, Pottery Studio Visit – January 11, 2026

After breakfast, we will spend most of the day at the amazing Sunday Tlacolula market, the once-a-week tianguis that attracts farmers, artisans, household suppliers, and everything and anything you can imagine one needs to run a household in Oaxaca. We will have lunch at a local comedor, then visit a famous red pottery studio in San Marcos Tlapazola. Back in Teotitlan, we will start the weaving workshop. First, we will learn about warping frame looms. Overnight in Teotitlan del Valle. Meals included: Breakfast and lunch.

DAY 5 – Hand-Spinning Demonstration — January 12, 2026

Breakfast. We will then take an excursion to the mountain village of Chichicapam to meet a family of spinners who work with only the finest quality Churro sheep wool. We will have an opportunity to spin yarn using the drop-spindle (malacate) and purchase handspun yarn. Lunch will be enroute. Back in Teotitlan, we will continue with our weaving workshop. Overnight in Teotitlan del Valle. Meals included: Breakfast and lunch.

DAY 6 | Weaving workshop— January 13, 2026

Breakfast. Morning weaving workshop until 4:00 pm– we’ll be working on the frame loom to produce a sampler or wall hanging approximately 10” x 18” using the yarns prepared during the natural dye workshop. Lunch at the weaving studio. Afternoon on your own. Overnight in Teotitlan del Valle. Meals included: Breakfast and lunch.

DAY 7 | Weaving workshop and overnight in Oaxaca– January 14, 2026

Breakfast. Morning weaving workshop to continue working on and finishing projects. Box lunch at the studio. Depart for Oaxaca, but first we stop to visit an outstanding flying shuttle loom weaver in El Tule. Finale dinner at an excellent Oaxaca restaurant.

Overnight in Oaxaca City.

DAY 8 | Hasta luego! — January 15, 2026

Breakfast. Depart on flights home from Oaxaca airport. We will help arrange taxi transportation at your own expense. Stay on additional nights and join our extensions.

What Is Included

7 nights lodging
6 breakfasts
6 lunches
Grand Finale Gala Dinner in Oaxaca City
Van transportation
Complete guide and translation services
Natural dye, weaving, and spinning workshops, materials, and instruction
Artisan demonstrations
Conversations about textiles, culture, community
Authentic, locally prepared foods

The tour does NOT include airfare, taxes, tips, travel insurance, liquor or alcoholic beverages, some meals, and local transportation as specified in the itinerary. We reserve the right to substitute artisans, guides, and alter the program as needed.

Cost • $3,350 double room with private bath (sleeps 2) • $3895 single room with private bath (sleeps 1)

Extensions:

January 15: Oaxaca Walking Tour, ½ day: Visits to textile artisans and galleries, $145 per person (does not include meals or lodging) (2 people minimum needed to hold this)

January 16: Ocotlan Highway Tour, full day: Visits to villages, woodcarvers, ceramic artists, embroiderers. Includes lunch and transportation. (does not include breakfast or lodging). $195 per person. (2 people minimum needed to hold this)

How to Register: First, complete the Registration Form and send it to us and tell us which payment method you want to use to make your deposit: Zelle (no fee) or credit card (4% fee). See below.

To Register, Policies, Procedures & Cancellations–Please Read

Reservations and Cancellations. A $500 non-refundable deposit is required payable to Norma Schafer, Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC, to guarantee your spot. The balance is due in two equal payments. The second payment of 50% of the balance is due on or before August 15, 2025. The third 50% payment of the balance is due on or before November 1, 2025. We accept payment using a Zelle transfer (no fees) or a credit card (4% service fee). When you complete the registration form and send it to us, we will send you a request for deposit. After November 1, 2025, there are no refunds. If you cancel on or before November 1, 2025 we will refund 50% of your deposit received to date, less the $500 non-refundable reservation deposit. After that, there are no refunds.

If we cancel for whatever reason, we will offer a 100% refund of all amounts received to date, less the non-refundable deposit.

All documentation for plane reservations, required travel insurance, and personal health issues must be received 45 days before the program start or we reserve the right to cancel your registration without reimbursement.

NOTE: If you have walking impediments or you rely on other travelers for personal assistance, then this is not the trip for you. Oaxaca city is close to 6,000 feet altitude. We travel to villages that are 7,000 feet altitude. For altitude or motion sickness, please consult your doctor and come prepared with adequate medications. We recommend that all travelers have up-to-date COVID-19 vaccinations and bring two antigen testing kits to test along the way. We also recommend RSV and Flu vaccines.

How to Register: First, complete the Registration Form and email it to us. We will then send you a request to make your reservation deposit.

Terrain, Walking and Group Courtesy: We recommend you bring a walking stick and wear sturdy shoes. Traveling with a small group has its advantages, and also means that independent travelers will need to make accommodations to group needs and schedules. We include plenty of free time to go off on your own.

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Posted in Oaxaca Mexico art and culture

Tagged churro wool, course, hand carding, hand spinning, Mexico, natural dyeing, Oaxaca, Taos Wools, tapestry weaving, textiles, tour, travel, weaving, workshops

A Writer’s Life in Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca

Posted on Wednesday, January 8, 2025 | Comments Off

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 morning, January 8, and I find myself digging deeper because I’m thinking about writing a memoir.

This could be considered a daunting task, but I am learning that this type of writing can come in chunks and snippets and does not need to be complete. It can be a series of essays that string together in a related and meaningful way — or not. Randomness is something I try to embrace. Maybe it’s because my brain works that way.

Our writing instructor, Marcia Meier, says that writing a memoir is more about taking things out than putting things in. She also emphasizes that most of us have several memoirs in us. You can write as many memoirs as you have had different experiences.

Different from an autobiography, which is a factual accounting, usually from birth to the time of writing and encompassing events, relationships, achievements, and challenges, a memoir focuses on specific themes, emotions, and reflections. This is a more personal and introspective approach to writing. A short memoir can be several hundred words, pages, or more. It doesn’t have to be 50-100,000 words! The key is to focus on telling a compelling and cohesive story, regardless of length.

Marcia has had over 10 books published, plus many essays, and creative works. She ran a California writer’s conference and literary press. She was a journalist, university professor, editor, teacher, and coach. Her memoir, Face, took her fifteen years to write, edit, and submit for publication. This must have been a daunting task and an inspiration for each of us. This book won the New Mexico-Arizona Book Award.

Each day, Marcia gives us writing exercises for inspiration. She reads us poetry, prose, memoirs, and fiction by familiar writers or some we have never heard of. She gives us challenges: identify an inanimate object and have it speak to you about who you are and where you live. She asks us to list our fears about our writing and anyone connected to it. What would they say or think if they read this? She gives us colored pencils and paper and instructs us to draw our dreams. She opens a box of play dough and asks us to shape something meaningful. These exercises open us up to the writing process, freeing us from constraints.

We dig deep into memoirs, creative non-fiction, and personal essays. Our participants range from novice to experienced. This year, women have come from Sydney, Australia, Oaxaca, California, Arizona, and New Mexico, to write.

We are now on day five with one more to go. This is a small, intimate group. We read what we have written to each other, giving supportive feedback. No one is critical. We are all in this together.

What participants say about Marcia Meier.

Open, gracious, and encouraging
Supportive, gentle, calm
Detailed, positive, organized
Welcoming, knowledgeable, informative
Inspiring, insightful, humorous
Expressive, honest, real

One participant says: She pulls out what we didn’t know was there. She has given me the tools and confidence to write about what makes me happy and sad. She is warm and a great instructor. Her teaching is empowering and transformative, and her style is both nurturing and stimulating.

We will consider offering this workshop in 2026 for six or seven days in Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca. If you are interested in knowing more, please send me an email. We will put you on an interested list and notify you when we have more details.

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Posted in Oaxaca Mexico art and culture

Tagged class, course, creative writing, Marcia Meier, memoir, Oaxaca, personal essay, retreat, Teotitlan del Valle, travel, Women, workshop

Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca, Portraits

Posted on Monday, November 25, 2024 | 3 comments

Yesterday, Luvia Lazo, our instructor, scheduled an online review of photographs I had taken during our recent Day of the Dead Photography Workshop in Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca. Everyone who participated sent Luvia a selection of what they considered to be their best 10-15 shots taken during the three days we were together. She arranged a personal session with each participant to talk about strengths and ways the photography could be improved upon.

During this time together, I focused on street photography, still life, and portraits. Luvia pointed out that she felt my strongest work captured people’s faces. I had taken these during arranged portrait sessions in local homes or when I stopped people on the street or in the market to ask permission to photograph them. She sifted through the 17 photos I had submitted for review and selected those she felt were the strongest — capturing light, shadow, emotion, telling a visual story.

Luivia’s comments were instructive. She said these captured natural moments, with the subjects looking at the photographer and not at the camera, how the shot was framed, perspective, composition, with shadows deep in the image. She recommended that each photograph provide enough information to keep the viewer’s attention. She called out those she didn’t like as much (I haven’t published them), telling me what could have made a difference and improved the shot — some were out of focus, others needed cropping, a few were overexposed, several were out of kilter and needed better framing.

It demonstrated that I need to pay attention to set up the shot and take my time. Morever, Luvia was a guest at Apple’s launch of the iPhone 16 in Cupertino — all expenses paid! (Yes, she is that famous.) They gave her a new phone as a gift. She showed me technical features on my iPhone 14 Pro Max that improved my picture-taking capabilities. Very, very helpful. Yes, I took all these using my iPhone!

We are considering offering this workshop in a longer format in 2025 or 2026, but not during the Day of the Dead. All types of cameras are welcome — from SmartPhone to DSLR to mirrorless! If this interests you, please email me to get on an interested list.

3 Comments

Posted in Oaxaca Mexico art and culture

Tagged class, course, Oaxaca, photography, portraits, street photography, Teotitlan del Valle, workshop

Oaxaca Day of the Dead Photo Workshop

Posted on Thursday, January 25, 2024 | Comments Off

Three Days — October 27, 28, 29, 2024, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Arrive just before Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, to explore the Zapotec village of Teotitlan del Valle as preparations begin for this grand celebration to honor the ancestors. We take you inside people’s homes and workshops where you might never have access on your own. We explore the 17th century church, ancient archeological sites, the local market, and wander cobblestone streets to find hidden treasures that you will capture with your camera. We arrange portrait sessions with local families where we take you on an insiders journey to document how locals live and work.

We welcome novice and experienced photographers who want to capture people and place. We focus on portrait and street photography, how to look for that great shot and compose it for greatest impact. We do NOT teach you how to use your camera. We teach you what to look for, how to frame a photograph, perspective, how to determine what to shoot close-up and from a distance. We will discuss editing techniques, too. We welcome all types of cameras from DSLRs to iPhones.

Our workshop day is from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. We will meet each morning as a group to discuss process and technique, show our work, give and receive feedback. Then, we will venture out into the village to explore.

Your instructor is Luvia Lazo. She is featured in The New Yorker magazine. You can read more about Luvia and see her work on her website. You can also do a Google search to see and read more!

Luvia is described this way: Photography is her way of portraying the worlds to which she belongs. Her work aims to capture reality from the perspective of the contemporary Zapotec woman, creating a constellation of images through time and spaces in Oaxaca, documenting the generational gaps and the transformation of identities across ages.

She is a recipient of the Jóvenes Creadores grant of the FONCA 2020 (National Fund for the Culture of the Arts, Mexico) and inaugural recipient of the Indigenous photo grant 2021 supported by Leica and Photoville.

Cost: $995 per person. This includes three workshop days, all instruction, three lunches, and one Grand Finale Dinner where we present our best work.

The cost does not include lodging, breakfast or transportation. We recommend several bed-and-breakfast inns where you can book your lodging directly with the innkeeper at your own expense, once you register for the workshop. These are Casa Elena, La Cupula, and Las Granadas.

The workshop will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. We will send you meeting location and other details in late September. We suggest you book your lodging to arrive October 26 and depart on October 30.

How to Reserve Your Space — We are limiting participation to 10 people.

We request a $995 payment in full to reserve. Payment can be made with a Zelle transfer (we will send you a request for funds when you send us how your Zelle account is registered), or we can send you a Square invoice to pay with a credit card (4% service fee added). Please advise which payment method you prefer.

Please complete this registration form to participate.

Cancellations. If you cancel on or before August 15, 2024, we will refund $500 of your fee. After August 15, there are no refunds. You may consider purchasing international travel insurance that would allow you to file a claim in the event you are unable to attend.

If we cancel for whatever reason, we will offer a 100% refund of all amounts received to date, less the non-refundable deposit.

NOTE: Please bring one Covid test kit and a face mask to use in crowded spaces and inside homes where there is no air circulation. Local people do not have wide access to effective vaccines and are very vulnerable to Covid. We urge you to be up-to-date with all vaccines, including influenza and RSV.

To Register, Policies, Procedures & Cancellations–Please Read

Walking and Group Courtesy: We are at almost 6,000 feet altitude. Streets and sidewalks are cobblestones, and narrow. We will do a lot of walking. We will walk a lot — up to 10,000 steps per day at a moderate pace. We recommend you bring a walking stick and wear sturdy shoes.

NOTE: If you have mobility issues or health/breathing impediments, please consider that this may not be the program for you.

Traveling with a small group has its advantages, and also means that independent travelers will need to make accommodations to group needs and schedule. We include plenty of free time to go off on your own if you wish.

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Posted in Oaxaca Mexico art and culture

Tagged course, Luvia Lazo, Mexico, Oaxaca, photography, photos, portrait photography, Teotitlan del Valle, workshop

2025 Women’s Creative Writing Workshop Retreat: Inspirations for a New Year

Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2024 | Comments Off

January 2-8, 2025, seven days, six nights in Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca, Mexico.

It’s the start of 2025, a new year, and we are inspired to revisit the years passed and the one that now begins. What are our hopes, dreams, wishes, aspirations. What are our regrets. What memories come up that bring us gratitude, regrets, joy, or sadness. With published, award-winning author Marcia Meier guiding us, we approach our writing with honesty, openness, emotion and directness, to visit and revisit the people, places that shaped us. We express our yearnings, dig in and go deep, and to write in whatever genre speaks to us: memoir, journaling, fiction, personal essay, creative nonfiction, and poetry. We are here to express our relationship with life, love, loss and mourning. The new year is a launching pad to express ourselves.

New and seasoned writers are welcome. Come to kindle and rekindle the writer’s life.

A $500 deposit will secure your reservation. The cost is $2,395 for a shared room, and $2,995 for a private room. Space is limited to 10 writers.

Our Preliminary Schedule

Wednesday, January 2—Arrive to Oaxaca, travel to and settle into our Teotitlan del Valle retreat center by 4 p.m. Transportation from the airport to the village is at your own expense. Welcome dinner at 6 p.m. Introductions, schedule, and questions. Sign-ups for consultations.

Thursday, January 3—Breakfast is at 8 a.m. Writing workshop (including group feedback) with Marcia from 9 a.m. to noon; lunch from noon to 1:30; free writing time and individual 45-minute consultations 1:30-4:30 p.m. (consultations will be scheduled with Marcia during the welcome dinner on January 2; local artisan visit 4-30-6 p.m.; dinner at 6:30 p.m.

Friday, January 4—Breakfast is at 8 a.m. Workshop from 9 a.m.-noon with Marcia; lunch is noon to 1:30 p.m. Special topic “Crafting Your Project”, from 1:30-2:15 p.m. Free writing time and individual consultations 2:15-5:30. Dinner at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, January 5—Breakfast is at 8 a.m. Workshop from 9 a.m.-noon with Marcia. Lunch is on your own in the village. From noon to 4 p.m. you have free time to either explore the village or to continue to write on your own. We will schedule individual consultations from 2:30-5:30 p.m. Dinner is at 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, January 6— Breakfast at 8 a.m. Special topic, “Getting Published” 9-10 a.m. We will depart by van to the famous outdoor Tlacolula Market to explore local culture. Lunch will be with a traditional cook whose comedor is near the market. Workshop session will be held from 3-6 p.m. Light supper at 7 p.m.

Monday, January 7— Breakfast at 8 a.m. Workshop from 9 a.m.-noon with Marcia. Lunch on your own. Free writing time and individual consultations 1:30-5:30 p.m. 6 p.m. Final reading of work created during the week, followed by a Grand Finale Dinner.

Tuesday, January 8—Breakfast at 8 a.m. Goodbyes and departure. We will help you arrange transportation to the airport or the city by private taxi at your own expense.

We can also recommend lodging where you can extend your stay in Oaxaca City — come a few days early or stay later!

We reserve the right to make itinerary changes and substitutions as necessary.

Marcia Meier is an experienced workshop leader and published author who has led writing workshops for nearly 20 years. A longtime book editor and publisher, she is skilled at helping new and advanced writers find their voice on the page, learn the basics of craft, and giving effective and thoughtful feedback on work.

During each workshop day, we will have a brief craft discussion, share work and get feedback from Marcia and workshop participants. Marcia will also provide prompts for daily writing, with time to begin crafting your daily writing during workshop, if the schedule allows. Please bring a piece of writing (personal narrative, fiction or poetry) of no more than 1,000 words to get started.

What can you take away from this workshop? Deep understanding of how to craft an effective, persuasive and moving piece of writing; camaraderie with other like-minded writers and creatives; learning in a stunningly beautiful environment; and immersion in a friendly and ancient culture steeped in music, art, crafts, and spirituality. You’ll leave with increased skills, new friends, and deep gratitude for new experiences in a different culture.

Meet Marcia Meier

Marcia Meier is an award-winning writer, developmental book editor, writing coach, and publisher of Weeping Willow Books.

Marcia’s latest book, Face, A Memoir, was published in January 2021 by Saddle Road Press. Face was shortlisted for the Eric Hoffer Book Award grand prize and won honorable mention in the memoir category.

Her anthology, Unmasked, Women Write About Sex and Intimacy After Fifty, co-edited with Kathleen A. Barry, Ph.D., was published in 2018. Her other books include Ireland, Place Out of Time (Weeping Willow Books, 2017), Heart on a Fence, (Weeping Willow Books, 2016), Navigating the Rough Waters of Today’s Publishing World, Critical Advice for Writers from Industry Insiders (Quill Driver Books, 2010) and Santa Barbara, Paradise on the Pacific, (Longstreet Press, 1996). Her podcast, “Girl Talk, Women, Aging and Sexuality,” can be heard on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify and many other podcast platforms. Listen and subscribe here.

Marcia’s poems have appeared in Writers Resist, Prime Number Magazine online, the anthology Knocking at the Door, Poems About Approaching the Other, and Sage Trail Literary Magazine. She has studied with Carolyn Forché (Hedgebrook in March 2016) and Kim Addonizio (six-week poetry workshop in fall 2017). A newspaper journalist for nearly 20 years, she has freelanced or written for numerous publications, including the Los Angeles Times, The Writer magazine, Santa Barbara Magazine, Pacific Standard Magazine online and The Huffington Post.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and an MFA in creative writing, and has taught writing workshops and numerous college and university courses.

Marcia is a member of the Author’s Guild and the Association of Writers and Writing Programs. She loves to take photographs, walk on the beach, write poetry and read good fiction.

Learn more about Marcia, her books, and other work at www.marciameier.com and www.weepingwillowbooks.com.

Teotitlan del Valle is our base. It is an ancient weaving village about thirty minutes beyond the hubbub of the city where ancient rituals are practiced much as they were hundreds of years ago. Our location provides a source of inspiration and spiritual connection.

There will be optional daily activities in our schedule: afternoon walks, and mini-seminars on writing topics such as writing effective description and dialogue, grammar, or submitting creative work for publication. Each person will have a private coaching session, too.

We will also schedule visits to local artisans to see how they make their work.

What is included?

Complete instruction with five workshop sessions
6 dinners
6 breakfasts
3 lunches
6 nights lodging
transportation to Tlacolula Market
artisan honoraria for demonstrations
mini-seminars on writing topics
one coaching session

What is a Workshop Session? The group meets daily for about three hours to actively listen to each other’s writing, giving supportive and constructive feedback about what resonates or not. We offer guidelines for the process. Everyone takes a turn to read and everyone participates. Writers may accept or reject suggestions. Workshops offer an important learning tool for writers to gain feedback about how their words are communicated and understood.

How to Register: Cost is $2395 person for a shared room, and $2995 for a private room. A non-refundable $500 deposit will reserve your space. Send us an email to say you want to attend and if you want a shared or private room. We will send you a request for payment via Zelle transfer (no fees) or Square invoice to use a credit card (3.5% service fee) to secure your space. The balance will be due in two equal payments. The first payment will be due on July 1, 2024. The second and final payment will be due on October 1, 2024.

Note: If you register after July 1, then the first payment will be $500 + half of the workshop fee.

Required–Travel Health/Accident Insurance: We require that you carry international accident/health/emergency evacuation insurance with a minimum of $50,000 of medical evacuation coverage. Proof of insurance must be sent at least 45 days before departure. Unforeseen circumstances happen! Be certain your passport has at least six months on it before it expires from the date you enter Mexico!

Plane Tickets, Arrivals/Departures: Please send us your plane schedule at least 45 days before the trip. This includes name of carrier, flight numbers, arrival and departure time to/from our program destination.

Reservations and Cancellations. We accept payment with Square or Zelle. We will send you an invoice when you tell us you are ready to register. After October 1, 2024, refunds are not possible. If you cancel on or before October 1, 2024, 50% of your deposit will be refunded, less the $500 reservation fee. After that, there are no refunds.

To further explain: if we cancel, participants receive a 100% refund.

Travelers are required to take out international travel insurance. If you are too sick to travel and/or come down with covid, or your flights are cancelled or any other legitimate reason, you would file a claim for reimbursement with the insurance company.

Covid is still with us. Please confirm that you have had all vaccines. Please bring 3 covid test kits and face masks for protection in densely populated markets.

Terrain, Walking and Group Courtesy: The altitude is almost 6,000 feet. Streets and sidewalks are cobblestones, some narrow and uneven. We will do some walking. If you have mobility issues or health/breathing impediments, please let me know before you register. Traveling with a small group has its advantages and also means that independent travelers will need to make accommodations to group needs and schedule. We include plenty of free time to go off on your own if you wish.

How to Get To Oaxaca: United Airlines operates direct flights from Houston. American Airlines operates direct flights from DFW. Delta Airlines has a codeshare with AeroMexico with a connection to Oaxaca from Mexico City. All other major airlines fly to Mexico City where you can made independent connections on Interjet, and VivaAerobus. Check Skyscanner for schedules and fares before you book. Note: I always book directly with the carrier for better customer service.

Workshop Details and Travel Tips: Before the workshop begins, we will email you study tour details and documents that includes travel tips and information.

To get your questions answered and to register, contact Norma Schafer. This retreat is produced by Norma Schafer, Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC.