Tag Archives: self-guided map

Oaxaca is beautiful and safe, says Elliot Stoller, who visited in December 2011.  He recently wrote to me and ordered the self-guided tour map of Teotitlan del Valle to prepare for his trip next year.  Elliot’s photos are so beautiful that I want to share them with you (with his permission, of course).  And his testimonial about safety deserves attention.

Oaxaca: Beauty is Everywhere

Oaxaca: Night of the Radishes

Oaxaca: Mitla

” I felt as safe in Oaxaca as I feel in any city in the USA. The people are friendly and helpful. In fact, in the evenings, I felt safer in Oaxaca than I do in Seattle because there were so many people out and about… socializing, eating at sidewalk cafes, watching performances of folk dancers or taking part in Las Posadas (religious processions) and enjoying the wonderful weather.

Oaxaca: Chocolate

Oaxaca: Rodolfo Morales Museum, Ocotlan de Morelos

“I know about 40 words of Spanish but I always found that the Oaxaca people would be patient and we found a way to communicate. Once, I was in a restaurant and I couldn’t read the menu. I was trying to order tortillas with different fillings. The cook motioned for me to come up to where everything was cooking and she took off the pot lids so I could point at the fillings I wanted.

Oaxaca: Ethnobotanical Garden

Oaxaca: Monte Alban

“A guide we hired took us to Teotitlan Del Valle but we stopped at only one workshop/home. I returned to Teotitlan on the Fundacion En Via tour (a non-profit that fights poverty through micro-finance) so I was able so see more of the town and a more realistic picture of the townspeople.

Oaxaca: The Churches

“I love Oaxaca. I plan to go back again in December  this year for two more weeks. And I’m fantasizing about retiring there. I fell in love with Oaxaca as you can probably tell from my photographs.

“Thank you for your wonderful blog,”

Elliot Stoller,  Seattle, Washington

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Upcoming photography workshops in Oaxaca:  Portrait Photography, Market Towns and Artisan Villages, and Day of the Dead