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Why Travel With Us: Help sustain traditions.
- We know the culture! This is our land! We are locally owned and operated.
- Eric Chavez Santiago is tri-lingual --Spanish, English, Zapotec.
- Eric was founding director of education, Museo Textil de Oaxaca + folk art expert
- Norma Schafer has lived in Oaxaca since 2005.
- Norma is a seasoned university educator.
- We have deep connections with artists and artisans.
- 63% of our travelers repeat -- high ratings, high satisfaction.
- Wide ranging expertise: textiles, folk art, pottery, cultural wisdom.
- We give you a deep immersion to best know Oaxaca and Mexico.
We organize private travel + tours for museums, arts, organizations, collectors + appreciators.
Creating Connection and Meaning between travelers and with indigenous artisans. Meet makers where they live and work. Join small groups of like-minded explorers. Go deep into remote villages. Gain insights. Support cultural heritage and sustainable traditions. Create value and memories. Enjoy hands-on experiences. Make a difference.
What is a Study Tour: Our programs are learning experiences, and as such we talk with makers about how and why they create, what is meaningful to them, the ancient history of patterning and design, use of color, tradition and innovation, values and cultural continuity, and the social context within which they work. First and foremost, we are educators. Norma worked in top US universities for over 35 years and Eric founded the education department at Oaxaca’s textile museum. We create connection.
OCN Creates Student Scholarship at Oaxaca Learning Center Giving back is a core value. Read about it here
Meet Makers. Make a Difference
Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC has offered programs in Mexico since 2006. We have over 30 years of university, textile and artisan development experience. See About Us.
Programs can be scheduled to meet your independent travel plans. Send us your available dates.
Arts organizations, museums, designers, retailers, wholesalers, curators, universities and others come to us to develop artisan relationships, customized itineraries, meetings and conferences. It's our pleasure to make arrangements.
Select Clients *Abeja Boutique, Houston *North Carolina Museum of Art *Selvedge Magazine-London, UK *Esprit Travel and Tours *Penland School of Crafts *North Carolina State University *WARP Weave a Real Peace *Methodist University *MINNA-Goods *Smockingbird Kids *University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Tell us how we can put a program together for you! Send an email norma.schafer@icloud.com
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- WEAVE Podcast: Oaxaca Coast Textiles & Tour
- NY Times, Weavers Embrace Natural Dye Alternatives
- NY Times, Open Thread–Style News
- NY Times, 36-Hours: Oaxaca, Mexico
Our Favorites
- Cooking Classes–El Sabor Zapoteco
- Currency Converter
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- Friends of Oaxaca Folk Art
- Hoofing It In Oaxaca Hikes
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- Mexican Indigenous Textiles Project
- Museo Textil de Oaxaca
- Oaxaca Lending Library
- Oaxaca Weather
- Taller Teñido a Mano Natural Dyes
Travel Day: Santa Cruz, California to Mexico City
This was an experiment. It seemed easy enough and the cost was far less: take a Southwest Airlines (WNA) flight from San Jose (SJC), California. Connect in Orange County (SNA) and fly directly from there to Mexico City. Arrive in time for an afternoon nap and settle in. Easy.
Except that even by arriving at the airport by 5 a.m., the hour-and-a-half line to get through security meant that I missed my flight by two minutes. Along with about 40 other people. We stood in another line for an hour to get rebooked. And, with few options, I have a six-hour delay plus the hop-hop-hop flight plan that Southwest is famous for, going first to Las Vegas, then Houston, then Mexico City. Ah, the vagaries of travel during peak season (after Thanksgiving) wtih a high security alert on top of that.
So, here’s the good news. I’m in the SJC airport editing photographs that I took on my new mirrorless Olympus OMD M5 Mark II camera in Santa Cruz. It weighs a fraction of my Nikon D7000 when I use the 17-55mm Nikkor lens, which is a big plus! I did a lot of research before I bought this one, so here is hoping.
The verdict is still out on whether the photo quality matches up. But, I’m inclined to consider that the convenience could outweigh any negatives. I’m still learning the settings, so we shall see.
This post includes experimental photos I took with my sister and son in Santa Cruz on West Cliff Drive overlooking the famous area where surfers, runners and strollers convene. The perfect beach life, even at the end of November.
This was a great last day in California, perfect for focusing out onto the horizon.
View of Monterey Bay from West Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, California
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Posted in Cultural Commentary, Photography
Tagged airlines, California, camera shopping, Monterey Bay, Olympus OMD M5 Mark II, Pacific Ocean, photography, Santa Cruz, surfers, travel, West Cliff Driver