Good morning from Denver. I’ve got my ticket to Oaxaca for Day of the Dead, arriving on October 21 and staying for three weeks. Like many of you, I like to be home with my family for the winter holidays. I plan to participate in the Teotitlan del Valle photography workshop led by Luvia Lazo. She is an award-winning photographer, recognized in The New Yorker Magazine and Vogue for her interpretation of village life. I’m excited because I’ve known Luvia since she was a very young woman who was just getting started. She has a keen eye that notices the juxtapositions of composition and I’m confident that she will teach us how to see people and place in different and innovative ways. BTW, you don’t have to be a photographer to participate. Our only requirement is curiosity!
Today is my last appointment with my surgeon who performed the spinal fusion surgery. I’m hoping for a clean bill of health on the road to recovery. I’ll keep you posted about the outcomes. This is one reason I haven’t been writing much. The surgery and related recuperation was much more intense than I ever expected and I’ve been completely focused on the process of getting better in time for my departure to Japan for two weeks on Friday, September 6.
I’m excited. Japan has become one of my favorite countries and this will be my second visit. I’m traveling with friends who have been there nine times! As I write, they are on a six-day hike through geological formations along the southern coast. They are covering ten miles a day. I can now manage two miles walking at a slow pace with two hiking poles for support!
This is going to be a research trip for me. Eric and I are planning Japanese Folk Art and Textile Tour for Oaxaca Cultural Navigator in late October 2025, if all things align. We will focus on pottery, indigo dyeing, temple markets, sashiko embroidery stitching, and exploring food and culture. We are working with our friend Nancy Craft, Conde-Nast Japan Travel Expert, to assist us in building an itinerary and securing all the logistics to make a trip like this possible.
My Question: Would you like me to report on what I discovered on this Japan trip that starts Friday with intermittent blog posts? Would you be interested in this?
As ever, thanks for reading. All my best, Norma
This is a Sashiko embroidered hat made by Keiku in Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, in the Hida region of central Japan. She works on indigo dyed cloth, much of which is vintage. I will visit her with the hope that we can include a hands-on experience for our October 2025 tour. I’m meeting her on the east side of the Red Bridge and she will take us to her home in the historic district, where she has her studio. It’s been a back-and-forth arranging this private visit. Keiku doesn’t speak English and I’ve been communicating with her son Atsushi, who lives in the USA with the help of my friend Svetlana, a textile installation artist.
Summer is winding down. It will be Labor Day weekend in ten days. I’m recovering well from spinal fusion surgery, though I’m far from perfect, and need to walk with two REI hiking poles to keep my balance, but I’m managing between 5,000 and 7,000 steps at least four times a week. Yesterday, I almost reached 8,000! This is the summer of repair and recovery. This is good, because I’m planning to return to Oaxaca for Day of the Dead sometime in mid- to later October.
On September 6, I fly to Japan for a two-week immersion into folk art and textiles, joining friends in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Takayama. I’m meeting a sashiko embroiderer, taking a pottery tour with Robert Yellin in Kyoto, a textile tour, indigo dye workshop, and traditional Japanese pottery repair using gold and lacquer to fill in the broken seams called kintsugi — in the true nothing is perfect Wabi-Sabi tradition. My daughter-in-law is celebrating her 50th birthday in Tokyo, and I’ll meet up with her and my son for a celebratory dinner.
Kintsugi — gold and lacquer pottery repair technique
All this to say, that we are considering organizing a Japan Folk Art and Textile Tour for late October 2025, if all things align. Since Eric and I are not Japanese speakers, we are working with our friend Nancy Craft, a Conde-Nast Japan travel expert to help us with the logistics and a guide who will do translation.
If you are interested in receiving more information about a two-week (more or less) Japan experience, please send me an email. The tour cost will be in the range of $8,000-$10,000 (not including air travel, insurance, incidentals).
Jump into the magic of Oaxaca, Mexico, from January 11 to 17, 2025. During this six-night, seven-day immersion tour you will discover (almost) everything this UNESCO World Heritage city has to offer. You will take a hands-on cooking class from a traditional chef who uses an outdoor wood-fired kitchen to prepare acclaimed pre-Hispanic dishes, visit the bustling Mercado de Abastos to shop, taste and savor artisanal mezcal especially distilled from rare wild agave, visit outstanding makers of craft and textiles that distinguish Oaxaca and elevate her above and beyond any place in the world, sample street tacos, take a graphic arts and printmaking workshop from a renowned artist, and enjoy the best that Oaxaca has to offer. Recap it all at our Grand Finale Dinner at one of Oaxaca’s top restaurants. A perfect Oaxaca Visitor’s Tour.
We will be based in one of Oaxaca’s most trendy, vibrant neighborhoods where murals will dazzle you, coffee bars will delight you, restaurants will tempt you, and galleries will excite you.
PRELIMINARY ITINERARY
Day 1 – Saturday, January 11. Arrive to Oaxaca, check into our comfortable hotel located in one of the city’s most captivating neighborhoods filled with murals, galleries, coffee bars. Meet for a no host dinner at 6:00 pm. We suggest you arrive before 3 p.m. today. Meals included: none.
Day 2 – Sunday, January 12. Today we start with an orientation and introduction during breakfast. Then we get in the van for a short trip to Santa María Atzompa, where we will meet a traditional cook who specializes in pre-Hispanic food prepared in an outdoor smoke kitchen called Cocina de Humo. First, she takes us on a culinary shopping tour of Mercado de Abastos, the largest Oaxaca market, to procure all the ingredients we need. After our workshop and delicious lunch, we will visit our friend Rufina who specializes in making pottery with lead-free glazes and oxygen reduction techniques. We will return to the hotel in time for you to enjoy Margaritas and dinner on your own. Meals included: breakfast and lunch.
Day 3 – Monday, January 13. After breakfast, our luxury van takes us deep into the Ocotlan Valley. We call this the Handcraft Route since it takes us through black pottery studios, embroidery workshops, and wood-carving spaces. We introduce you to the famed painter Rodolfo Morales who created extraordinary murals of rural life in the municipal building and then move on to meet a cooperative of embroiderers where we will learn about the different techniques used for ceremonial garments in San Antonino Castillo Velasco. Our lunch is at an outdoor kitchen in San Martin Tilcajete, one of our favorite spots for relaxed al fresco dining. Meals included: breakfast and lunch.
Day 4 – Tuesday, January 14. Wear your comfortable shoes for a city walking tour – we will cover a lot of territory! First, we stop to meet our artist friends at a printmaking collective gallery, learn about the rich graphic art movement in Oaxaca, and take a deep dive into learning more about lithography by taking a workshop. We guide you every step of the way. After a lunch of street tacos at one of our favorite taquerias, we recharge and refresh, then carry on to the Benito Juarez Market, the Museo Textil de Oaxaca, and a noted folk art gallery. Meals included: breakfast and lunch.
Day 5 – Wednesday, January 15. Weaving is Us! Today we travel to Teotitlán del Valle, the famed tapestry weaving village forty minutes outside the city to meet our family of weavers who create outstanding traditional and contemporary designs using all natural, sustainable dyes. Then, we visit a cooperative of women who specialize in making bags and purses from leather and tapestries. After lunch on the way to Mitla, we will meet up with our friend Arturo for a demonstration on flying shuttle land back strap loom weaving techniques. Home goods are his speciality!
Then we will stop at our favorite Palenque – the distillery — to learn everything about how artisanal mezcal is made, ending our day with a tasting of rare wild and espadin agave spirits. Meals included: breakfast and lunch.
Day 6 – Thursday, January 16. After breakfast you are on your own to explore the city at your leisure until we meet at a top-rated Oaxaca restaurant for our Grand Finale Dinner. Meals included: breakfast and gala dinner.
Day 7 – Friday, January 17. Depart to home. We will help you arrange transportation at your own expense to the Oaxaca airport, or extend your stay independently, or add-on a one- to three-day natural dye workshop (lodging not included). Meals included: breakfast.
What’s Included:
6 nights lodging at a comfortable hotel in the heart of one of Oaxaca’s most artistic neighborhoods
6 breakfasts
4 lunches
1 Gala Grand Finale Dinner with complimentary Margarita
Luxury transportation to artisan villages
Cocina de Humo cooking class
Printmaking workshop
Mezcal tasting
Demonstrations and market visits
An immersion experience beyond your dreams!
Tour Cost:
$2,790, Single—one-traveler in room with one bed and private bath
$2,190, Double—two travelers in room with either two beds or one Queen or King bed, private bath
Add 10% for a ground floor room and eliminate the stairs
Discounts: Oaxaca snowbirds and residents with your own lodging, take $500 off tour cost!
Send a $500 non-refundable deposit (first payment) to guarantee your place.
The balance is due in two equal payments. The second payment of 50% of the balance is due on or before September 1, 2024. The third payment, 50% balance, is due on or before November 15, 2024. We accept payment using Zelle cash transfer or a credit card with Square. For a Zelle transfer, there is no service fee. We add a 4% service fee to use Square. We will send you a request for funds to make your reservation deposit when you tell us you are ready to register. Please tell us how your account is registered (email or phone number).
After November 15, 2024, there are no refunds. If you cancel on or before November 15, 2024, we will refund 50% of your deposit received to date (less the $500 non-refundable deposit). After that, there are no refunds UNLESS we cancel for any reason. If we cancel, you will receive a full 100% refund.
Required–Travel Health/Accident Insurance: We require that you carry international accident/health insurance that includes $50,000+ of emergency medical evacuation insurance. Check out Forbes Magazine for best travel insurance options. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/travel-insurance/best-travel-insurance/
Proof of insurance must be received at least 45 days before the tour start date.
Add from 1 to 3 days of a natural dye workshopeither before or after the tour for a deeper dive into textile arts. Work with indigo, cochineal, wild marigold, tree bark and other plant dyes. Create your own sampler and record formulas to carry home with you.
Posted onThursday, June 27, 2024|Comments Off on 10/30/24 Day of the Dead Tour in Oaxaca: Hands-on Bucket-List Experience
On October 30, 2024, we give you a wide-ranging, immersion Day of the Dead experience of a lifetime! Construct a Day of the Dead Altar. Participate in a workshop using wild marigold botanical dyes. Savor traditional tamales made with mole amarillo with a local Zapotec family. Taste artisanal mezcal. Discuss culture, traditions, and Zapotec history. Finish the day with a visit to outstanding weaving and candle-making studios.
Visit the Dia de la Muertos market in Teotitlan del Valle to gather altar decorations
Buy fresh flor de muerto — Day of the Dead flowers, candles, homemade chocolate,j altar bread
Build a Day of the Dead Altar with expert guidance
Make a Day of the Dead napkin using wild marigolds botanical dyes
Savor traditional Muertos tamales with yellow mole
Taste artisanal mezcal made from wild agave
Discuss traditional altar preparation in this community, culture and traditional
End the day with visit to weavers and candle makers
What’s Included:
Enjoy a traditional lunch with a local Zapotec family
Make a wild marigold dyed textile in a hands-on dye workshop
Understand traditions and culture with clear, complete translation
Travel from the city to the village in a luxury van
Why you want to travel with us:
We know the culture! We are locally owned and operated.
Eric Chavez Santiago, is your cultural navigator. He is born and raised in Teotitlan del Valle.
We have deep connections with artists and artisans.
63% of our travelers repeat — high ratings, high satisfaction.
We have wide ranging expertise in community, craft and culture.
We give you a deep immersion to best know Oaxaca and Mexico
Registrationand Cancellation. Tour cost is $175 per person. This includes transportation in a luxury van, bilingual guide services with translation, market meander, altar and studio visits, and lunch. Payment in full is required to reserve. In the event cancellation is necessary, we request a 10-day notice (by October 20) to receive a 50% refund. We accept payment with Zelle (no fees) or with a credit card (4% fee). Tell us when you are ready to register and we will send you a request for funds.
The artisans we visit in Teotitlan del Vallenot only talk about and demonstrate their craft, they discuss their personal experiences and traditions growing up and honoring their ancestors during Day of the Dead. When you participate with us, you will go deep into a rich Zapotec history and culture that pre-dates the Spanish conquest of Oaxaca in 1522, and the settlement of Oaxaca as a colonial capitol.
Posted onThursday, May 30, 2024|Comments Off on Zinacantan + San Juan Chamula, Chiapas: Magic Towns
My friend Chris Clark writes a blog called Color in the Streets. It is her musings about living on Lake Chapala, Jalisco, and visiting many regions around Mexico during the last six years since she moved there from North Carolina, where I first met her. Chris’ partner Ben died almost two years ago and she has decided to move back to North Carolina where she has a strong support system. She will return in August.
In February, Chris came with us to Chiapas to explore the villages she had always dreamed about visiting. She has been writing a three-part series about her experiences there, and I published her first piece earlier this spring. You can read all three posts HERE.
Chris has a way with words. Her descriptions are detailed and luxurious. Reading what she writes is almost like being there. She has a big heart and makes instantaneous connections with the people we meet along the way.
Here is an excerpt about Zinacantan:
The village is the largest supplier of flowers throughout Mexico and parts of the United States. The hillsides are covered with greenhouses. Most residents wear indigenous traje (costumes) handwoven and then embroidered with each year’s current colorful display of flowers. The designs are hand-drawn and then machine embroidered. The colors change regularly. On our visit we saw deep green, burgundy, black, and brightly colored accents.
Here is an excerpt about San Juan Chamula:
This is the village I’d heard most about from friends and neighbors in Ajijic, where I live, who’d visited the church of San Juan Chamula, noted for its mix of Christianity and Maya beliefs (syncretism). For some reason, I had expected a small, simple structure, maybe made of wood, with little space inside. Church pews, of course. But pine needles and candles? Surely not. Inside felt immediately sacred and mystical. The walls were lined with small, lifelike statues of saints. The floor covered with pine needles, brushed aside to hold tall, skinny candles creating “pop-up” altars honoring those in need of healing…unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
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 Connectionand 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
December 6-14: Oaxaca Textile Tour and Workshopsincluding dye and weaving workshops, Tlacolula market, spinning village visits, plus lots more. With Fiber Circle Studio, Petaluma, California. Registration open!
January 11-17, Deep Dive Into Oaxaca: Cooking, Culture + Craft.Take a cooking class and printmaking workshop, visit artisan studios, weavers, and potteries, eat street tacos, taste artisanal mezcal, shop at markets, and explore the depths. SOLD OUT
February 6-15:Guatemala Textile Study Tour: Cloth and Culture. Discover Antigua, Lake Atitlan and Panajachel, Chichicastenango Market, and visit Coban where they weave fine gauze cloth called pikbil. SOLD OUT
March 12-17: Deep Into the Mixteca Alta: Oaxaca Textile + Folk Art Study Tour 2025. This is cultural immersion at its best! Following the Dominican Route, we visit potteries, churches, Triqui weavers working in natural dyes, a cooperative in Tijaltepec that makes smocked blouses, the expansive Tlaxiaco Saturday Tianguis. Experience another side of Oaxaca.
October: Japan Folk Art and Textile Tour.ONE SPACE OPEN! Email us.
Oaxaca has the largest and most diverse textile culture in Mexico! Learn about it.
When you visit Oaxaca immerse yourself in our textile culture: How is indigenous clothing made, what is the best value, most economical, finest available. Suitable for adults only. Set your own dates.
One-Day Tours: Schedule When YOU Want to Go!
Ruta del Mezcal One-Day Tour.We start the day with a pottery master and then have lunch with a traditional Oaxaca Cook, who is the mole-making expert. In Mitla, we meet with our favorite flying shuttle loom weaver, and then finish off with a mezcal tasting at a palenque you may NEVER find on your own! Schedule at your convenience!
Teotitlan del Valle Map with select rug weavers, restaurants, village attractions
Tlacolula Market Map -- where to find food, shopping, ATMs, and more
Our Favorite Things to Do in Oaxaca -- eating, shopping, gallery hopping + more
We require 48-hour advance notice for orders to be processed. We send a printable map via email PDF after your order is received. Please be sure to send your email address. You can click here to Buy Map. After you click, you can check PayPal to double-check you included your email address. We fulfill each order personally. It is not automatic.
