Spread throughout the broken terrain of Southern Mexico are dozens of hidden villages of potters, weavers, basket and rope makers, tanners and spinners working quietly at their ancient trade, virtually unknown to the outside world. These are the quiet, traditional trades of indigenous villages that have forever supplied their secluded regions with needed goods. With the rise of the first agrarian communities in Mexico some 4,000 years ago these trades developed and became refined. They have survived the rise and fall of ancient empires, conquest and revolution, and flicker on into the 21st century; artisans doing their best in the face of competition from tin, plastic and polyester. The artisans are Zapotec, Mixtec, Mehica, Mixe/Ayu'uk, Maya, Purepecha and others. Their humble, beautiful, backcountry trades remain an untold secret.

These ancient trades are typified by the use of local materials; clay from the fields, wool shorn from Mixtec sheep, silk cultivated on local mulberry leaves, and basket fiber from the abundant palms and riverside carrizo stands. The machinery used to aide work is minimal; gourd and leather for pottery, a clay-weighted spindle for spinning silk, a rough-hewn loom. Skill, experience and expertise in materials are what create such master works from these artisans' hands.

This trip is offered with our partners in Oaxaca, Traditions Mexico. This program is an opportunity to share the world of the Southern Mexican artisans and their incredible wealth of knowledge with people interested in traditional arts and culture. We travel in small groups, no larger than ten, so as not to overwhelm our hosts, and so that our visits can be personal and meaningful. And we journey to places where other travelers don't go, far beyond the beaten path into the calm of old Mexico.

La Sangre Preciosa

Once a year the village of Teotitlan del Valle pulls out the stops to celebrate the Catholic festival of La Sangre Preciosa. This festival involves the entire village and includes a parade of 150 woman adorned with flowers and images of saints, a marathon 8-hour ritual dance, brass bands, ceremony, communal feasts, a village dance, booming fireworks, hot tamales and a good time! This tour takes you into the middle of this festival. We will see it from the inside out, meeting the ritual dancers, participating in the feasts, learning to make tamales, visiting the fireworks maker and getting to know the village on a first name basis. For 5 nights we’ll stay in a small lodge on the edge of the village, close enough to be in on the action, far enough to escape from it when we’ve had our fill. Our travels will take us into the village and beyond, to an important regional market, to a village of potters, to a baker’s workshop and to the ruins of ancient Zapotec palaces. We’ll also take time to visit the beautiful colonial city of Oaxaca, spending two nights there once the festival winds down. We will eat well, meet good people and enjoy the pomp and boom of a village party.

Oaxaca, Mexico Contact us to to create a custom private program Sample Itinerary (PDF)   for Mexico!

Highlights!

Immersion in the world of a village festival

Colorful parades and ritual feather dances

Participation in ritual feasts

Tamale and chocolate making

Visits to local markets, mescal stills, museums, potters, firework makers & bakers

Lodging in the weaving village of Teotitlan del Valle and the UNESCO World Heritage city of Oaxaca

Explore Zapotec society, both contemporary and a ruined city 2,500 years old.