(Meals included B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner)

Day 1 THE JOURNEY BEGINS. Descending from the Clouds. (LD). Our grand journey begins by staying put! Before leaving San Cristobal we will visit a cooperative of  Mayan weavers for a very special encounter- the gift of giving. They will give us their time, we will give them ours. They will share with us their knowledge of weaving and Mayan culture, things we likely know very little about.  We will share with them what we know about tourists and foreign tastes. It is an important exchange, for as this co-op looks for ways to sell more weavings they have wondered how to reach out to tourists, a culture about which they know very little. Having shared the gift of each others knowledge, we then travel onward, descending out of the mists and cool into the mango lined valleys of the Pacfic lowlands. Our route traces old trade paths and by evening we will have arrived in Tehuantepec, where we'll spend the evening.

Day 2 CULTURAL  CROSSROADS. Into the land of the Zapotecs. (BLD).  Tehuantepec is a Zapotec town that has forever been an ethnic crossroads, from the days of trade between the Aztecs and the Mayans to the time of the American gold rush when the Tehuantepec isthmus was a short route to California and even to the present, as we'll see at our hotel.  We'll visit the market run by powerful women in long skirts selling salted fish. Then onward up a winding, dramatic road into the heartland of Zapotec civilization, the central valleys of Oaxaca. En route we'll stop at a small mineral spring that has built a large hill along a blue river. Take pictures, take a swim and take a break from the van. We'll also visit a still (one of hundreds in the region) where agave cactus is turned into Oaxaca's legendary (among connoisseurs at any rate) firewater, mezcal. Late afternoon will find us in the Oaxaca valley settling into our family run lodging in a small Zapotec village with a big little industry.  Evening in Teotitlan del Valle.

Day 3 A VILLAGE. Tamales, Wax Flowers and Colored Threads. (BLD). Today we meet a village. Seven thousand people live in Teotitlan del Valle. Close to five thousand of them are involved in the traditional weaving of wool rugs and textiles. It may not surprise you to learn that today we will meet a weaver. He is also a self-taught wizard of natural dyes. But first we'll go the small and very lively local market in the center of the village to shop for chilis and flowers that we'll use to make our own lunch. Teotitlan is known in Oaxaca as one of the heartlands of Oaxacan cuisine, and with the guidance of a master named Reyna we'll create a bit of the food that feeds the soul of Oaxaca. We'll learn to cook over a fire and grind corn on stone! We'll also meet a woman who turns bees wax into the ornate and wonderfully gaudy candles that are at the center of some of this villages most important rituals. And there will be more as we meet this interesting and hospitable village. Evening in Teotitlan del Valle.

Day 4 A VALLEY. The Blind Potter and a Mirror to Build a Church.(BL) Leaving the village of weavers behind us, we travel through a valley called Ocotlan, meeting some of the characters that make it rich. We take ajourney into unique stories: Jose Garcia has been blind for years but creates with more passion than ever, his home and courtyard a fairly tale land of his clay sculptures; nearby in Zegache there was an ancient and decaying church and declining work options, but a creative project is afoot offering alternatives to both, renovating the church and generating local jobs through the crafting of…mirrors; A smoke stained workshop of rough-neck black smiths whose ecological practices would impress Green Peace; A woman in the heart of a grand market who will make us lunch...and could be Frida Kahlo's twin! Welcome to the valley of Ocotlan, and one more taste of the pulse of Oaxaca.  In the afternoon we travel to Oaxaca City and settle into a hotel in the historic center of this UNESCO world heritage city.

Day 5 A CITY. Stories in the Stones. (LD) Oaxaca city lies in the shadow of the ruins of Monte Alban, the “Rome” of the Zapotecs. Culturally, geographically and even politically Oaxaca state is still like a nation unto itself and the city is the new center of this kingdom. Today we meet this thriving stone city of culture, chaos, art and commerce. We'll walk the streets today with a guide who will share with us some of the gossip caught between the building blocks of the city. We'll also meet urban folk artists, take a load off in the towns beautiful central plaza and marvel at the golden jeweled, carved bone treasures of a kings tomb in Oaxaca's gorgeous cultural museum. Plus we'll eat some good food! Our travels together conclude after dinner, but tonight’s hotel is included in the tour.

Onward Travel. (First, I recommend staying in Oaxaca longer if you have time. There is plenty to see. Day of the Dead is Oct 31-Nov 2nd and worth being around for.  We'll be offering a special, remote Oaxaca day of the dead tour over those dates as well.) If you need to return to San Cristobal/Tuxtla for return flights, there is a flight on Aerotucan from Oaxaca to Tuxtla Wednesday morning at 11. By bus there are 4 departures each evening from 9pm on and the trip is about 10 hours. If you can do an open jaw flight and arrange your return flight from Mexico City there are frequent buses (6 hours) and flights (45 mins) from Oaxaca to Mexico City.