ONE- AND TWO-DAY TRIPS

MARCH TRIP ITINERARY BRIEFS
(Please click the blue links for itinerary details):

Mar 12-13 CALPULALPAN: PUEBLO MAGICO 2 DAY (village life/nature) Small and lovely village in the pines of the Sierra Madre. Visit a center for traditional medicine, learn about the workings of indigenous government. Adobe cabins, village run eco-tourism and options for sweat lodge and massage. US $225

March 15 Tue. THERE’S SILK IN THE SIERRA MADRE! (folkart/social change) We visit a remote village where some of the last inheritors of a 450 year-old silk cultivation and weaving tradition are found and a coop working to rescue the silk way. Note: Long drive, winding mountain roads, big views. $85

March 16 Wed. THE FOLKART OF OAXACA CITY (folkart)  The wonders right under our noses!  A trip into Oaxaca’s neighborhoods to visit theworkshops of weavers, jewelers, tin smiths, marimbas, black smiths and an artisan turninggarbage into art.

March 17 Thu. TEJATE, PRE-COLOMBIAN POWER DRINK (Food/Culture) Corn, cacao and a journey through food into the villages of the Etla valley and the history of Mexico. Learn the secrets of creating this uniquely Oaxacan drink, where the ingredients comes from and how the tejate bowl is made.

March 20 Sun. WALKING BETWEEN KINGDOMS (nature//hiking/roots) We follow ancient footpaths joining the fallen kingdoms of Yagul and Mitla. Hike, explore ruins and see the backcountry. Come fit and prepared for the sun. 8 miles with hills.

March 21 Mon. MEZCAL! (drink/folkart/culture) Into the world of this smoky delight. From fields of agave and the special pots used in the process to backcountry stills- we immerse ourselves in the culture of mezcal. Lunch, samples and designated driver included. U$85.

March 23 Wed. THE ORIGINAL CRAFTSMEN (folkart) Harvest baskets, mortar and pestles, leather sandals,cooking pots and more- a journey into the small, village workshops of these old-time trades people whose products have been the cornerstone of village life for centuries.

March 24  Thu. THE BLIND POTTER AND A MIRROR TO BUILD A CHURCH (Folkart/Social Change). Going against the odds, a potter loses his sight and continues working; a village church and local jobs rebuilt one lovely mirror at a time…and more!

March 25 Fri. ROOTED PAST GROWING FUTURE (ecology/social change)  From ancient farming wisdom to inspired modern efforts at living sustainably.  We visit the site of a pre-Hispanic agricultural town, a traditional farm and a new center for permaculture . Organic farm lunch included.

SPECIAL POTTERY SERIES
MARCH 30 TO APRIL 2

March 30 Wed. SCULPTED CLAY: FROM ROOTS TO FAME (Folkart) Ocotlan valley.  Some of Oaxaca’s most famous potters, their predecessors and a master whose blindness hasn’t silence his hands.

March 31 Thu. ANCIENT CLAYS, LIVING WAYS (Folkart)From the site of the oldest pottery found in Oaxaca to the thriving pottery village of Atzompa that may have once produced it, plus the most complete collection of Oaxacan pottery on Earth!

April 1 Fri. QUICKFIRE WIZARDS! (folkart)  A Zapotec open-air pottery firing, the most traditional, rural pottery village in the Oaxaca valleys and an old-time urban production pottery workshop.

April 2 Sat. POTTERY FROM THE UNDERWORLD (folkart) The legendary night-black pottery of Coyotepec. Meet the last of the old-time masters and contemporary potters who push the clay in new directions.