Acquainted with the Night: Documentary Film Review
Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B.
Feature-length documentary “Acquainted with the Night” (Markham Street Films, 2010), is a brilliantly executed examination of how humanity explores, embraces and attempts to protect the night. Shot in seven countries and eight languages, director Michael McNamara and co-producer Jen Recknagel analyze the universality of elements embodied in dusk to dawn traditions – curiosity and the quest to learn, ritual celebration, fear and adaptation, and from a Western research perspective the concern for the night’s adverse impact on the individual, and society.
The movie is based on Christopher Dewdney’s book, Acquainted with the Night: Excursions through the World after Dark. While Dewdney breaks up the night into hourly vignettes based on science, myth and poetry, McNamara proceeds differently, showcasing key segments of time: daytime preparations, dusk, night-time activities, dawn and its aftermath.
In the film’s Prelude, individuals in a diversity of cultures and stations in life are shown preparing for darkness, foreshadowing what the night embodies for them:
• In the town of Atzompa, in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, a family walks along a dirt road with a wheelbarrow and arms full of flowers, destined for the cemetery, the beginning of its Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) rituals;
• Members of Astronomers Without Borders line up telescopes in Bhaktapur, Nepal, for viewing Jupiter and its moons;
• A team of researchers arrive at Arches National Park in Utah, to measure light pollution;
• On the Greek Island of Chios, villagers from two rival towns ready rockets and launching pads in preparation for a century – old, middle-of-the-night pyrotechnics competition;
• A group sets up high – power lamps in New York City near Ground Zero, for a tribute in lights;
• Artists at Parc des Buttes Chaumant in Paris, France, install their art, and lighting, for Nuit Blanche, a unique exhibition.
Introductions continue through Dusk, in Austin, Texas. Crowds gather before dark, eager to watch 1.5 million bats fly out from beneath an expansion bridge in a night-time feeding frenzy. This year the bats emerge unexpectedly early, but the film crew, on the ready, doesn’t miss a beat and catches the event as it happens.
Moving into The Night, we’re whisked worlds away, to a marketplace in Marrakech, Morocco. Children and adults alike are enthralled by the tales of a traditional storyteller, one of only two or three of his kind remaining. But storytelling is universal, as McNamara illustrates, taking the viewer from this Moroccan custom to Anglo- and French-Canadian homes in Canada where parents read the same bed-time story to their children, “Love You Forever,” in English and in French.
McNamara uses his characters, rather than a narrator, to thread his theses. Researcher Chad Moore, measuring light pollution with sophisticated instruments, decries the loss of the ability of Americans to witness true darkness. It “ties all people together across the planet,” states Moore. “We have to decide if it’s worth saving,” he asks rhetorically. Then in Nepal, as if to answer the question, we’re placed amongst astronomers encouraging onlookers to take a peak at the largest planet in the solar system. Curiosity, intrigue, marvel and the quest to learn about the night, each transcends culture and age.
Returning to North America, and The Night Shift, a long-haul trucker drives across Canada with her son, after dark, exposing us to the night’s working world – its allure, its danger, and its necessity. At the Sleep and Alertness Clinic in Toronto we learn of the afflictions which beset the night shift, and are told of modern-day disasters which have occurred during the middle-of-the-night as a result of human error – Chernobyl and Exxon Valdez are cited examples. If humanity must work throughout the night, as is suggested, how do we better adapt?
The dark side of earth’s most densely populated club district is revealed, under the watch of Toronto Police Department’s 52 Division. Another aspect of night shift work: patrolling nightly, and then rounding up mainly youthful revelers as they emerge from partying shortly after 2 a.m., high on drugs or a little too much to drink, in either case resulting in unruly conduct or violence. Detention and in some cases arrest follows; then finally the morning clean-up, Night’s Last Stand.
McNamara also illustrates how differently death is approached depending on societal mores. In the candle – lit Mexican cemetery his cinematographers capture the poignancy of an elderly couple lamenting the loss of their son, decades after his passing. He then switches to the somber spectacle of light near Ground Zero. On a subsequent night in the Mexican village, death is remembered no longer through solemnity, but now with comparsas – parades marked by reveling in costume, dance and song. McNamara then takes us to the pageantry of a Winter Solstice celebration at Toronto’s Kensington Market. The night is a catalyst for celebrating in similar, almost identical fashion, under dramatically distinct circumstances.
Particularly striking and thought provoking contrasts occur within the context of McNamara taking us to a makeshift outdoor hockey rink illuminated by the full moon, then to beyond Yellowknife, where The Dene, one of Canada’s First Nation peoples, emerge from their teepees rejoicing the awe inspiring Aurora Borealis, and yes, telling stories. Cut to Paris, where artificial light gives art a new appreciation, then to New York, where light pays homage to America’s fallen. It’s hard to resolve the conflict between utilizing and appreciating the night and all its wonder and beauty – a motive for its preservation – and perhaps just as valid, transforming and celebrating the night, which leads to its adulteration.
As dawn approaches, thousands of spent rockets are gathered on the Greek island, the Parisian art exhibit has lost its glimmer, the 9 / 11 lights are extinguished, the now exhausted Nepalese storyteller heads home, and the villagers of Atzompa depart through the cemetery arch, until next year’s Dia de los Muertos.
Acquainted with the Night takes the viewer on much more than a cross-cultural journey traversing the exotic and the familiar, and then back again. It opens our minds to a sampling of what most of us miss between going to bed, and arising for work the next day. It inevitably encourages many to re-evaluate an unnecessarily staid lifestyle, through examining a world not previously known to exist. It ensures that we expose our youth to more, yet at the same time cautions, and raises questions – with answers difficult to reconcile.
Alvin Starkman is a consultant to documentary film production companies. He received his Masters in Social Anthropology in 1978. After teaching for a few years he attended Osgoode Hall Law School, thereafter embarking upon a career as a litigator. Alvin now resides in Oaxaca where he writes, leads personalized tours to the villages, markets, ruins and other sights, and operates Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Br.eakfast ( http://www.oaxacadream.com ), combining the comfort and service of a Oaxaca hotel with the lodging style of a quaint country inn.
10/19/2010
10/18/2010
New Book Points to Evidence of Oaxaca as the Cradle of Mesoamerican Civilization
Oaxaca, Cuna y destino de la Civilización Americana: Book Review
Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B.
Oaxaca, Cuna y destino de la Civilización Americana is an impassioned plea for recognition of ancient Zapotec culture in the state of Oaxaca, south central Mexico, as the cradle of Mesoamerican society. As such, the treatise contends, it constitutes one of the world’s six great founding civilizations.
To buttress his proposition, author Juan Arturo López Ramos cites key evidence which supports the contention that Oaxacan settlement should be credited with developing the continent’s earliest known system of writing, calendar, cultivation, and first great city-state, Monte Albán. He bases his thesis on the fruits of primarily archaeological investigation by national and international researchers.
Background to López Ramos’ Knowledge and Investigation Regarding Oaxaca and its Pre – History
López Ramos was born in the Mixteca district of Oaxaca. He studied in Mexico at the Instituto Politécnico National, and did his graduate work at the Antigua Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, in Madrid, Spain. He then returned to Oaxaca to embark upon a career in politics. As both Secretary of Tourism, and member of congress, he gained exacting knowledge of Oaxaca, having had the opportunity to visit virtually all regions of the state. In addition, as a prominent politician he had occasion to meet with scores of academics working in the state over the course of more than two decades. He would inevitably be kept abreast of research in such diverse areas of inquiry as history, geography, anthropology and archaeology, botany and zoology, and linguistics, to name but a few.
Development of the Thesis of Oaxaca as the Cradle of Mesoamerican Civilization
López Ramos begins his analysis by distinguishing development in Mesoamerica from Old World civilizations, noting that the latter had the advantage of being in relatively close proximity to one another and therefore the ability to adopt or assimilate the cultural progress of their neighbors. By contrast, Mesoamerican civilization developed in isolation and therefore independent of outside influences.
After summarizing how Oaxaca was instrumental in the development of Mesoamerica by virtue of developments in astronomy, engineering, agriculture and social organization, the author sets up Oaxaca as the geographic center of Mesoamerica, noting its climatic, physical and biological diversity, and how as a consequence the state stands apart from other regions in Mexico. He emphasizes the quantity and broad array of vegetation and animal life in the state, and of course its ethnic and cultural diversity. Oaxaca’s unique position, in all of the foregoing respects, was therefore conducive to the development of a grand civilization.
The reader is provided with a review of the evidence of the earliest human occupation in Oaxaca (i.e. the rock shelters and pictographs found between Yagul and Mitla, contributing to the area’s recent UNESCO designation as a World Heritage Site), and the inhabitants’ crucial advancement through the domestication of squash, pepper, beans and corn. Campsites became villages, and through village life developed rudimentary adobe housing, industry (i.e. ceramics) and social structure including the earliest ritualistic behavior and governmental function.
The book truly shines where López Ramos advances his contention by illustrating that it was the Zapotecs and not the Olmecs, and it was in the central valleys of Oaxaca and not in Chiapas, Tehuacán, Teotihuacán, Veracruz or in other areas, where several indicia (aside from cultivation) of a great civilization first arose. Much of the evidence derives from the excavation at San José Mogote in the Etla valley, a settlement pre-dating others.
López Ramos acknowledges that the origins of pottery are in four areas, the oldest sites being San José Mogote and Tehuacán. But by comparing evidence at the two sites, he concludes that it was at San José Mogote where the first ever pottery workshop contained in a village, is encountered. The site also bears witness to the earliest use of consciously selected or tooled stones, and the first public buildings – constructed using deliberate astronomical orientation. The existence of a tombstone at San José Mogote, with the oldest writing in Mesoamerica, sets Oaxaca apart from anything similar found in the Olmec region of Veracruz or elsewhere. He then notes the antiquity of the calendar found at the same site, and that its complexity and accuracy exceed that of calendars of European societies of that era.
Using detailed description, López Ramos asserts the importance of Monte Albán, the first great city-state on the continent. He notes its significant advancements over the course of its extensive occupation, and indeed its grandiosity. He quotes archaeologists Damon E. Peeler and Marcus Winter who conclude that Zapotec astronomy played a major role in the design of Teotihuacán.
The author makes his case in a convincing manner, citing the research results of several academics who have worked in Oaxaca for decades. He does so in a highly informative, convincing, and in most cases readable and understandable fashion even for those of us without maximum proficiency with the Spanish language.
López Ramos Provides the Reader with a New or Renewed Appreciation of Oaxaca
In the course of the power-point presentation promoting his book, López Ramos cites the likes of D.H. Lawrence, Guadalupe Loaeza, Danish architect Jorn Utzon, and others who have marveled at Oaxaca and in some cases noted its influence throughout the modern world – just to ensure that even if you don’t entirely accept his thesis, from reading the book you’ll come away with a new or renewed appreciation of the state, and more particularly its central valleys.
Alvin Starkman has a masters in anthropology and law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto. Now a resident of Oaxaca, Alvin writes, takes couples and families to the sights, is a consultant to documentary film companies working in southern Mexico, and owns Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast (http://www.oaxacadream.com ), a unique bed and breakfast experience providing accommodations which combine the comfort and service of a four star hotel, with the personal touch of quaint country inn style lodging.
Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B.
Oaxaca, Cuna y destino de la Civilización Americana is an impassioned plea for recognition of ancient Zapotec culture in the state of Oaxaca, south central Mexico, as the cradle of Mesoamerican society. As such, the treatise contends, it constitutes one of the world’s six great founding civilizations.
To buttress his proposition, author Juan Arturo López Ramos cites key evidence which supports the contention that Oaxacan settlement should be credited with developing the continent’s earliest known system of writing, calendar, cultivation, and first great city-state, Monte Albán. He bases his thesis on the fruits of primarily archaeological investigation by national and international researchers.
Background to López Ramos’ Knowledge and Investigation Regarding Oaxaca and its Pre – History
López Ramos was born in the Mixteca district of Oaxaca. He studied in Mexico at the Instituto Politécnico National, and did his graduate work at the Antigua Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, in Madrid, Spain. He then returned to Oaxaca to embark upon a career in politics. As both Secretary of Tourism, and member of congress, he gained exacting knowledge of Oaxaca, having had the opportunity to visit virtually all regions of the state. In addition, as a prominent politician he had occasion to meet with scores of academics working in the state over the course of more than two decades. He would inevitably be kept abreast of research in such diverse areas of inquiry as history, geography, anthropology and archaeology, botany and zoology, and linguistics, to name but a few.
Development of the Thesis of Oaxaca as the Cradle of Mesoamerican Civilization
López Ramos begins his analysis by distinguishing development in Mesoamerica from Old World civilizations, noting that the latter had the advantage of being in relatively close proximity to one another and therefore the ability to adopt or assimilate the cultural progress of their neighbors. By contrast, Mesoamerican civilization developed in isolation and therefore independent of outside influences.
After summarizing how Oaxaca was instrumental in the development of Mesoamerica by virtue of developments in astronomy, engineering, agriculture and social organization, the author sets up Oaxaca as the geographic center of Mesoamerica, noting its climatic, physical and biological diversity, and how as a consequence the state stands apart from other regions in Mexico. He emphasizes the quantity and broad array of vegetation and animal life in the state, and of course its ethnic and cultural diversity. Oaxaca’s unique position, in all of the foregoing respects, was therefore conducive to the development of a grand civilization.
The reader is provided with a review of the evidence of the earliest human occupation in Oaxaca (i.e. the rock shelters and pictographs found between Yagul and Mitla, contributing to the area’s recent UNESCO designation as a World Heritage Site), and the inhabitants’ crucial advancement through the domestication of squash, pepper, beans and corn. Campsites became villages, and through village life developed rudimentary adobe housing, industry (i.e. ceramics) and social structure including the earliest ritualistic behavior and governmental function.
The book truly shines where López Ramos advances his contention by illustrating that it was the Zapotecs and not the Olmecs, and it was in the central valleys of Oaxaca and not in Chiapas, Tehuacán, Teotihuacán, Veracruz or in other areas, where several indicia (aside from cultivation) of a great civilization first arose. Much of the evidence derives from the excavation at San José Mogote in the Etla valley, a settlement pre-dating others.
López Ramos acknowledges that the origins of pottery are in four areas, the oldest sites being San José Mogote and Tehuacán. But by comparing evidence at the two sites, he concludes that it was at San José Mogote where the first ever pottery workshop contained in a village, is encountered. The site also bears witness to the earliest use of consciously selected or tooled stones, and the first public buildings – constructed using deliberate astronomical orientation. The existence of a tombstone at San José Mogote, with the oldest writing in Mesoamerica, sets Oaxaca apart from anything similar found in the Olmec region of Veracruz or elsewhere. He then notes the antiquity of the calendar found at the same site, and that its complexity and accuracy exceed that of calendars of European societies of that era.
Using detailed description, López Ramos asserts the importance of Monte Albán, the first great city-state on the continent. He notes its significant advancements over the course of its extensive occupation, and indeed its grandiosity. He quotes archaeologists Damon E. Peeler and Marcus Winter who conclude that Zapotec astronomy played a major role in the design of Teotihuacán.
The author makes his case in a convincing manner, citing the research results of several academics who have worked in Oaxaca for decades. He does so in a highly informative, convincing, and in most cases readable and understandable fashion even for those of us without maximum proficiency with the Spanish language.
López Ramos Provides the Reader with a New or Renewed Appreciation of Oaxaca
In the course of the power-point presentation promoting his book, López Ramos cites the likes of D.H. Lawrence, Guadalupe Loaeza, Danish architect Jorn Utzon, and others who have marveled at Oaxaca and in some cases noted its influence throughout the modern world – just to ensure that even if you don’t entirely accept his thesis, from reading the book you’ll come away with a new or renewed appreciation of the state, and more particularly its central valleys.
Alvin Starkman has a masters in anthropology and law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto. Now a resident of Oaxaca, Alvin writes, takes couples and families to the sights, is a consultant to documentary film companies working in southern Mexico, and owns Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast (http://www.oaxacadream.com ), a unique bed and breakfast experience providing accommodations which combine the comfort and service of a four star hotel, with the personal touch of quaint country inn style lodging.
10/02/2010
Wine Bar in Oaxaca Now Open at La Olla Restaurant
Worth checking out is the wine bar upstairs at La Olla restaurant in downtown Oaxaca:
http://www.suite101.com/content/wine-bar-in-oaxaca-mexico-at-la-olla-restaurant-a292488
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://www.suite101.com/content/wine-bar-in-oaxaca-mexico-at-la-olla-restaurant-a292488
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
10/01/2010
Diet Drinks, Sugar - free Sodas, Available to Tourists to Oaxaca
The following is an article for those visitors to Oaxaca who will want to track down their favorite sugar - free drinks, diet sodas; canned, bottled or in powder form, for both consumption in Oaxaca, and in the case of powdered Nestea, Clight, ZUKO and others, for taking home at the end of the trip because of the rock bottom prices:
http://www.suite101.com/content/diet-drinks-in-oaxaca-mexico-diet-coke-pepsi-light-clight-a290759
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://www.suite101.com/content/diet-drinks-in-oaxaca-mexico-diet-coke-pepsi-light-clight-a290759
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
8/28/2010
Grupo Mexicana Informs
* Grupo Mexicana suspends flights until further notice
* Current management received the company in a state of technical bankruptcy seven days ago after it filed for protection under Mexico’s insolvency laws
* Financial deterioration and lack of agreements force Grupo Mexicana to stop flying
* Grupo Mexicana deeply regrets any inconvenience caused to passengers
Mexico City, August 27, 2010. Nuevo Grupo Aeronáutico, S.A. de C.V. ("Grupo Mexicana") announced this morning that as a result of the group’s delicate financial situation when it changed owners a week ago, compounded by failure to reach agreements that would allow for the capitalization of its three airlines, Mexicana Airlines, MexicanaClick and MexicanaLink flights will suspend operations until further notice as of midday (12:00 p.m.) on Saturday, August 28, 2010.
Among the factors that have contributed to this announcement are:
1. Grupo Mexicana’s fragile financial situation, which has deteriorated further over the last four weeks due to the previous management’s decision to suspend ticket sales, forcing the company to continue operating in the interests of passengers without receiving any revenue.
2. No substantial agreements were reached to give companies in the Group long-term viability.
3. Lack of effectiveness in the insolvency (Concurso Mercantil) process intended to protect additional financial resources available to the company so it could to continue operating.
4. Given the uncertainty of the situation, certain suppliers have begun demanding advanced payment of services that are essential to the airlines’ operations.
Today’s decision is a painful one for the 8,000-strong Grupo Mexicana family, but we will continue seeking out ways of securing the company’s long-term financial viability, so our passengers can once again enjoy the quality services they are accustomed to. We hope to be back in the air soon and would like to thank everyone involved in this process for their support and understanding.
If you have bookings or/and have paid for a Grupo Mexicana flight and have a reservation code, we would like to inform you that:
1. All Mexicana, MexicanaLink and MexicanaClick flights will be suspended until further notice as of midday on Saturday, August 28, 2010. All flights programmed to depart after this hour will be canceled.
2. Grupo Mexicana deeply regrets any inconvenience this decision may cause and will continue to assist passengers to the full extent of its abilities. Passengers who have already flown a leg of their journey and who are scheduled to fly with a Grupo Mexicana airline after Saturday, August 28, 2010 are advised to consult the websites or contact us at the numbers listed below. Priority will be given to minors traveling unaccompanied, passengers traveling with children under age 3 and special needs passengers.
3. If you have not yet begun your journey, we recommend you make alternative travel arrangements.
4. For information on how to apply for a refund, visit mexicanainforms.com (Tickets issued in the United States and Canada; - Tickets issued in Mexico and the Rest of the World), or contact us at any of the numbers listed below:
5448-8634
5998-5998
in Mexico City
01800-837-6150
01800-801-2010
from anywhere in Mexico
1-888-882-9994
1-877-801-2010
from the U.S. or Canada
In other countries please contact the local Mexicana office.
* Current management received the company in a state of technical bankruptcy seven days ago after it filed for protection under Mexico’s insolvency laws
* Financial deterioration and lack of agreements force Grupo Mexicana to stop flying
* Grupo Mexicana deeply regrets any inconvenience caused to passengers
Mexico City, August 27, 2010. Nuevo Grupo Aeronáutico, S.A. de C.V. ("Grupo Mexicana") announced this morning that as a result of the group’s delicate financial situation when it changed owners a week ago, compounded by failure to reach agreements that would allow for the capitalization of its three airlines, Mexicana Airlines, MexicanaClick and MexicanaLink flights will suspend operations until further notice as of midday (12:00 p.m.) on Saturday, August 28, 2010.
Among the factors that have contributed to this announcement are:
1. Grupo Mexicana’s fragile financial situation, which has deteriorated further over the last four weeks due to the previous management’s decision to suspend ticket sales, forcing the company to continue operating in the interests of passengers without receiving any revenue.
2. No substantial agreements were reached to give companies in the Group long-term viability.
3. Lack of effectiveness in the insolvency (Concurso Mercantil) process intended to protect additional financial resources available to the company so it could to continue operating.
4. Given the uncertainty of the situation, certain suppliers have begun demanding advanced payment of services that are essential to the airlines’ operations.
Today’s decision is a painful one for the 8,000-strong Grupo Mexicana family, but we will continue seeking out ways of securing the company’s long-term financial viability, so our passengers can once again enjoy the quality services they are accustomed to. We hope to be back in the air soon and would like to thank everyone involved in this process for their support and understanding.
If you have bookings or/and have paid for a Grupo Mexicana flight and have a reservation code, we would like to inform you that:
1. All Mexicana, MexicanaLink and MexicanaClick flights will be suspended until further notice as of midday on Saturday, August 28, 2010. All flights programmed to depart after this hour will be canceled.
2. Grupo Mexicana deeply regrets any inconvenience this decision may cause and will continue to assist passengers to the full extent of its abilities. Passengers who have already flown a leg of their journey and who are scheduled to fly with a Grupo Mexicana airline after Saturday, August 28, 2010 are advised to consult the websites or contact us at the numbers listed below. Priority will be given to minors traveling unaccompanied, passengers traveling with children under age 3 and special needs passengers.
3. If you have not yet begun your journey, we recommend you make alternative travel arrangements.
4. For information on how to apply for a refund, visit mexicanainforms.com (Tickets issued in the United States and Canada; - Tickets issued in Mexico and the Rest of the World), or contact us at any of the numbers listed below:
5448-8634
5998-5998
in Mexico City
01800-837-6150
01800-801-2010
from anywhere in Mexico
1-888-882-9994
1-877-801-2010
from the U.S. or Canada
In other countries please contact the local Mexicana office.
Mexicana Airlines Cancellations, and Travel Options for Getting to Oaxaca
Here are a couple of options for getting to and from Oaxaca, from Mexico City, in light of the August 28, 2010, announcement of Mexicana Airlines that it is suspending all operations, and cancelling even domestic flights (i.e. Click Mexicana). The options are not exhaustive by any stretch, but may be helpful to some:
http://www.suite101.com/content/mexicana-airlines-cancels-domestic-flights-affects-oaxaca-mexico-a279660
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://www.suite101.com/content/mexicana-airlines-cancels-domestic-flights-affects-oaxaca-mexico-a279660
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
8/26/2010
Tattoos in Oaxaca (Oaxaca Tattoo Fest, August, 2010, and More)
Article about the twelfth annual Oaxaca Tattoo Fest held August 21 & 22, 2010, and the industry as represented in Oaxaca more generally, for those interested in getting a tattoo or some body piercing while visiting the city:
http://www.suite101.com/content/tattoo-fest-in-oaxaca-mexico-piercings-tattoos-tip-of-iceberg-a277869
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://www.suite101.com/content/tattoo-fest-in-oaxaca-mexico-piercings-tattoos-tip-of-iceberg-a277869
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
8/21/2010
Drinks in Oaxaca: Learn the Difference between Wiley Coyote and Chilacayota
Brief glossary of drinks one often encouters in Oaxaca (alcoholic and otherwise), at times unfamiliar to the tourist who is not a regular visitor to the city:
http://www.suite101.com/content/drinks-in-oaxaca-alcoholic-fermented-juice-water-soda--more-a276713
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://www.suite101.com/content/drinks-in-oaxaca-alcoholic-fermented-juice-water-soda--more-a276713
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
8/19/2010
Bars, Cantinas and Clubs in Oaxaca for Travelers in Their Twenties and Thirties
I put together this little article about 12 popular bars, cantinas, clubs, etc, in downtown Oaxaca and in the burbs, for the benefit of those tourists in their twenties and early thirties who are looking for nightlife while visiting (don't worry, my daughter gave me the info, so it's NOT based upon the perspective of someone in his fifties):
http://www.suite101.com/content/twelve-top-bars-in-oaxaca-for-twenty-to-thirty-year-old-tourists-a275463
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://www.suite101.com/content/twelve-top-bars-in-oaxaca-for-twenty-to-thirty-year-old-tourists-a275463
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
8/11/2010
Ten Good Eateries and Restaurants in Oaxaca
For those visiting Oaxaca who have done their homework, this listing of restaurants should come as no surprise, and of course it is by no means meant to be exhaustive. However, there may be a couple of sleepers worth considering:
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/the-ten-best-eateries-comedors-haut-restaurants-in-oaxaca
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/the-ten-best-eateries-comedors-haut-restaurants-in-oaxaca
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
8/08/2010
Prehistoric Caves of Yagul & Mitla Named World Heritage Site by UNESCO
Newsworthy for those contemplating a visit to the City of Oaxaca and its central valleys, is the UNESCO announcement on August 1, 2010, that two pre-Hispanic archaeological complexes and a series of pre-historic caves and rock shelters have been designated a World Heritage Site:
"Some of these shelters provide archaeological and rock-art evidence for the progress of nomadic hunter-gatherers to incipient farmers. Ten thousand year old seeds in one cave ... are considered to be the earliest known evidence of domesticated plants in the continent while corn cob fragments from the same cave are said to be the earliest documented evidence for the domestication of maize."
The rock shelters with pictographs at Xaagá, outside of Mitla, are fairly easily accessible, and from the highway one can easily see the painting on the steep rock facing at the entrance to Yagul.
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
"Some of these shelters provide archaeological and rock-art evidence for the progress of nomadic hunter-gatherers to incipient farmers. Ten thousand year old seeds in one cave ... are considered to be the earliest known evidence of domesticated plants in the continent while corn cob fragments from the same cave are said to be the earliest documented evidence for the domestication of maize."
The rock shelters with pictographs at Xaagá, outside of Mitla, are fairly easily accessible, and from the highway one can easily see the painting on the steep rock facing at the entrance to Yagul.
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
8/07/2010
Hierve el Agua Remains Open
Over the past two or three weeks (July / August 2010), a few travelers to the city have told me that some taxi drivers and tour companies have indicated that "the road to Hierve el Agua is closed" and that accordingly there is no access to the site. That is not the case. The main road to Hierve el Agua via San Lorenzo Albarrada, is closed, but the alternate route up the other side of the mountain, via Xaagá, remains open, albeit not the easiest way to access the attraction.
Some tour buses are going as far as Xaagá, and then having small pick-ups shuttle people to the site, while many private cars, and driver / guide tourist vans are driving all the way up. The ride up that way is not very pleasant for those with weak stomachs, and in particular during or just after heavy rains, but the view going up is spectacular. It's a matter of judgment and interest whether or not to go up while the main road remains closed.
The point is, the site remains open and there is an alternate access route.
For a brief article about the site, go to:
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/hierve_el_agua_oaxaca
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
Some tour buses are going as far as Xaagá, and then having small pick-ups shuttle people to the site, while many private cars, and driver / guide tourist vans are driving all the way up. The ride up that way is not very pleasant for those with weak stomachs, and in particular during or just after heavy rains, but the view going up is spectacular. It's a matter of judgment and interest whether or not to go up while the main road remains closed.
The point is, the site remains open and there is an alternate access route.
For a brief article about the site, go to:
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/hierve_el_agua_oaxaca
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
8/01/2010
Vintage Mustangs, Mezcal and Matatlán, Oaxaca
This article includes information concerning state-of-the-art mezcal production in Matatlán, Oaxaca:
http://liquor.suite101.com/article.cfm/vintage-ford-mustangs-and-mezcal-meet-in-matatln-oaxaca
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://liquor.suite101.com/article.cfm/vintage-ford-mustangs-and-mezcal-meet-in-matatln-oaxaca
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
7/27/2010
After Passing of Don Valente, Doña Rosa Workshop Conintues Black Pottery Tradition in San Bartolo Coyotepec
Here's a follow-up article to the earlier one written in the wake of Don Valente Nieto's sudden passing, confirming that the Doña Rosa black pottery tradition continues:
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/dona-rosa-picking-up-the-pieces--of-barro-negro-black-pottery
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/dona-rosa-picking-up-the-pieces--of-barro-negro-black-pottery
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
7/26/2010
From Oaxaca to Huatulco
Combining the rich Pre-Hispanic and Colonial culture of Oaxaca City with relaxation on some of the best beaches in Mexico could be a formula for the perfect vacation. The question is how to get from Oaxaca to Huatulco, or Huatulco to Oaxaca and is not as difficult as it may seem. If you are coming on either Continental Airlines via Houston or on Mexicana Airlines via Mexico City, it is possible fly into Oaxaca and return from Huatulco (or vice versa). The cost is only a few dollars more and you save a travel day.
To get from Huatulco to Oaxaca there are several options. (Contact information will be provided at the end of this blog.)
• The easiest is the 35 minute commuter flight on Aerotucan. If your time is limited, this is the best option at about $120 USD. There is one flight each way every morning so you have the entire day to enjoy at your destination.
• There is a First Class Bus that goes Via Salina Cruz and takes about 9 hours, including a stop for Lunch. This bus is comfortable and if flying is outside your budget and you are not adventurous this is likely the next best option. There are two departures daily morning and evening. Some people take the night bus thinking they will sleep during the trip and save a day to enjoy at their destination. My experience has been that I arrive exhausted and the day is a loss. Take the day trip and enjoy the scenery.
• The Second Class bus leaves almost every hour and goes via Pochutla, 45 minutes from Huatulco, where you would need to change buses. The route is a about 6 ½ hours from Pochutla. The bus is not bad but the route is windy. I will say more on about this later, under executive van service. Other than the twists and turns, the biggest downside of this is to change buses.
• There are two executive van services directly from Oaxaca to Huatulco which take about 6 ½ hours cost is 150 pesos either way. This service takes a similar route as the second class bus but uses a cut off going via Pluma Hidalgo, avoiding Pochutla altogether. I am going to describe this trip in a moment
• Of course you can rent a car and drive either route. The downside is that you would probably have to drive both ways because the drop off fees is enormous. Furthermore, the need for a car in either Oaxaca or Huatulco is minimal, never mind that parking in Oaxaca is a nightmare. Taxies in both destinations are inexpensive (30-40 pesos or about 2.50-3.00USD per trip, by the hour taxis cost about 120 pesos). If you do drive, either route can be beautiful but the person behind the wheel does not get to see much. You really need both eyes on this road. The southern route, Highway 190, is an easier drive and there is a toll road which eliminates going through Salina Cruz, cutting about an hour off the bus trip.
The Executive Van service from Huatulco to Oaxaca
First off do not be fooled by the term “executive”, this is not a luxury trip. It is the shortest distance between two points and if your expectations of comfort are not too high the trip is excellent value with spectacular scenery. You actually pass through several separate different eco systems:
Leaving the tropical beach climate of Huatulco with palm trees and banana plants you quickly climb into the coffee growing region of Pluma Hidalgo where some of the world’s best shade grown coffee is produced. This is where the road gets pretty rough. Most of this trip is on pavement of varying quality, but there is a cut off onto an unpaved gravel and dirt road for about 20 minutes.
Returning to highway 175 you will begin to see pine trees as you continue to climb into the cloud zone. This trip is more dramatic in the rainy season but even in the dry season the area will be green and possibly misty as you drive though thin clouds. I grew up in western Canada and these are not the pines I am familiar with. Some of the mature pines exceed 20 meters in height but the pine needles are only on the top third of the trunk. These needles are very different from Spruce or Fur trees. They can be up to four inches long and grow in tufts, with new growth at the ends and older growth fanning out beneath, resembling small birds. These trees are unique in appearance and I had made this trip a couple of times before I actually recognized them as pines.
Driving through this region can be treacherous due to both low visibility in the cloud zones and a series of hairpin turns, sometimes you literally have to hang on to your seat. When it is clear the views are breathtaking and there are no guardrails to block your view. This portion of the journey lasts about 3 hours with a short stop for refreshment and a bathroom break. The washrooms are basic “outhouses” hanging over the side of a cliff with a “manual flush toilet”. This means that you fill a bucket from the tap outside and pour it down when you are done. Bring your own paper! The road is dotted with small “comedores” where you can have a quick meal. This will be traditional Oaxacan cuisine, usually with a choice of beef or chicken… if you are really lucky grilled Armadillo may be offered. Being prone to motion sickness I pass on the food when taking this trip, but it is an excellent opportunity to try some real home cooking. Even in summer the air can be nippy up here with the aroma of pine smoke hanging gently in the mist, in the winter it is downright cold.
As you descend into the foothills surrounding Oaxaca City the contrast of burnt red earth against green fields is striking. Trees become smaller with more shrubbery and as you approach the valley of Oaxaca cactus is more prominent. Even in the rainy season the earth is noticeably dryer. In addition to seeing numerous burros along the roadside you are likely to see farmers plowing their fields with pairs of oxen. Common crops are Corn, Nopal, a flat leaf cactus commonly eaten as a vegetable and Agave, for brewing mezcal. The road widens once you reach the valley and is mercifully almost straight for the last hour of the journey.
This trip is not for everyone but if you decide to take it there are some tips that will make the journey easier. The front passenger seat is seat # 1, this is the best one in the van. The next best is the row right behind the driver. You do not want to be riding in the back seat nor do you want to be in the middle seat beside the driver. Most vans have bucket seats but it is worth asking before you book. Sliding around on a bench seat with three other passengers gets tired quickly on the switchbacks. You can book your seat in advance but is rarely necessary to book more than a day ahead. There are several departures daily so, with some flexibility, it is usually possible to get one of the more desired seats. I would advise against leaving later than 2:30 PM to avoid being on the road after dark. Some vans are in better shape than others but don’t expect the shocks to be in good shape. Consider the trip an “adventure” and enjoy the ride.
Contact information:
Mexicana Airlines: www.mexicana.com
Continental Airlines: www.continental.com
To book to Huatulco and from Oaxaca (or vise versa) it may be necessary to book 2 one way fares, or click on multiple destinations.
Note: With the exception of Christmas, Day of the Dead or Easter, you should be able to book fares on any of the following a day or two before your departure.
Aerotucan: Phone Huatulco (958) 587 2427
Phone Oaxaca (951) 502 0840
First Class Bus: Phone toll free in Mexico 01 800 702 8000
Phone toll free outside Mexico 011 800 950 0278
www.uno.com.mx there is a morning bus but it does not show up on the booking site, I called and it does exist.
Second Class Bus: no Reservations, just show up.
Executive Vans Huatulco 2000: Phone Oaxaca (951) 516 3154
Phone Huatulco (958) 587 2910
Executive Vans Cacaluta Unidos: Phone Oaxaca (951) 516 8529
Phone Huatulco (958) 584 7339
Credits to: Brooke Gazer from Villa Agua Azul
To get from Huatulco to Oaxaca there are several options. (Contact information will be provided at the end of this blog.)
• The easiest is the 35 minute commuter flight on Aerotucan. If your time is limited, this is the best option at about $120 USD. There is one flight each way every morning so you have the entire day to enjoy at your destination.
• There is a First Class Bus that goes Via Salina Cruz and takes about 9 hours, including a stop for Lunch. This bus is comfortable and if flying is outside your budget and you are not adventurous this is likely the next best option. There are two departures daily morning and evening. Some people take the night bus thinking they will sleep during the trip and save a day to enjoy at their destination. My experience has been that I arrive exhausted and the day is a loss. Take the day trip and enjoy the scenery.
• The Second Class bus leaves almost every hour and goes via Pochutla, 45 minutes from Huatulco, where you would need to change buses. The route is a about 6 ½ hours from Pochutla. The bus is not bad but the route is windy. I will say more on about this later, under executive van service. Other than the twists and turns, the biggest downside of this is to change buses.
• There are two executive van services directly from Oaxaca to Huatulco which take about 6 ½ hours cost is 150 pesos either way. This service takes a similar route as the second class bus but uses a cut off going via Pluma Hidalgo, avoiding Pochutla altogether. I am going to describe this trip in a moment
• Of course you can rent a car and drive either route. The downside is that you would probably have to drive both ways because the drop off fees is enormous. Furthermore, the need for a car in either Oaxaca or Huatulco is minimal, never mind that parking in Oaxaca is a nightmare. Taxies in both destinations are inexpensive (30-40 pesos or about 2.50-3.00USD per trip, by the hour taxis cost about 120 pesos). If you do drive, either route can be beautiful but the person behind the wheel does not get to see much. You really need both eyes on this road. The southern route, Highway 190, is an easier drive and there is a toll road which eliminates going through Salina Cruz, cutting about an hour off the bus trip.
The Executive Van service from Huatulco to Oaxaca
First off do not be fooled by the term “executive”, this is not a luxury trip. It is the shortest distance between two points and if your expectations of comfort are not too high the trip is excellent value with spectacular scenery. You actually pass through several separate different eco systems:
Leaving the tropical beach climate of Huatulco with palm trees and banana plants you quickly climb into the coffee growing region of Pluma Hidalgo where some of the world’s best shade grown coffee is produced. This is where the road gets pretty rough. Most of this trip is on pavement of varying quality, but there is a cut off onto an unpaved gravel and dirt road for about 20 minutes.
Returning to highway 175 you will begin to see pine trees as you continue to climb into the cloud zone. This trip is more dramatic in the rainy season but even in the dry season the area will be green and possibly misty as you drive though thin clouds. I grew up in western Canada and these are not the pines I am familiar with. Some of the mature pines exceed 20 meters in height but the pine needles are only on the top third of the trunk. These needles are very different from Spruce or Fur trees. They can be up to four inches long and grow in tufts, with new growth at the ends and older growth fanning out beneath, resembling small birds. These trees are unique in appearance and I had made this trip a couple of times before I actually recognized them as pines.
Driving through this region can be treacherous due to both low visibility in the cloud zones and a series of hairpin turns, sometimes you literally have to hang on to your seat. When it is clear the views are breathtaking and there are no guardrails to block your view. This portion of the journey lasts about 3 hours with a short stop for refreshment and a bathroom break. The washrooms are basic “outhouses” hanging over the side of a cliff with a “manual flush toilet”. This means that you fill a bucket from the tap outside and pour it down when you are done. Bring your own paper! The road is dotted with small “comedores” where you can have a quick meal. This will be traditional Oaxacan cuisine, usually with a choice of beef or chicken… if you are really lucky grilled Armadillo may be offered. Being prone to motion sickness I pass on the food when taking this trip, but it is an excellent opportunity to try some real home cooking. Even in summer the air can be nippy up here with the aroma of pine smoke hanging gently in the mist, in the winter it is downright cold.
As you descend into the foothills surrounding Oaxaca City the contrast of burnt red earth against green fields is striking. Trees become smaller with more shrubbery and as you approach the valley of Oaxaca cactus is more prominent. Even in the rainy season the earth is noticeably dryer. In addition to seeing numerous burros along the roadside you are likely to see farmers plowing their fields with pairs of oxen. Common crops are Corn, Nopal, a flat leaf cactus commonly eaten as a vegetable and Agave, for brewing mezcal. The road widens once you reach the valley and is mercifully almost straight for the last hour of the journey.
This trip is not for everyone but if you decide to take it there are some tips that will make the journey easier. The front passenger seat is seat # 1, this is the best one in the van. The next best is the row right behind the driver. You do not want to be riding in the back seat nor do you want to be in the middle seat beside the driver. Most vans have bucket seats but it is worth asking before you book. Sliding around on a bench seat with three other passengers gets tired quickly on the switchbacks. You can book your seat in advance but is rarely necessary to book more than a day ahead. There are several departures daily so, with some flexibility, it is usually possible to get one of the more desired seats. I would advise against leaving later than 2:30 PM to avoid being on the road after dark. Some vans are in better shape than others but don’t expect the shocks to be in good shape. Consider the trip an “adventure” and enjoy the ride.
Contact information:
Mexicana Airlines: www.mexicana.com
Continental Airlines: www.continental.com
To book to Huatulco and from Oaxaca (or vise versa) it may be necessary to book 2 one way fares, or click on multiple destinations.
Note: With the exception of Christmas, Day of the Dead or Easter, you should be able to book fares on any of the following a day or two before your departure.
Aerotucan: Phone Huatulco (958) 587 2427
Phone Oaxaca (951) 502 0840
First Class Bus: Phone toll free in Mexico 01 800 702 8000
Phone toll free outside Mexico 011 800 950 0278
www.uno.com.mx there is a morning bus but it does not show up on the booking site, I called and it does exist.
Second Class Bus: no Reservations, just show up.
Executive Vans Huatulco 2000: Phone Oaxaca (951) 516 3154
Phone Huatulco (958) 587 2910
Executive Vans Cacaluta Unidos: Phone Oaxaca (951) 516 8529
Phone Huatulco (958) 584 7339
Credits to: Brooke Gazer from Villa Agua Azul
7/23/2010
Fresh, Updated Restaurant Review of Azucena Zapoteca in San Martín Tilcajete
Go to the following link for a restaurant review of Azucena Zapoteca, located just off the highway at the entrance to the alebrije village of San Martín Tilcajete. The eatery features some traditional Oaxacan dishes, and some unique, delectable creations.
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/oaxaca-restaurant-in-san-martin-tilcajete-stands-test-of-time
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/oaxaca-restaurant-in-san-martin-tilcajete-stands-test-of-time
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
7/17/2010
Oaxaca Recipe for Chile en Nogada Steals Limelight from Puebla
Below is a link to a recipe for Chiles en Nogada developed here in Oaxaca, with brief commenary regarding the history of the dish dating to Puebla in the 1800s, and some apparent inconsistencies regarding ingredients and their availability, seasonality, and so on:
http://celebritychefs.suite101.com/article.cfm/oaxaca-recipe-for-chiles-en-nogada-steals-limelight-from-puebla
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://celebritychefs.suite101.com/article.cfm/oaxaca-recipe-for-chiles-en-nogada-steals-limelight-from-puebla
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
7/16/2010
Rugs in Teotitlán del Valle: New, Yet Vintage Tapetes May Be an Economical Option for Some
It recently occurred to me that there are some rug weavers in Teotitlán del Valle, with stock on hand from years gone by. This creates a potential "buying opportunity" for visitors to the town who are not necessarily looking for the most intricate of design or tightest of weave, or a rainbow of colors. The link explains all:
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/buying-bargain-tapetes-in-teotitln-de-valle-oaxaca
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/buying-bargain-tapetes-in-teotitln-de-valle-oaxaca
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
7/07/2010
Tourism to Oaxaca Given a Boost with Election of Gabino Cué as Governor
While some may not be as optomistic, here's an opinion regarding the implications of the recent election of Gabino Cué as Oaxaca Governor:
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/hope-arrives-as-oaxaca-elects-gabino-cue-governor-with-coalition
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/hope-arrives-as-oaxaca-elects-gabino-cue-governor-with-coalition
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
6/26/2010
Driving Trip from Oaxaca to Huatusco, Veracruz, to the Bambuver Bamboo Groves is Interesting and Educational
For those interested in the environment, ecology and sustainable living, or simply buying bamboo for home or garden, if you have a couple of days and a car, consider a trip from Oaxaca to Huatusco, to the Bambuver, A.C., bamboo facilities:
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/oaxaca-to-huatusco-veracruz-drive-sustainable-bamboo-trip
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/oaxaca-to-huatusco-veracruz-drive-sustainable-bamboo-trip
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
Death of Don Valente Nieto, of Black Pottery Fame, Spells End of An Era
The legacy left by Doña Rose and husband Don Juventino was carried forward prodominently by their son, Don Valente. While his recent death signals the end of an era, his children and their children will continue the tradition of making barro negro, black pottery, in San Bartolo Coyotepec, Oaxaca. Don Valente is remembered here:
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/remembering-don-valente-famed-alfarero-of-san-bartolo-coyotepec
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/remembering-don-valente-famed-alfarero-of-san-bartolo-coyotepec
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
6/24/2010
Alice's Restaurant at Hierve el Agua, Oaxaca: Review and Commentary re ongoing access problems re the site
This review of Alice's Restaurant at Hierve el Agua (San Isidro Roaguía) includes commentaries regarding the ongoing issue of access to Hierve el Agua. In fact, right now (June, 2010) access is restricted to the circuitous mountain route, the folks at San Lorenzo Albarradas having blockaded passage using the better road. But as the brief essay indicates, it's worth the little bit of extra effort to get there ... to visit Alice's, or otherwise:
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/alices-restaurant-oaxaca-hierve-el-agua--arlo-guthrie-tribute
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/alices-restaurant-oaxaca-hierve-el-agua--arlo-guthrie-tribute
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
6/21/2010
Wine and Cheese Tour and Tastings, from Oaxaca to Querétaro for a Weekend
There are quality wines being produced in the State of Querétaro, now accessible by car from Oaxaca in under 7 hours, and perfect for a two or three day weekend drive from the City of Oaxaca. Consider combining your extended Oaxaca vacation with a trek into wine country, for wine and cheese tastings (much more than queso and quesillo are being produced in Querétaro, and more variety than you'll encounter locally at Sam's Club here in Oaxaca - goat, sheep, soft, hard, herbed):
http://latinamericatravel.suite101.com/article.cfm/oaxaca-drive-to-wineries-wine--cheese-tastings-in-queretaro
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://latinamericatravel.suite101.com/article.cfm/oaxaca-drive-to-wineries-wine--cheese-tastings-in-queretaro
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
Driving from Oaxaca to San Miguel de Allende, Avoids Mexico City
Article about the drive from Oaxaca to San Miguel de Allende, avoiding the Mexico City area by using the new Arco Norte toll road. It now takes only about seven hours, "door to door." Article is reproduced here:
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/easy-drive-san-miguel-de-allende-to-oaxaca-avoids-mexico-city
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/easy-drive-san-miguel-de-allende-to-oaxaca-avoids-mexico-city
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
6/08/2010
New Series for Prospective Ex-pat Retirees in Oaxaca
Below are the links to the first four installments of a new series regarding activities for those prospective Oaxaca retirees currently examining various potential warm weather destinations, in Mexico and elsewhere:
1) Art and Fine Arts as Hobbies for Oaxacan Ex-pats:
http://seniors-health-medicare.suite101.com/article.cfm/oaxaca-ex-pat-retirement-activities-1st-in-a-series-fine-art
2) Sports in Oaxaca, as Spectator and as Participant:
http://seniors-health-medicare.suite101.com/article.cfm/sports-in-oaxaca-2nd-in-a-series-of-ex-pat-retirement-activities
3) Group Activities in English, for the Linguistically Impaired:
http://seniors-health-medicare.suite101.com/article.cfm/group-activities-in-english-for-oaxaca-retirees-3rd-in-a-series
4) Four Viable Options for the Ex-pat Retiree in Oaxaca Contemplating Learning Spanish:
http://developing-personal-interests.suite101.com/article.cfm/oaxaca-spanish-classes---4th-in-a-series-of-ex-pat-activities
1) Art and Fine Arts as Hobbies for Oaxacan Ex-pats:
http://seniors-health-medicare.suite101.com/article.cfm/oaxaca-ex-pat-retirement-activities-1st-in-a-series-fine-art
2) Sports in Oaxaca, as Spectator and as Participant:
http://seniors-health-medicare.suite101.com/article.cfm/sports-in-oaxaca-2nd-in-a-series-of-ex-pat-retirement-activities
3) Group Activities in English, for the Linguistically Impaired:
http://seniors-health-medicare.suite101.com/article.cfm/group-activities-in-english-for-oaxaca-retirees-3rd-in-a-series
4) Four Viable Options for the Ex-pat Retiree in Oaxaca Contemplating Learning Spanish:
http://developing-personal-interests.suite101.com/article.cfm/oaxaca-spanish-classes---4th-in-a-series-of-ex-pat-activities
6/04/2010
Deliveries by Scooter and Motorcycle in Oaxaca, A Lighthearted Look with Commentary
Go to this link for a lighthearted yet informative article about the use of motorcycles, scooters and even dirt bikes for effecting all mannner of delivery in Oaxaca:
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/deliveries-by-scooter-and-motorcycle-in-oaxaca-mexico
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/deliveries-by-scooter-and-motorcycle-in-oaxaca-mexico
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
6/02/2010
Market at San Bartolomé Quialana, Tlacolula on Tuesdays
The tiny tinaguis on Tuesdays at San Bartolomé Quialana, Tlacolula, won't be for many, but for some, with time available, and adventure in the blood, it might be worth a morning - but don't arrive before about 11 am:
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/the-tuesday-san-bartolome-quialana-market-tlacolula-oaxaca
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/the-tuesday-san-bartolome-quialana-market-tlacolula-oaxaca
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
5/31/2010
Searching for Antiques in Oaxaca
This article provides Canadian and American avid antique collectors and dealers with an option, enabling them to combine a vacation to Oaxaca, with opportunities to search for antiques and collectibles in two large open-air antiques markeplaces:
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/lack-of-antiques-in-oaxaca-does-not-spell-drought-for-collectors
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/lack-of-antiques-in-oaxaca-does-not-spell-drought-for-collectors
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
5/26/2010
Traditional Oaxacan Recipe for Chiles Rellenos con Picadillo de Puerco
Here's a link to a traditional recipe for chiles rellenos with picadillo, from a Oaxacan chef, plus a bit of commentary about ingredients for the recipe:
http://mexican-food.suite101.com/article.cfm/mexican-chile-relleno-with-picadillo-recipe--stuffed-pepper-plus
It's been a number of years since I've had chiles rellenos using this recipe, but my recollection is that they were quite good! In fact, I recall about a dozen years ago taking a batch of them to Toronto and putting them in the freezer, defrosting a couple whenever I felt the need for a bit of authentic Oaxacan food between visits to Oaxaca.
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://mexican-food.suite101.com/article.cfm/mexican-chile-relleno-with-picadillo-recipe--stuffed-pepper-plus
It's been a number of years since I've had chiles rellenos using this recipe, but my recollection is that they were quite good! In fact, I recall about a dozen years ago taking a batch of them to Toronto and putting them in the freezer, defrosting a couple whenever I felt the need for a bit of authentic Oaxacan food between visits to Oaxaca.
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
5/24/2010
Oaxaca Wins Tripadvisor 2010 Travelers' Choice Award, Ranks High in Two Other Categories
The City of Oaxaca won a Tripadvisor 2010 Travelers' Choice Award for Culture and Sightseeing Destinations, while Huatulco ranked 6th in the world for Beach and Sun Destinations. Details and related commentaries are found here:
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/oaxaca-wins-tripadvisor-award-for-culture-and-sightseeing--more
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/oaxaca-wins-tripadvisor-award-for-culture-and-sightseeing--more
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
New Regulations Change Ability to Exchange US Dollars into Pesos in Oaxaca
In May, 2010, banks in the City of Oaxaca began applying a new federal dictate which impacts the ability of travelers to Oaxaca to exchange their US dollars for pesos, although there are always the casas de cambio (exchange houses), credit cards, and of course an abundance of ATMs in and around the city - so do not despair. Read the further details:
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/new-impacts--on-travelers-to-oaxaca-exchanging-dollars-for-pesos
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/new-impacts--on-travelers-to-oaxaca-exchanging-dollars-for-pesos
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
5/21/2010
Review of Moroccan Restaurant in Oaxaca
Follow this link for a review of a new for 2010, Moroccan restaurant in downtown Oaxaca, review entitled Moroccan Restaurant in Oaxaca Features Fine North African Fare:
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/morrocan-restaurant-in-oaxaca-features-fine-north-african-fare
Not noted in the restaurant review are the extremely reasonable prices. In May, 2010, two couples dined for a grand total of 507 pesos plus tip, consisting of three appetizers, four main courses, a coke, two small bottles of wine and a beer. Not bad!
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/morrocan-restaurant-in-oaxaca-features-fine-north-african-fare
Not noted in the restaurant review are the extremely reasonable prices. In May, 2010, two couples dined for a grand total of 507 pesos plus tip, consisting of three appetizers, four main courses, a coke, two small bottles of wine and a beer. Not bad!
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
5/20/2010
Children's Cooking Classes Arrive at Casa de los Sabores, Oaxaca
Alvin Starkman M.A., LL.B.
What better way to begin offering children’s cooking classes than with pizza and mango smoothies. The inaugural children’s cooking lesson at Chef Pilar Cabrera’s Casa de los Sabores, imparted the basics of kitchen safety and hygiene, composting and recycling, and nutrition, all within a three-hour session. And at the same time, lead instructor Ninfa Raigosa infused the morning with helpful food preparation tips that even as adults we don’t always learn early enough in our culinary lives. But best of all, it took place within the context of preparing recipes which are fun for children to make --- with the dreaded green salad snuck in at the end.
Genesis for Offering Children’s Cooking Lessons in Oaxaca
The idea of offering cooking lessons for young boys and girls came to fruition as a result of two phenomena. Firstly, often in the course of fielding inquiries for cooking classes from tourists visiting Oaxaca with their families, Chef Pilar would be asked whether or not children could attend. Of course age has always been a factor, but often requests have had to be rejected so as to ensure that classes proceeded in an orderly fashion without undue disruption, for the benefit of the mainly adult aficionados of Oaxacan cuisine.
Secondly, many Oaxacans are at a loss for what to do with their children once school is out for summer vacation. While certainly activities abound in Oaxaca, relative to what’s available in larger urban centers, they’re limited. Why not offer a two-week cooking course in July?
And so this initial class held on May 1, 2010, was intended as a precursor to initially a summertime cooking course, and then classes during other holiday times throughout the year. For tourists traveling with children, timing should be perfect. And for multiple families traveling together at any time of the year, this could be just what the pediatrician ordered.
Of course Pilar Cabrera’s reputation as a national figure on the Mexican culinary scene has long been established through her “House of Flavors” cooking school and downtown Oaxaca restaurant La Olla, and more recently through her forays onto the international stage (food festivals in Toronto and San Antonio, with upcoming dates in Austin and Stratford). She hand-picked Ninfa Cecilia Raigosa Paras to head up this new initiative for two reasons. Firstly, Chef Ninfa arrives with a diversity of experience, including educational training (at the Rocatti Centro de Estudios Culinarios), in catering and banquets, at various restaurants, and in specialty bakeries (i.e. Deli Cupcakes and Dulce Nectar). Secondly, and perhaps key, is Chef’s Ninfa’s uncanny ability to relate to children using her amiable personality and warm smile – and just like Pilar, she’s bilingual.
The bonus for American and Canadian children is that with a mixed class of Mexican and foreign visitors, and bilingual instruction, the kids are bound to learn some basic kitchen and ingredient words in Spanish, if not through direct teaching, then certainly through osmosis.
The May 1, 2010, Cooking Class for Children at Casa de los Sabores, Oaxaca
Chefs Pilar and Ninfa were both at the helm of this frist class, attended by ten children of varying ages. Most parents remained on site at the outset, to take photographs and to obtain first-hand assurance that their children would be comfortable in a class of predominantly unfamiliar faces.
In this type of learning environment the ice must initially be broken. Here it was achieved by asking each child’s name and promoting interaction between the children themselves, and with Ninfa and Pilar. The ingredients for each recipe were contained in a separate large, round colorful basket. “Who knows why we use yeast?” And then to reassure parents, “when we cut these mangos to make the smoothies, we won’t be using sharp knives; but you should always be extra careful when using knives, and never, ever raise a knife to head level. Can someone tell me why?”
Recipe sheets are distributed. Chef Ninfa goes through each recipe, pointing to the ingredients in each basket and briefly explaining how they will be used.
For the pizza dough segment, the group is divided into two teams, one learning to make the dough from scratch, and the other about kneading and rolling: “Always mix the dry ingredients first, and use your hands.” And for the benefit of those who had grown up watching their abuelitas making tortillas: “Making pizza dough is similar to making tortillas; if it starts to stick, use more flour.” Hands-on classes tend to work best, especially so for children.
“Okay, anyone want a cookie?” Three times in the course of the lesson, short breaks are encouraged so as to not overload information intake nor run the risk of boredom setting in. “There are plastic bottles of water over here, and a couple of marking pens so each of you can write your name so they don’t get mixed up.”
The children are given a choice of making large or medium crusts, by shaping the dough themselves, or choosing from the several small forms which are provided; hearts, mushrooms, trees, and squares, triangles, circles. The sauce has been pre-mixed, but the children are encouraged to choose their toppings from selections of veggies, sliced meats, and even fresh basil. “Did you know that a mushroom is actually a fungus?”
“Now let’s all wash our hands again. But let’s not forget to first clean off our work areas well, and put the organic waste in this bin, and the rest over there. Does your neighborhood have recycling programs?”
“Attention everybody please; now while the pizza is in the oven we’re going to make the mango smoothies. I’m going to teach you how to peel your mangos, safely, by carefully cutting four strips through the skin ... just like peeling a banana.” The children are encouraged to use every bit of pulp, right down to the pit.
“Here’s the bowl with the mango cut up, and now we’re going to add some pineapple, some orange juice, a bit of yoghurt .... and who knows about linseed and why we add little bit to the blender as well?” A brief discussion ensures about omegas and energy.
Smoothies are prepared and poured into plastic cups accompanied by straws and small decorative drink umbrellas. “Taste how sweet it is; and you know, we didn’t put in any sugar. You can make your own smoothies using other kinds of fruit as well, such as watermelon and cantaloupe, and they’ll taste just as fresh, flavorful and sweet, without any added sugar. By the way, there’s a bowl of strawberries over there if anyone wants a little snack.”
The children are then asked to review their printed recipes for the salad. Some had actually put check marks beside the pizza and smoothie ingredients as they were being used. A lesson ensues about the different types of lettuce, its general lack of taste, and hence the reason for using dressing: “We always use oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, and today we’re using balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Has everyone tried this kind of vinegar? Okay then, we’ll each try a bit. It’ll be a bit sweet.”
“Is it soya sauce,” someone asks. “It’s delicious,” another pipes in, while a third emphatically states he doesn’t like it.
“Vinegar and oil have to be mixed together really well. See the oil at the top; now watch.”
Plates are passed out, and each child is encouraged to create his own salad by adding pre-cut vegetables and grated cheese to the organic lettuce. The printed salad recipe sheet concludes with: “Taste, check the seasoning, and serve immediately.”
The pizzas then are removed from the oven and allowed to cool; each child is encouraged to take what he made, as well as to sample from the larger pizzas. The group sits around the large rectangular table, indulging in the fruits of their labor, while chatting and joking with their new-found friends.
Children’s Cooking Classes in Oaxaca Provide Exposure to International Dishes
The summer, 2010, two week course will present participants with an opportunity to learn to prepare menus from different parts of the world, each day represented by the cuisine of a different country. Subsequent series of classes will likely follow suit. Groups interested in single lessons will be able to choose from a selection of international menus, but there will inevitably be restrictions in terms of dishes requiring stove-top preparation, out of an abundance of caution. According to Chef Pilar, “children’s safety must remain the foremost consideration.”
Alvin Starkman has a masters in anthropology and law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School. Now a resident of Oaxaca, Alvin writes, takes tours to the sights, is a consultant to documentary film companies, and owns Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast (http://www.oaxacadream.com ), a unique Oaxaca bed and breakfast experience, providing Oaxaca accommodations which combine the comfort and service of Oaxaca hotels with the personal touch of quaint country inn style lodging.
What better way to begin offering children’s cooking classes than with pizza and mango smoothies. The inaugural children’s cooking lesson at Chef Pilar Cabrera’s Casa de los Sabores, imparted the basics of kitchen safety and hygiene, composting and recycling, and nutrition, all within a three-hour session. And at the same time, lead instructor Ninfa Raigosa infused the morning with helpful food preparation tips that even as adults we don’t always learn early enough in our culinary lives. But best of all, it took place within the context of preparing recipes which are fun for children to make --- with the dreaded green salad snuck in at the end.
Genesis for Offering Children’s Cooking Lessons in Oaxaca
The idea of offering cooking lessons for young boys and girls came to fruition as a result of two phenomena. Firstly, often in the course of fielding inquiries for cooking classes from tourists visiting Oaxaca with their families, Chef Pilar would be asked whether or not children could attend. Of course age has always been a factor, but often requests have had to be rejected so as to ensure that classes proceeded in an orderly fashion without undue disruption, for the benefit of the mainly adult aficionados of Oaxacan cuisine.
Secondly, many Oaxacans are at a loss for what to do with their children once school is out for summer vacation. While certainly activities abound in Oaxaca, relative to what’s available in larger urban centers, they’re limited. Why not offer a two-week cooking course in July?
And so this initial class held on May 1, 2010, was intended as a precursor to initially a summertime cooking course, and then classes during other holiday times throughout the year. For tourists traveling with children, timing should be perfect. And for multiple families traveling together at any time of the year, this could be just what the pediatrician ordered.
Of course Pilar Cabrera’s reputation as a national figure on the Mexican culinary scene has long been established through her “House of Flavors” cooking school and downtown Oaxaca restaurant La Olla, and more recently through her forays onto the international stage (food festivals in Toronto and San Antonio, with upcoming dates in Austin and Stratford). She hand-picked Ninfa Cecilia Raigosa Paras to head up this new initiative for two reasons. Firstly, Chef Ninfa arrives with a diversity of experience, including educational training (at the Rocatti Centro de Estudios Culinarios), in catering and banquets, at various restaurants, and in specialty bakeries (i.e. Deli Cupcakes and Dulce Nectar). Secondly, and perhaps key, is Chef’s Ninfa’s uncanny ability to relate to children using her amiable personality and warm smile – and just like Pilar, she’s bilingual.
The bonus for American and Canadian children is that with a mixed class of Mexican and foreign visitors, and bilingual instruction, the kids are bound to learn some basic kitchen and ingredient words in Spanish, if not through direct teaching, then certainly through osmosis.
The May 1, 2010, Cooking Class for Children at Casa de los Sabores, Oaxaca
Chefs Pilar and Ninfa were both at the helm of this frist class, attended by ten children of varying ages. Most parents remained on site at the outset, to take photographs and to obtain first-hand assurance that their children would be comfortable in a class of predominantly unfamiliar faces.
In this type of learning environment the ice must initially be broken. Here it was achieved by asking each child’s name and promoting interaction between the children themselves, and with Ninfa and Pilar. The ingredients for each recipe were contained in a separate large, round colorful basket. “Who knows why we use yeast?” And then to reassure parents, “when we cut these mangos to make the smoothies, we won’t be using sharp knives; but you should always be extra careful when using knives, and never, ever raise a knife to head level. Can someone tell me why?”
Recipe sheets are distributed. Chef Ninfa goes through each recipe, pointing to the ingredients in each basket and briefly explaining how they will be used.
For the pizza dough segment, the group is divided into two teams, one learning to make the dough from scratch, and the other about kneading and rolling: “Always mix the dry ingredients first, and use your hands.” And for the benefit of those who had grown up watching their abuelitas making tortillas: “Making pizza dough is similar to making tortillas; if it starts to stick, use more flour.” Hands-on classes tend to work best, especially so for children.
“Okay, anyone want a cookie?” Three times in the course of the lesson, short breaks are encouraged so as to not overload information intake nor run the risk of boredom setting in. “There are plastic bottles of water over here, and a couple of marking pens so each of you can write your name so they don’t get mixed up.”
The children are given a choice of making large or medium crusts, by shaping the dough themselves, or choosing from the several small forms which are provided; hearts, mushrooms, trees, and squares, triangles, circles. The sauce has been pre-mixed, but the children are encouraged to choose their toppings from selections of veggies, sliced meats, and even fresh basil. “Did you know that a mushroom is actually a fungus?”
“Now let’s all wash our hands again. But let’s not forget to first clean off our work areas well, and put the organic waste in this bin, and the rest over there. Does your neighborhood have recycling programs?”
“Attention everybody please; now while the pizza is in the oven we’re going to make the mango smoothies. I’m going to teach you how to peel your mangos, safely, by carefully cutting four strips through the skin ... just like peeling a banana.” The children are encouraged to use every bit of pulp, right down to the pit.
“Here’s the bowl with the mango cut up, and now we’re going to add some pineapple, some orange juice, a bit of yoghurt .... and who knows about linseed and why we add little bit to the blender as well?” A brief discussion ensures about omegas and energy.
Smoothies are prepared and poured into plastic cups accompanied by straws and small decorative drink umbrellas. “Taste how sweet it is; and you know, we didn’t put in any sugar. You can make your own smoothies using other kinds of fruit as well, such as watermelon and cantaloupe, and they’ll taste just as fresh, flavorful and sweet, without any added sugar. By the way, there’s a bowl of strawberries over there if anyone wants a little snack.”
The children are then asked to review their printed recipes for the salad. Some had actually put check marks beside the pizza and smoothie ingredients as they were being used. A lesson ensues about the different types of lettuce, its general lack of taste, and hence the reason for using dressing: “We always use oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, and today we’re using balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Has everyone tried this kind of vinegar? Okay then, we’ll each try a bit. It’ll be a bit sweet.”
“Is it soya sauce,” someone asks. “It’s delicious,” another pipes in, while a third emphatically states he doesn’t like it.
“Vinegar and oil have to be mixed together really well. See the oil at the top; now watch.”
Plates are passed out, and each child is encouraged to create his own salad by adding pre-cut vegetables and grated cheese to the organic lettuce. The printed salad recipe sheet concludes with: “Taste, check the seasoning, and serve immediately.”
The pizzas then are removed from the oven and allowed to cool; each child is encouraged to take what he made, as well as to sample from the larger pizzas. The group sits around the large rectangular table, indulging in the fruits of their labor, while chatting and joking with their new-found friends.
Children’s Cooking Classes in Oaxaca Provide Exposure to International Dishes
The summer, 2010, two week course will present participants with an opportunity to learn to prepare menus from different parts of the world, each day represented by the cuisine of a different country. Subsequent series of classes will likely follow suit. Groups interested in single lessons will be able to choose from a selection of international menus, but there will inevitably be restrictions in terms of dishes requiring stove-top preparation, out of an abundance of caution. According to Chef Pilar, “children’s safety must remain the foremost consideration.”
Alvin Starkman has a masters in anthropology and law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School. Now a resident of Oaxaca, Alvin writes, takes tours to the sights, is a consultant to documentary film companies, and owns Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast (http://www.oaxacadream.com ), a unique Oaxaca bed and breakfast experience, providing Oaxaca accommodations which combine the comfort and service of Oaxaca hotels with the personal touch of quaint country inn style lodging.
5/18/2010
Oaxaca Restaurant, Cantina & Bar Gets a Facelift with Expansion
Oaxaca fixture in suburban Colonia Reforma, El Faro (a short, easy walk from downtown Oaxaca), a stalwart cantina, bar and restaurant for strictly local botana fare, recently expanded, celebrating with a traditional Oaxacan inaugural bash:
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/oaxaca-restaurant-bar-el-faro-gets-facelift-ritual-inauguration
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/oaxaca-restaurant-bar-el-faro-gets-facelift-ritual-inauguration
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
5/14/2010
Oaxaca Culinary Tour Success Suggests More Gastronomic Opportunities for Visitors to Southern Mexico
Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B.
The accolades tell it all: “I had a terrific and very inspiring time in Oaxaca. Your knowledge of the culture and region introduced us to so many interesting people, all willing to share their passion, whether it was for pottery, wood carving, frothy chocolate, the best moles or natural dyes” [Elizabeth Baird].
Elizabeth Baird, one of the foremost Canadian culinary icons of our time, was a participant in the May, 2010, Oaxaca Culinary Tour. So was prolific cookbook author and columnist Rose Murray, who endorsed a copy of her seminal work, A Taste of Canada, A Culinary Journey, with similar praise: “Thank you for sharing your vast knowledge of Oaxaca with us. We know it through your eyes.”
If the foregoing is any indication of the success of this most recent tour, then the thought of what’s in store for participants in future, similarly organized Oaxaca culinary events, should titillate anyone interested in Mexican gastronomy – chefs and foodies alike.
While numbers were small (May is when most Americans and Canadians are content to stay close to home, stow their winter attire, and begin gardening), organizers provided the 8 – 10 participants in each of the week’s daily activities with all that the tour promised, and more: cooking classes with Pilar Cabrera and Susana Trilling, dining at renowned Oaxacan restaurants Casa Oaxaca, Los Danzantes, La Olla and La Catrina de Alcalá, and what impressed the most, getting out into the villages and learning the secrets of local recipes through hands-on instruction from indigenous natives – in their kitchens and over their open hearths and comals.
Background to the Oaxaca Culinary Tour
Internationally acclaimed native Oaxacan chef Pilar Cabrera Arroyo spent the month of September, 2009, working her magic in Toronto, both as guest chef at several restaurants and invited instructor at a prominent cooking school. It had been arranged through the efforts of Toronto food writer and researcher Mary Luz Mejia of Sizzling Communications, and several others willing to dedicate their time and effort to ensure a successful month-long event.
Once the framework of the tour had been decided, Chef Pilar was invited by the Government of Mexico to represent Oaxacan cuisine at the Toronto Harbourfront Centre Hot & Spicy Food Festival’s Iron Chef competition (as it turned out, she also agreed to judge the festival’s Emerging Chef event) which took place around the same time as the tour.
In Toronto Chef Pilar met the likes of Elizabeth Baird (who judged the iron chef event and adjudicated alongside Pilar at the emerging chef competition), Chef Vanessa Yeung (who cooked with Pilar at the cooking school and dined with her at one of the private dinner parties), and a host of prominent food writers and critics, as well as chefs (including Chef de Cuisine Jason Bangerter of Auberge du Pommier) – most of whom had no previous exposure to Oaxacan cuisine.
In true Oaxacan fashion Pilar warmly and sincerely invited virtually everyone she met to come visit Oaxaca. But who would have ever thought that tour organizers would immediately begin receiving inquiries from diners at the various venues, chefs, and media personnel, about traveling to Oaxaca to gain more in-depth knowledge about Oaxaca’s longstanding reputation for culinary greatness. After all, the tour was intended to merely provide an introduction to Oaxacan cuisine. It succeeded in whetting the appetites of Canadians, for much more.
Those who ultimately participated in the Oaxaca tour included aficionados of Mexican cuisine, food writers, chefs and restauranteurs. Some booked the entire tour well in advance, while others only caught wind of the week’s events after they had planned their Oaxacan vacation, and accordingly were permitted to take part in cooking lessons, day tours and evening dining.
Oaxaca Culinary Tour Showcased a Variety of Food Venues and Other Dimensions of Culture
While a theme tour has its raison d’etre, it should not be overly restrictive in its events so as to blind participants to what else a region has to offer – and in this case the impact of other dimensions of culture upon a people’s cuisine. In Oaxaca there is certainly a broad enough diversity of restaurants, food markets, cooking styles and levels of sophistication, to keep foodies thoroughly enthralled for weeks. But it’s the unique and varied cultures, and the melding of New World and Old World ingredients and cooking methods, to which these tour operators also sought to expose their clients.
For this culinary tour, participants learned as much about availability of and regional variation in meats, cheeses and produce (and their cultural significance), as they did about staples such as moles, tlayudas, chocolate, tamales and mezcal. It was all achieved through imparting an in-depth understanding of traditions, through chatting and learning from people at all stations of life. At one end of the continuum were the most humble of villagers who welcomed the group into their homes, to make chocolate by pureeing roasted cacao beans, cinnamon and almonds using a primitive grinding stone (metate), and to make tamales by folding corn leaves over masa, mole amarillo and chicken. And at the other end were the European-trained chefs who explained each dish upon its arrival table from their modernly equipped kitchens.
Oaxaca Culinary Tour Daily Events
One chef arrived in Oaxaca a day early, enabling her to meet with organizers in an informal setting, learning about and indulging at a Oaxaca culinary institution, Tlayudas on Libres, where locals gather between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. for their favorite snacks grilled directly on and over charcoal: a folded, oversized tortilla stuffed with melted Oaxacan string cheese (quesillo), bean purée, lettuce, tomato, depending on one’s sensibilities a thin layer of asiento (pork fat); and choice of chorizo (sausage), tasajo (beef) or cecina (pork). For ardent foodies, a tiny sample of marinated pig’s feet is required. And for the rest, a hot, corn-based drink of atole or champurrado is non-negotiable, especially during the wee hours of the morning.
An American doing his Masters in Nutrition arrived two days earlier, using the time to explore Oaxaca’s centro histórico (downtown historic center) including its quaint colonial buildings and food and craft markets.
Another participant stayed on a day later, after the rest has departed. A local organizer graciously offered to chauffer her to one of Oaxaca’s richest sights known as the San Agustín Center for The Arts, to see a modern ceramics exhibit housed in a spectacular lush mountain setting. And then for last minute gift purchases he drove her to Atzompa, a village specializing in traditional Oaxacan green glazed pottery.
Wednesday
Most participants had arrived by Wednesday, late afternoon, in time for Pilar Cabrera’s walking tour of downtown sights. This enabled group members to gain some perspective on the magic of Oaxaca and to begin planning to how they might want to spend the leisure hours built into the tour.
Dinner was at Oaxacan institution La Olla, Pilar’s own restaurant. The large candlelit table on the roof of the restaurant provided a special view of Oaxaca at night.
[For analysis and critique of the food served at these more upscale establishments, I’ll leave it to the food writers and critics on the tour who are better note-takers and possess greater objectivity and a much more refined palate than this writer.]
Thursday
The morning began with a visit to Tlapanochestli, the research station, museum and teaching facility devoted to understanding cochineal (cochinilla), the tiny insect which has played an integral part in the history of Oaxaca because of its unique quality; when dried and crushed it yields a strong red dye, which with the addition of lime juice and or baking soda changes to tones of orange, pink and purple. Of particular interest for tour participants was its application as a natural colorant for restaurant foods. While sampling a refreshing gelatin / water / sugar based dessert colored with cochineal, our foodies had an opportunity to see familiar grocery store products dyed with the insect (Campari, Danone Yoghurt, Campbell and Knorr soups, make-up and lipstick) and briefly discussed the sensitive issue of adequacy of ingredient labeling.
Then off to San Bartolo Coyotepec in the comfy 18-seater van equipped with bucket seats and A/C. Don Valente Nieto, son of the famed ceramicist Doña Rosa, provided an upbeat, informative and entertaining demonstration of the methods used by his parents and his family members today, in fashioning the well-known folk art form known as barro negro (black pottery). Tour members can now rightly claim that they saw the same demo that Don Valente provided to Jimmy Carter and Nelson Rockefeller, who’s photos alongside Doña Rosa and Don Valente grace the showroom walls.
The humble abode and workshop of Armando Lozano, sculptor and master jeweler of hand-made bronze necklaces, earrings and bracelets, provided the first opportunity for the group to see how most Oaxacans live, and eke out a modest existence. The contrast between the quality workmanship of the family, and its lifestyle, was remarkable, overshadowed only by the welcoming nature of the Maestro’s daughter-in-law who offered the jewelry for sale.
The final two touring stops of the day were directly devoted to food and drink. Lunch was at the unique roadside eatery, Caldo de Piedra, where chef César prepared a tomato and herb based broth which he then poured into a large half gourd for each diner. To each he then added one’s choice of either fresh red snapper, a healthy compliment of jumbo shrimp, or a combination of the two. Red hot rocks from an open flame were then placed in each gourd, and individual meals were thusly cooked, the rocks causing the broth to boil and fish to poach. Only large, hand-made tortillas from the comal and quesadillas amply filled with mushrooms and squash blossoms were needed to compliment the meal, of course along with large pitchers of freshly squeezed orange juice spiked with soda water (naranjadas).
Oaxaca is known for its mezcal (mescal), so what better way to have an introduction to the spirit than to head to Matatlán, World Capital of Mezcal, and learn from a producer with from a five generation pedigree of palenqueros (mezcal producers). Enrique Jiménez welcomed the tour into his parents’ traditional family compound where all witnessed the quaint and primitive production methods, and then imbibed several varieties of mezcal with chasers of lime and orange wedges, and sal de gusano (the salt, chile and ground up gusano worm mixture), together with quesillo and ricotta-like queso. Then to the family’s brand new state-of-the-art facility where Enrique explained his new method of mezcal production. The process dramatically improves quality control while retaining the richest qualities of mezcal produced the traditional way – only smoother.
Dinner at La Catrina de Alcalá provided a nice contrast to earlier events and tastings in the day, with classy Chef Juan Carlos on hand to introduce each dish. Tour participants were so taken with the selection that towards the end of the evening when asked if they wanted to move on to dessert, or perhaps try a venison dish, almost in unison each opted for the latter.
Friday
Cooking classes by Pilar Cabrera are always highly enjoyable and educational, beginning with a visit to Mercado de La Merced for buying fresh produce, through the cooking phase, and finally indulging in the fruits of one’s labor. The entirely of the class has been described elsewhere by me, so no more will be noted.
Each tour participant thereafter had a free afternoon to explore more of downtown, rest, and then dine at a recommended restaurant.
Saturday
After a relatively relaxing Friday it was back on the road for another day of touring. At the handmade knife and cutlery workshop of Apolinar Aguilar, the group watched the master work his wonders, heating recycled metals with the aid of a primitive yet effective stone and clay oven, then forging with only a mallet striking the red-hot metal over an anvil, and finally the all-so-critical tempering stage.
Knife blades are polished to a brilliant shine without lacquer or nickel. Purchasers on this day had an opportunity to have inscriptions engraved on the blades of knives they purchased. In anticipation of the culinary tour, Apolinar had prepared a selection of paring knives, a turkey carving set, a cake cutting ensemble, and bread knives. In addition to the more traditional Bowie hunting knives, swords and machetes, he also had on hand more unusual collector pieces such as knives with deer antler handles and letter openers with blade undulations of the Indonesian genre.
In the tiny village of San Antonino participants were provided with an opportunity to select from the finest imaginable hand-embroidered blouses and dresses – cotton, silk, and blends.
Lunch was in the rustic homestead of the Navarro family, the sisters and mother known for their fine work on the back strap loom, and brother Gerardo for his watercolors. But the main reason for stopping in Santo Tomás Jalieza was to dine with the family in their Eden-like surroundings, and witness their preparation of tasajo on a small hibachi-style grill, and all the steps required to make sopa de guias, a broth made of all the parts of the zucchini plant, and a small piece of corn for added starch. The welcoming nature and all-round hospitality of the family was as impressive as their simple yet immaculately kept rural home and grounds.
The tour day concluded with a visit to the workshop of Jacobo Angeles, master carver and painter of alebrijes, for a demonstration (the particulars and details of which are once again available online as part of a lengthy dissertation about woodcarving in Oaxaca). However what tourists to the region never get to experience, and what Jacobo had arranged for the group, was a lesson in making aguas frescas of limón and jamaica (hibiscus flower), and the pre-Hispanic drink tejate, known as the “drink-of-the-gods.”
After a late afternoon rest back at Las Bugambilias Bed & Breakfast, the group welcomed the leisurely evening walk to Casa Oaxaca, purportedly the best high end restaurant in Oaxaca. Unfortunately on this night chef / owner Alejandro Ruíz was somewhat preoccupied entertaining a group of visiting chefs from diverse Latin American cities, so in this writer’s opinion the experience was somewhat disappointing. Word has it that for the next culinary tour the organizers might pass on Casa Oaxaca unless an acknowledgement of the shortcomings and an assurance of better next time are both forthcoming. Each and every participant in a culinary tour of Oaxaca should expect and receive nothing but the best, of course subject to unforeseen circumstances.
Sunday
The penultimate day of the Oaxaca Culinary Tour provided the broadest diversity of experiences imaginable. The group began at the rug making village of Teotitlán del Valle, but not merely for a weaving and dying demonstration. Rocio Mendoza, one of the daughters-in-law of Casa Santiago owners Don Porfirio and Doña Gloria, with her unwavering warmth and comforting smile welcomed the tour group into the extended family household for a lesson in the traditional methods of making both hot chocolate and tamales de amarillo, the ritual dish served at certain town fiestas.
Both the women and men of the household were present to answer questions and help out. Tour group members to a number were made to feel more welcomed than one could think possible. Each had a chance to take over the task of grinding toasted cacao beans into a hot velvety paste. Matriarch Gloria gave a hands-on lesson on all the steps required to prepare her special tamales, assisting each participant in learning how to place and fold ingredients into a corn leaf, and then ever so carefully stack the batch of tamales into a steaming hot clay container (tamalero) heated over firewood. Once all was cooked, and after a traditional “salud” over small glasses of mezcal, each indulged in the fruits of his or her labor with members of the Santiago family: hot chocolate with sweet rolls on the side for dipping, and a plateful of piping hot tangy tamales de amarillo. Goodbyes were particularly difficult after the establishment of relationships based upon a commonality of purpose – the mentoring and learning about culinary traditions in Teotitlán del Valle.
Two hours in the Sunday Tlacolula market is pretty well required when a group of food enthusiasts is involved; especially when organizers have special relationships with vendors so as to enable tourists to ask questions and take photographs at will. What Pilar did not cover in her Oaxaca market tour leading up to her class, the organizers ensured was explained in detail in the course of the visit to Tlacolula. Traditional market drinks of chilacayota and pulque were sampled. Members purchased decorative gourds, wooden spoons, embroidered aprons and colorful table coverings, and of course chiles to take back home. The aroma of chicken grilling on open flames and steaming caldrons of barbequed mutton and goat filled the air. The pageantry of Zapotec women in their native village dress going about their business buying, selling and trading, impressed all. And the ability of group members to have all their questions answered, sample foodstuffs and drinks without trepidation, take their fill of photos, and wander freely while soaking it all up, provided one of many trip highlights.
The quaint open-air eatery known as El Tigre was a stark contrast to the earlier market scene, but just as welcome, in the nature of a well deserved respite. Each member of the group was able to question comedor owner Sara about salsa preparation, the disinfecting of fresh produce, and cooking techniques and challenges where every menu item is prepared fresh, over a flame on the grill or comal. Once again, a review of El Tigre is available online. The eatery was selected so as to advance one of the organizers’ goals of ensuring as diverse a culinary experience as possible.
The tour day concluded with a visit to the picturesque mountain setting known as Hierve el Agua. The site consists of mineral deposit “water falls,” and bubbling calcium and magnesium-rich springs feeding two pools of water suitable for a safe, refreshing swim. Most took the opportunity to cool off – and perhaps reap the benefit of the legendary curative properties of the water – while others were content to sit in the shade, chat about the day’s events, and of course take photos.
After the filling breakfast at Las Bugambilias, then hot chocolate with sweet rolls and tamales at Casa Santiago, followed by drink samplings in Tlacolula, and lunch at El Tigre, botanas (appetizer plates) and drinks were the order of the evening, at Los Danzantes, without any doubt the Oaxaca restaurant with the best ambiance by a long shot.
Monday
No visit to Oaxaca, be it for a culinary tour or otherwise, would be complete without a guided tour of the most important and magestic pre-Hispanic ruin in all of the State of Oaxaca, the 2,000-year-old Zapotec site known as Monte Albán. After a brief sit-down and opportunity to quench the thirst, tour participants were shuttled to Susana Trilling’s cooking school to make mole chichilo. Once again, Ms. Trilling’s class has been noted elsewhere by the writer.
Group members were welcomed to conclude their visit to Oaxaca by gathering at an event hall that evening to view a folkloric celebration of Oaxaca’s diversity of dance and music traditions known as the Guelaguetza. But to a number each decided to pass on the idea after such a full itinerary. Instead, they welcomed the chance to finish the tour in a much more casual and relaxed setting, over drinks and conversation at the hillside home of one of the tour organizers, sitting on the open terrace and reliving the week’s events with the fond memories.
Future Culinary Tours in Oaxaca
Culinary vacations in Oaxaca have been done before, and will no doubt continue into the distant future. This tour format, however, was unique for its diversity of experiences and the care taken by organizers to ensure that the expectations of all participants – seasoned chefs, media personnel specializing in the culinary arts and gastronomy, and aficionados of Mexican cuisine – were met, or better yet exceeded.
If the current spate of commentaries regarding the success of the tour and level of participant satisfaction is an accurate gauge, then no doubt there will be future tours, perhaps on a bi-annual basis, with each succeeding Oaxaca Culinary Tour improving on the performance of the previous.
Information on future culinary tours in Oaxaca can be obtained by contacting Mary Luz Mejia of Sizzling Communications, or this writer.
Alvin Starkman received his Masters in Social Anthropology in 1978. After teaching for a few years he attended Osgoode Hall Law School, thereafter embarking upon a successful career as a litigator until 2004. Alvin now resides with his wife Arlene in Oaxaca, Mexico, where he writes, leads small group tours to the villages, markets, ruins and other sights, is a consultant to documentary film companies, and operates Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast ( http://www.oaxacadream.com ), providing the comfort and service of lodging in a Oaxaca hotel, with the personal touch of a small country inn.
The accolades tell it all: “I had a terrific and very inspiring time in Oaxaca. Your knowledge of the culture and region introduced us to so many interesting people, all willing to share their passion, whether it was for pottery, wood carving, frothy chocolate, the best moles or natural dyes” [Elizabeth Baird].
Elizabeth Baird, one of the foremost Canadian culinary icons of our time, was a participant in the May, 2010, Oaxaca Culinary Tour. So was prolific cookbook author and columnist Rose Murray, who endorsed a copy of her seminal work, A Taste of Canada, A Culinary Journey, with similar praise: “Thank you for sharing your vast knowledge of Oaxaca with us. We know it through your eyes.”
If the foregoing is any indication of the success of this most recent tour, then the thought of what’s in store for participants in future, similarly organized Oaxaca culinary events, should titillate anyone interested in Mexican gastronomy – chefs and foodies alike.
While numbers were small (May is when most Americans and Canadians are content to stay close to home, stow their winter attire, and begin gardening), organizers provided the 8 – 10 participants in each of the week’s daily activities with all that the tour promised, and more: cooking classes with Pilar Cabrera and Susana Trilling, dining at renowned Oaxacan restaurants Casa Oaxaca, Los Danzantes, La Olla and La Catrina de Alcalá, and what impressed the most, getting out into the villages and learning the secrets of local recipes through hands-on instruction from indigenous natives – in their kitchens and over their open hearths and comals.
Background to the Oaxaca Culinary Tour
Internationally acclaimed native Oaxacan chef Pilar Cabrera Arroyo spent the month of September, 2009, working her magic in Toronto, both as guest chef at several restaurants and invited instructor at a prominent cooking school. It had been arranged through the efforts of Toronto food writer and researcher Mary Luz Mejia of Sizzling Communications, and several others willing to dedicate their time and effort to ensure a successful month-long event.
Once the framework of the tour had been decided, Chef Pilar was invited by the Government of Mexico to represent Oaxacan cuisine at the Toronto Harbourfront Centre Hot & Spicy Food Festival’s Iron Chef competition (as it turned out, she also agreed to judge the festival’s Emerging Chef event) which took place around the same time as the tour.
In Toronto Chef Pilar met the likes of Elizabeth Baird (who judged the iron chef event and adjudicated alongside Pilar at the emerging chef competition), Chef Vanessa Yeung (who cooked with Pilar at the cooking school and dined with her at one of the private dinner parties), and a host of prominent food writers and critics, as well as chefs (including Chef de Cuisine Jason Bangerter of Auberge du Pommier) – most of whom had no previous exposure to Oaxacan cuisine.
In true Oaxacan fashion Pilar warmly and sincerely invited virtually everyone she met to come visit Oaxaca. But who would have ever thought that tour organizers would immediately begin receiving inquiries from diners at the various venues, chefs, and media personnel, about traveling to Oaxaca to gain more in-depth knowledge about Oaxaca’s longstanding reputation for culinary greatness. After all, the tour was intended to merely provide an introduction to Oaxacan cuisine. It succeeded in whetting the appetites of Canadians, for much more.
Those who ultimately participated in the Oaxaca tour included aficionados of Mexican cuisine, food writers, chefs and restauranteurs. Some booked the entire tour well in advance, while others only caught wind of the week’s events after they had planned their Oaxacan vacation, and accordingly were permitted to take part in cooking lessons, day tours and evening dining.
Oaxaca Culinary Tour Showcased a Variety of Food Venues and Other Dimensions of Culture
While a theme tour has its raison d’etre, it should not be overly restrictive in its events so as to blind participants to what else a region has to offer – and in this case the impact of other dimensions of culture upon a people’s cuisine. In Oaxaca there is certainly a broad enough diversity of restaurants, food markets, cooking styles and levels of sophistication, to keep foodies thoroughly enthralled for weeks. But it’s the unique and varied cultures, and the melding of New World and Old World ingredients and cooking methods, to which these tour operators also sought to expose their clients.
For this culinary tour, participants learned as much about availability of and regional variation in meats, cheeses and produce (and their cultural significance), as they did about staples such as moles, tlayudas, chocolate, tamales and mezcal. It was all achieved through imparting an in-depth understanding of traditions, through chatting and learning from people at all stations of life. At one end of the continuum were the most humble of villagers who welcomed the group into their homes, to make chocolate by pureeing roasted cacao beans, cinnamon and almonds using a primitive grinding stone (metate), and to make tamales by folding corn leaves over masa, mole amarillo and chicken. And at the other end were the European-trained chefs who explained each dish upon its arrival table from their modernly equipped kitchens.
Oaxaca Culinary Tour Daily Events
One chef arrived in Oaxaca a day early, enabling her to meet with organizers in an informal setting, learning about and indulging at a Oaxaca culinary institution, Tlayudas on Libres, where locals gather between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. for their favorite snacks grilled directly on and over charcoal: a folded, oversized tortilla stuffed with melted Oaxacan string cheese (quesillo), bean purée, lettuce, tomato, depending on one’s sensibilities a thin layer of asiento (pork fat); and choice of chorizo (sausage), tasajo (beef) or cecina (pork). For ardent foodies, a tiny sample of marinated pig’s feet is required. And for the rest, a hot, corn-based drink of atole or champurrado is non-negotiable, especially during the wee hours of the morning.
An American doing his Masters in Nutrition arrived two days earlier, using the time to explore Oaxaca’s centro histórico (downtown historic center) including its quaint colonial buildings and food and craft markets.
Another participant stayed on a day later, after the rest has departed. A local organizer graciously offered to chauffer her to one of Oaxaca’s richest sights known as the San Agustín Center for The Arts, to see a modern ceramics exhibit housed in a spectacular lush mountain setting. And then for last minute gift purchases he drove her to Atzompa, a village specializing in traditional Oaxacan green glazed pottery.
Wednesday
Most participants had arrived by Wednesday, late afternoon, in time for Pilar Cabrera’s walking tour of downtown sights. This enabled group members to gain some perspective on the magic of Oaxaca and to begin planning to how they might want to spend the leisure hours built into the tour.
Dinner was at Oaxacan institution La Olla, Pilar’s own restaurant. The large candlelit table on the roof of the restaurant provided a special view of Oaxaca at night.
[For analysis and critique of the food served at these more upscale establishments, I’ll leave it to the food writers and critics on the tour who are better note-takers and possess greater objectivity and a much more refined palate than this writer.]
Thursday
The morning began with a visit to Tlapanochestli, the research station, museum and teaching facility devoted to understanding cochineal (cochinilla), the tiny insect which has played an integral part in the history of Oaxaca because of its unique quality; when dried and crushed it yields a strong red dye, which with the addition of lime juice and or baking soda changes to tones of orange, pink and purple. Of particular interest for tour participants was its application as a natural colorant for restaurant foods. While sampling a refreshing gelatin / water / sugar based dessert colored with cochineal, our foodies had an opportunity to see familiar grocery store products dyed with the insect (Campari, Danone Yoghurt, Campbell and Knorr soups, make-up and lipstick) and briefly discussed the sensitive issue of adequacy of ingredient labeling.
Then off to San Bartolo Coyotepec in the comfy 18-seater van equipped with bucket seats and A/C. Don Valente Nieto, son of the famed ceramicist Doña Rosa, provided an upbeat, informative and entertaining demonstration of the methods used by his parents and his family members today, in fashioning the well-known folk art form known as barro negro (black pottery). Tour members can now rightly claim that they saw the same demo that Don Valente provided to Jimmy Carter and Nelson Rockefeller, who’s photos alongside Doña Rosa and Don Valente grace the showroom walls.
The humble abode and workshop of Armando Lozano, sculptor and master jeweler of hand-made bronze necklaces, earrings and bracelets, provided the first opportunity for the group to see how most Oaxacans live, and eke out a modest existence. The contrast between the quality workmanship of the family, and its lifestyle, was remarkable, overshadowed only by the welcoming nature of the Maestro’s daughter-in-law who offered the jewelry for sale.
The final two touring stops of the day were directly devoted to food and drink. Lunch was at the unique roadside eatery, Caldo de Piedra, where chef César prepared a tomato and herb based broth which he then poured into a large half gourd for each diner. To each he then added one’s choice of either fresh red snapper, a healthy compliment of jumbo shrimp, or a combination of the two. Red hot rocks from an open flame were then placed in each gourd, and individual meals were thusly cooked, the rocks causing the broth to boil and fish to poach. Only large, hand-made tortillas from the comal and quesadillas amply filled with mushrooms and squash blossoms were needed to compliment the meal, of course along with large pitchers of freshly squeezed orange juice spiked with soda water (naranjadas).
Oaxaca is known for its mezcal (mescal), so what better way to have an introduction to the spirit than to head to Matatlán, World Capital of Mezcal, and learn from a producer with from a five generation pedigree of palenqueros (mezcal producers). Enrique Jiménez welcomed the tour into his parents’ traditional family compound where all witnessed the quaint and primitive production methods, and then imbibed several varieties of mezcal with chasers of lime and orange wedges, and sal de gusano (the salt, chile and ground up gusano worm mixture), together with quesillo and ricotta-like queso. Then to the family’s brand new state-of-the-art facility where Enrique explained his new method of mezcal production. The process dramatically improves quality control while retaining the richest qualities of mezcal produced the traditional way – only smoother.
Dinner at La Catrina de Alcalá provided a nice contrast to earlier events and tastings in the day, with classy Chef Juan Carlos on hand to introduce each dish. Tour participants were so taken with the selection that towards the end of the evening when asked if they wanted to move on to dessert, or perhaps try a venison dish, almost in unison each opted for the latter.
Friday
Cooking classes by Pilar Cabrera are always highly enjoyable and educational, beginning with a visit to Mercado de La Merced for buying fresh produce, through the cooking phase, and finally indulging in the fruits of one’s labor. The entirely of the class has been described elsewhere by me, so no more will be noted.
Each tour participant thereafter had a free afternoon to explore more of downtown, rest, and then dine at a recommended restaurant.
Saturday
After a relatively relaxing Friday it was back on the road for another day of touring. At the handmade knife and cutlery workshop of Apolinar Aguilar, the group watched the master work his wonders, heating recycled metals with the aid of a primitive yet effective stone and clay oven, then forging with only a mallet striking the red-hot metal over an anvil, and finally the all-so-critical tempering stage.
Knife blades are polished to a brilliant shine without lacquer or nickel. Purchasers on this day had an opportunity to have inscriptions engraved on the blades of knives they purchased. In anticipation of the culinary tour, Apolinar had prepared a selection of paring knives, a turkey carving set, a cake cutting ensemble, and bread knives. In addition to the more traditional Bowie hunting knives, swords and machetes, he also had on hand more unusual collector pieces such as knives with deer antler handles and letter openers with blade undulations of the Indonesian genre.
In the tiny village of San Antonino participants were provided with an opportunity to select from the finest imaginable hand-embroidered blouses and dresses – cotton, silk, and blends.
Lunch was in the rustic homestead of the Navarro family, the sisters and mother known for their fine work on the back strap loom, and brother Gerardo for his watercolors. But the main reason for stopping in Santo Tomás Jalieza was to dine with the family in their Eden-like surroundings, and witness their preparation of tasajo on a small hibachi-style grill, and all the steps required to make sopa de guias, a broth made of all the parts of the zucchini plant, and a small piece of corn for added starch. The welcoming nature and all-round hospitality of the family was as impressive as their simple yet immaculately kept rural home and grounds.
The tour day concluded with a visit to the workshop of Jacobo Angeles, master carver and painter of alebrijes, for a demonstration (the particulars and details of which are once again available online as part of a lengthy dissertation about woodcarving in Oaxaca). However what tourists to the region never get to experience, and what Jacobo had arranged for the group, was a lesson in making aguas frescas of limón and jamaica (hibiscus flower), and the pre-Hispanic drink tejate, known as the “drink-of-the-gods.”
After a late afternoon rest back at Las Bugambilias Bed & Breakfast, the group welcomed the leisurely evening walk to Casa Oaxaca, purportedly the best high end restaurant in Oaxaca. Unfortunately on this night chef / owner Alejandro Ruíz was somewhat preoccupied entertaining a group of visiting chefs from diverse Latin American cities, so in this writer’s opinion the experience was somewhat disappointing. Word has it that for the next culinary tour the organizers might pass on Casa Oaxaca unless an acknowledgement of the shortcomings and an assurance of better next time are both forthcoming. Each and every participant in a culinary tour of Oaxaca should expect and receive nothing but the best, of course subject to unforeseen circumstances.
Sunday
The penultimate day of the Oaxaca Culinary Tour provided the broadest diversity of experiences imaginable. The group began at the rug making village of Teotitlán del Valle, but not merely for a weaving and dying demonstration. Rocio Mendoza, one of the daughters-in-law of Casa Santiago owners Don Porfirio and Doña Gloria, with her unwavering warmth and comforting smile welcomed the tour group into the extended family household for a lesson in the traditional methods of making both hot chocolate and tamales de amarillo, the ritual dish served at certain town fiestas.
Both the women and men of the household were present to answer questions and help out. Tour group members to a number were made to feel more welcomed than one could think possible. Each had a chance to take over the task of grinding toasted cacao beans into a hot velvety paste. Matriarch Gloria gave a hands-on lesson on all the steps required to prepare her special tamales, assisting each participant in learning how to place and fold ingredients into a corn leaf, and then ever so carefully stack the batch of tamales into a steaming hot clay container (tamalero) heated over firewood. Once all was cooked, and after a traditional “salud” over small glasses of mezcal, each indulged in the fruits of his or her labor with members of the Santiago family: hot chocolate with sweet rolls on the side for dipping, and a plateful of piping hot tangy tamales de amarillo. Goodbyes were particularly difficult after the establishment of relationships based upon a commonality of purpose – the mentoring and learning about culinary traditions in Teotitlán del Valle.
Two hours in the Sunday Tlacolula market is pretty well required when a group of food enthusiasts is involved; especially when organizers have special relationships with vendors so as to enable tourists to ask questions and take photographs at will. What Pilar did not cover in her Oaxaca market tour leading up to her class, the organizers ensured was explained in detail in the course of the visit to Tlacolula. Traditional market drinks of chilacayota and pulque were sampled. Members purchased decorative gourds, wooden spoons, embroidered aprons and colorful table coverings, and of course chiles to take back home. The aroma of chicken grilling on open flames and steaming caldrons of barbequed mutton and goat filled the air. The pageantry of Zapotec women in their native village dress going about their business buying, selling and trading, impressed all. And the ability of group members to have all their questions answered, sample foodstuffs and drinks without trepidation, take their fill of photos, and wander freely while soaking it all up, provided one of many trip highlights.
The quaint open-air eatery known as El Tigre was a stark contrast to the earlier market scene, but just as welcome, in the nature of a well deserved respite. Each member of the group was able to question comedor owner Sara about salsa preparation, the disinfecting of fresh produce, and cooking techniques and challenges where every menu item is prepared fresh, over a flame on the grill or comal. Once again, a review of El Tigre is available online. The eatery was selected so as to advance one of the organizers’ goals of ensuring as diverse a culinary experience as possible.
The tour day concluded with a visit to the picturesque mountain setting known as Hierve el Agua. The site consists of mineral deposit “water falls,” and bubbling calcium and magnesium-rich springs feeding two pools of water suitable for a safe, refreshing swim. Most took the opportunity to cool off – and perhaps reap the benefit of the legendary curative properties of the water – while others were content to sit in the shade, chat about the day’s events, and of course take photos.
After the filling breakfast at Las Bugambilias, then hot chocolate with sweet rolls and tamales at Casa Santiago, followed by drink samplings in Tlacolula, and lunch at El Tigre, botanas (appetizer plates) and drinks were the order of the evening, at Los Danzantes, without any doubt the Oaxaca restaurant with the best ambiance by a long shot.
Monday
No visit to Oaxaca, be it for a culinary tour or otherwise, would be complete without a guided tour of the most important and magestic pre-Hispanic ruin in all of the State of Oaxaca, the 2,000-year-old Zapotec site known as Monte Albán. After a brief sit-down and opportunity to quench the thirst, tour participants were shuttled to Susana Trilling’s cooking school to make mole chichilo. Once again, Ms. Trilling’s class has been noted elsewhere by the writer.
Group members were welcomed to conclude their visit to Oaxaca by gathering at an event hall that evening to view a folkloric celebration of Oaxaca’s diversity of dance and music traditions known as the Guelaguetza. But to a number each decided to pass on the idea after such a full itinerary. Instead, they welcomed the chance to finish the tour in a much more casual and relaxed setting, over drinks and conversation at the hillside home of one of the tour organizers, sitting on the open terrace and reliving the week’s events with the fond memories.
Future Culinary Tours in Oaxaca
Culinary vacations in Oaxaca have been done before, and will no doubt continue into the distant future. This tour format, however, was unique for its diversity of experiences and the care taken by organizers to ensure that the expectations of all participants – seasoned chefs, media personnel specializing in the culinary arts and gastronomy, and aficionados of Mexican cuisine – were met, or better yet exceeded.
If the current spate of commentaries regarding the success of the tour and level of participant satisfaction is an accurate gauge, then no doubt there will be future tours, perhaps on a bi-annual basis, with each succeeding Oaxaca Culinary Tour improving on the performance of the previous.
Information on future culinary tours in Oaxaca can be obtained by contacting Mary Luz Mejia of Sizzling Communications, or this writer.
Alvin Starkman received his Masters in Social Anthropology in 1978. After teaching for a few years he attended Osgoode Hall Law School, thereafter embarking upon a successful career as a litigator until 2004. Alvin now resides with his wife Arlene in Oaxaca, Mexico, where he writes, leads small group tours to the villages, markets, ruins and other sights, is a consultant to documentary film companies, and operates Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast ( http://www.oaxacadream.com ), providing the comfort and service of lodging in a Oaxaca hotel, with the personal touch of a small country inn.
5/08/2010
Staying Healthy and Avoiding Illness, While Eating in Markets, Restaurants, and On the Streets, Visiting Oaxaca
Visit the webpage noted below for commonsense guidelines about how to reduce the likelihood of becoming ill from gastrointestinal upset, while traveling in Oaxaca. Ten simple suggestions make it possible to eat on the streets and in the marketplaces (and in those restaurants which make one ponder "do you think this one is okay?"), without undue fear or concern:
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/how-to-avoid-illness-in-oaxaca-eating-in-markets-and--restaurants
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/how-to-avoid-illness-in-oaxaca-eating-in-markets-and--restaurants
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
4/05/2010
Recipe for Mole Negro from Oaxaca
Here is the recipe for mole negro, as prepared by Chef Pilar Cabrera Arroyo in her cooking class at Casa de los Sabores Cooking School:
http://celebritychefs.suite101.com/article.cfm/recipe-for-mole-negro-from-oaxaca-mexico
HOWEVER, as always, there`s nothing like attending a cooking class in person, to have the subtleties shown and explained.
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://celebritychefs.suite101.com/article.cfm/recipe-for-mole-negro-from-oaxaca-mexico
HOWEVER, as always, there`s nothing like attending a cooking class in person, to have the subtleties shown and explained.
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
3/21/2010
Safety, Violence and Drug Wars in Oaxaca
For the latest on safety, violence and drug wars in Oaxaca, go to this link before changing your vacation plans, one way or the other:
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/drugs-violence-and-safety-in-oaxaca-mexico
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/drugs-violence-and-safety-in-oaxaca-mexico
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
3/19/2010
Two Recipes for Mole Verde from Oaxaca, Very Different
Follow these two links for very different recipes for mole verde from Oaxaca. One is the traditional recipe using pork, with preparation and presentation just as found when prepared by the older generation of Oaxacan matriarchs. The other Oaxacan green mole recipe is much more contemporary, with distinctly different ingredients, preparation and presentation, with attention paid for the benefit of the health conscious. Note the commentaries as well:
http://dinner-recipes.suite101.com/article.cfm/modern-recipe-for-mole-verde-from-oaxaca
http://mexican-food.suite101.com/article.cfm/traditional_mole_verde_in_oaxaca_recipe_more
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://dinner-recipes.suite101.com/article.cfm/modern-recipe-for-mole-verde-from-oaxaca
http://mexican-food.suite101.com/article.cfm/traditional_mole_verde_in_oaxaca_recipe_more
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
3/13/2010
Mezcal in Oaxaca as a Green, Environmentally Friendly Industry
While at least one large corporation has recently been criticized for its methods and practices involved in the production of mezcal in Oaxaca, there's another side to the industry, involving producers who still manage small-scale production using a green, environmentally friendly and sustainable living model:
http://latin-american-culinary-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/mezcal-in-oaxaca--green-and-sustainable-living
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://latin-american-culinary-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/mezcal-in-oaxaca--green-and-sustainable-living
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
3/11/2010
The Greening of Oaxaca: Environment v. Survival
Go to the following link for a new article about Oaxaca regarding emissions control for vehicles, green programs, and the reality of each:
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/greening-of-oaxaca-the--environment-v-survival
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/greening-of-oaxaca-the--environment-v-survival
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
2/22/2010
Culinary and Graphic Arts Merge at Oaxaca Restaurant
Philanthropic Oaxacan artist Enrique Flores has partnered with chef Pilar Cabrera for an exhibition of Flores' art at Chef Pilar's downtown Oaxaca restaurant, La Olla:
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/culinary-and-graphic-arts-merge-in-oaxaca-diner
http://mexican-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/culinary-and-graphic-arts-merge-in-oaxaca-diner
2/03/2010
Chefs Tour of Oaxaca Scheduled for May, 2010
A Chefs Tour of Oaxaca has been scheduled for May, 2010, to includes visits to a few of the key sights in and around Oaxaca, but with emphasis on Oaxaca's great chefs and culinary traditions. The tour is designed for chefs, butchers and ardent food aficionados, and includes:
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
- classes with renowned Oaxacan chefs
- instruction on the use of natural dyes for plate presentation
- knifemaking for the chefs' kitchens
- dinners ranging from the best restaurants Oaxaca has to offer as presented by internationally acclaimed chefs, to meals prepared in rural homesteads, by the people for the people - not generally accessible by "regular" travelers to the city.
For further details, go to this link:
http://www.sizzlingcommunications.com/documents/ChefTourItineraryFINAL.pdfAlvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
Classic Recipe for Mole Negro Tamales from Oaxaca Available
Oaxacan chef Pilar Cabrera Arroyo's recipe for tamales de mole negro can now be downloaded from this site:
http://mexican-food.suite101.com/article.cfm/mole-negro-tamales---recipe-from-oaxaca
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
http://mexican-food.suite101.com/article.cfm/mole-negro-tamales---recipe-from-oaxaca
Alvin Starkman - Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast
2/02/2010
Charitable Donations for a Visit to Oaxaca: CORAL, Oaxacan Center for the Rehabilitation of Hearing and Speech
Non-Profit Oaxacan Rehabilitation Center for Hearing Impaired, Needs Aid
Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B.
When the Cole-Gardner family recently vacationed in Oaxaca, Mexico, they brought along several basketballs, soccer balls and baseball gloves, to donate to indigenous children without ready access to such sports paraphernalia. They'd read this writer’s article about the opportunity to help Oaxacans in need, by filling an empty suitcase earmarked for packing Oaxacan handicrafts, with used clothing or anything else available for donating. They also brought 668 hearing aid batteries to donate to CORAL, Centro Oaxaqueño de Rehabilitación de Audición y Lenguaje, A.C., a non-profit organization providing assistance to the deaf and hearing impaired and their families in Oaxaca.
CORAL, the Oaxacan Center for the Rehabilitation of Hearing and Speech, is a vibrant NGO relying on donations from predominantly private and local corporate foundations, to assist mainly young, hearing impaired children whose families are of extremely modest means. The four-pronged enterprise consists of an audiology clinic, hearing and speech therapy center, early detection hearing loss program, and a social work component. One would be hard-pressed to find a more commendable aid organization, in preparation for a visit to Oaxaca and wanting to contribute clothing, cash, or of course hearing aids and components.
History of CORAL, Oaxacan Center for the Rehabilitation of Hearing and Speech
In 1988, an Oregon couple, Drs. Richard Carroll and Nancy Press, began investigating the problems besetting poor, rural Oaxacans. They spent months at a time away from their medical practice in the US, visiting indigenous and mestizo communities. They identified a major impediment to progress in the pueblos: deafness and hearing loss in a number of children, not being treated when hearing impairment began, or ever.
While there was perhaps only one audiologist in the entire State of Oaxaca when the doctors began, over the course of the ensuring decade they nevertheless managed to assemble a team of professionals to assist in what became their passion: to identify the hearing impaired, and provide aid – any kind of aid they could muster through their own resources, and in due course charitable contributions of others.
In 1999, CORAL rented premises in Oaxaca, enabling it to continue the work of Drs. Carroll and Press in a more formalized fashion. It thereafter began associating directly with a registered American charity with related goals, Child-Aid. In 2008, CORAL purchased its current premises, so as to better enable it to advance its goal of identifying those Oaxacans who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, assess their needs and those of their families, and act.
Work of CORAL as a Charity in Oaxaca, to Assist the Deaf and Hearing Impaired
The virtually non-existent component of audiologists in Oaxaca in the 1980s, has grown to at least six, two of whom work at CORAL on a part-time basis. Its hearing impaired facilities now employ eight specialists trained to assist the hard-at-hearing and deaf, and one volunteer. The total complement working at CORAL is 15 individuals. Its director, Oaxacan Saul Fuentes Olivares, is a career NGO organizer and employee. Its coordinator of promotion and fundraising, Megan Glore, is an American, curiously with a Masters’ in ethnobotany from the University of Kent in Canterbury, England. They, like the rest, are dedicated to ameliorating the problem of hearing impairment among young children in Oaxaca which would otherwise go unnoticed, and untreated.
The CORAL audiology clinic is designed for testing and diagnosis, repairs and maintenance to hearing aids and hearing-related accessories, and ongoing support. Individuals of all ages have access to the clinic.
The therapy center currently has 35 children enrolled. Parental attendance is a prerequisite. The program consists of morning group sessions and afternoon individualized treatment. Attendance is optimally required four days per week, and 10 is the maximum number children per hearing and speech specialist. With such numbers it should come as no surprise that there is a waiting list.
The early detection program is designed to identify and treat children in infancy, by sending staff out into the field, as well as training doctors to recognize and screen for hearing loss behaviors. A major component of this work is to assist parents in identifying normal childhood development and what to do if they suspect a hearing problem.
Analysis begins as early as two days after birth, with therapy commencing as early as six months old. While therapy generally continues for about two years, there are children who have been treated through the clinic for profound hearing loss for up to nine years, using different therapeutic modalities.
Through the social work component of CORAL, staff travels throughout the City of Oaxaca and into rural communities to identify and serve deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. Once in the home, staff educates on the use of aids, troubleshoots problems, provides resources, and monitors.
Why CORAL Needs Charitable Donations to Help Oaxacans with Hearing-Impairment – Mainly Children of Families of Extremely Modest Means
Every family which participates in CORAL hearing impairment programs must make a financial contribution. But such donations are token or extremely modest. For example, CORAL currently has three designated categories of families whose members receive assistance for hearing loss:
· Families with monthly income of less than 1,000 pesos (about $80 USD)
· Families with monthly income of between 1,000 and 5,500 pesos
· Families with monthly income of over 5,500 pesos.
The clinic assists the hearing impaired in mainly the first two categories. The cost to patients in the third category is lower than the prices for products and services charged elsewhere in Oaxaca. Currently each and every one of the 35 children being treated at the therapy center comes from a family earning less than 1,000 pesos monthly. Consider the donations that such households can possibly make!
While for the past five years CORAL has applied to the Government of Mexico for assistance, and has in fact received financial aid, the lion’s share of resources comes from individual donors and a number of Mexican corporate foundations. The total revenue received from all sources for running the 2009 programs was about 1.8 million pesos, or under $150,000 USD – to pay 15 employees; utility costs; maintenance and taxes on the CORAL facilities; for all equipment (including hearing aid batteries which last only 15 – 20 days); and for two vehicles.
Plans to Enhance the Work of CORAL for Deaf and Hearing Impaired in Oaxaca
CORAL is currently working on several projects it’s confident will bear fruit within the next several months, enabling it to better identify and treat deaf and hearing impaired children in Oaxaca:
· Designating a fourth category of monthly family income is in the works, designed to increase contributions from the “wealthy.” With all 35 children in the school coming from families with monthly incomes of less than 1,000 pesos, revenue from CORAL program participants to date has been negligible;
· February, 2010, marks the beginning of an in-home training program for parents in the outlying indigenous communities. Since many deaf and hearing impaired children reside more than a three-hour bus ride from the CORAL offices and are therefore precluded from attending regular weekly classes, this new program will bring CORAL’s resources into the pueblos by educating parents – for all intents and purposes making them therapists of their own children. Naturally, ongoing professional monitoring will continue;
· A plan is underfoot whereby if all goes as anticipated, a particular Mexican corporation will be donating a fully-equipped vehicle to serve as a mobile clinic, enabling the work of CORAL professionals in the villages to proceed more efficiently;
· Through the auspices of Child-Aid, CORAL is a registered charity in the US. One is therefore able to deduct charitable donations against US income. As a consequence of an agreement between Mexico and the US, American donors are entitled to receive tax deductible receipts by donating directly to CORAL. Now, a new arm to the program is in the planning stages, making contributions even more attractive to generous and caring Americans. With the institution of a child sponsorship program, contributors will have a one-on-one relationship with a particular infant or youth, and be able to monitor a child’s progress and note their contributions at work. The program would be akin to Foster Parents Plan.
What Vacationers Can Do for Deaf and Hearing Impaired Children in Oaxaca
While cash charitable donations constitute the most obvious and easiest means of contributing to the work done by CORAL for the deaf and hearing impaired of Oaxaca, there are other ways of providing aid and assistance:
· The hearing aid batteries brought to Oaxaca by the Cole-Gardner family were actually donated by the Oregon Lion’s Sight and Hearing Foundation. Like organizations in one’s hometown can be tapped. Those with connections to product manufacturers should be able to approach those companies for similar aid;
· Many medical and dental supplies are accessible through dental equipment and pharmaceutical representatives, doctors, nurses, hygienists, and other staff in related fields. The beauty of items such as tooth brushes, dental floss, band-aids, and hearing aid batteries is that they are light, take up very little suitcase room, and do not need special packing to prevent breakage;
· Donations of used clothing are invaluable. If a family in Oaxaca with a child in treatment does not have to purchase clothes, it therefore has more resources to contribute to the child’s therapy as well as to other necessities of life simply not accessible to those “living on the edge;”
· Given that the therapy center serves a dual function of school, small educational toys and games, as well as sports equipment is helpful;
· Visitors to Oaxaca are at times considering a longer-term stay, as part of a sabbatical or when considering more permanent residency in the city. Those with specific training or experience in a field related to teaching, therapy or medical treatment for the deaf and hearing impaired, can provide much-needed volunteer services. Similarly, those with technical skills related to hearing aid components and other tools and equipment used in assessment and treatment can offer support. Finally, the assistance of a graphic designer, artist and / or computer programmer would be useful to CORAL in achieving its goals.
Contact CORAL: Help The Deaf and Hearing Impaired Children of Oaxaca
Contact the staff of CORAL through its website (http://www.coraloaxaca.org), for more information about CORAL and helping the deaf and hearing impaired in Oaxaca through charitable contributions; or this writer to have your used clothing and other items picked up from your hotel or bed & breakfast.
Alvin Starkman has a Masters in anthropology and law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School. Now a resident of Oaxaca, Alvin writes, takes tours to the sights, is a consultant to documentary film companies, and owns Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast (http://www.oaxacadream.com), a unique Oaxaca bed and breakfast experience, providing Oaxaca accommodations which combine the comfort and service of Oaxaca hotels with the personal touch of quaint country inn style lodging.
Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B.
When the Cole-Gardner family recently vacationed in Oaxaca, Mexico, they brought along several basketballs, soccer balls and baseball gloves, to donate to indigenous children without ready access to such sports paraphernalia. They'd read this writer’s article about the opportunity to help Oaxacans in need, by filling an empty suitcase earmarked for packing Oaxacan handicrafts, with used clothing or anything else available for donating. They also brought 668 hearing aid batteries to donate to CORAL, Centro Oaxaqueño de Rehabilitación de Audición y Lenguaje, A.C., a non-profit organization providing assistance to the deaf and hearing impaired and their families in Oaxaca.
CORAL, the Oaxacan Center for the Rehabilitation of Hearing and Speech, is a vibrant NGO relying on donations from predominantly private and local corporate foundations, to assist mainly young, hearing impaired children whose families are of extremely modest means. The four-pronged enterprise consists of an audiology clinic, hearing and speech therapy center, early detection hearing loss program, and a social work component. One would be hard-pressed to find a more commendable aid organization, in preparation for a visit to Oaxaca and wanting to contribute clothing, cash, or of course hearing aids and components.
History of CORAL, Oaxacan Center for the Rehabilitation of Hearing and Speech
In 1988, an Oregon couple, Drs. Richard Carroll and Nancy Press, began investigating the problems besetting poor, rural Oaxacans. They spent months at a time away from their medical practice in the US, visiting indigenous and mestizo communities. They identified a major impediment to progress in the pueblos: deafness and hearing loss in a number of children, not being treated when hearing impairment began, or ever.
While there was perhaps only one audiologist in the entire State of Oaxaca when the doctors began, over the course of the ensuring decade they nevertheless managed to assemble a team of professionals to assist in what became their passion: to identify the hearing impaired, and provide aid – any kind of aid they could muster through their own resources, and in due course charitable contributions of others.
In 1999, CORAL rented premises in Oaxaca, enabling it to continue the work of Drs. Carroll and Press in a more formalized fashion. It thereafter began associating directly with a registered American charity with related goals, Child-Aid. In 2008, CORAL purchased its current premises, so as to better enable it to advance its goal of identifying those Oaxacans who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, assess their needs and those of their families, and act.
Work of CORAL as a Charity in Oaxaca, to Assist the Deaf and Hearing Impaired
The virtually non-existent component of audiologists in Oaxaca in the 1980s, has grown to at least six, two of whom work at CORAL on a part-time basis. Its hearing impaired facilities now employ eight specialists trained to assist the hard-at-hearing and deaf, and one volunteer. The total complement working at CORAL is 15 individuals. Its director, Oaxacan Saul Fuentes Olivares, is a career NGO organizer and employee. Its coordinator of promotion and fundraising, Megan Glore, is an American, curiously with a Masters’ in ethnobotany from the University of Kent in Canterbury, England. They, like the rest, are dedicated to ameliorating the problem of hearing impairment among young children in Oaxaca which would otherwise go unnoticed, and untreated.
The CORAL audiology clinic is designed for testing and diagnosis, repairs and maintenance to hearing aids and hearing-related accessories, and ongoing support. Individuals of all ages have access to the clinic.
The therapy center currently has 35 children enrolled. Parental attendance is a prerequisite. The program consists of morning group sessions and afternoon individualized treatment. Attendance is optimally required four days per week, and 10 is the maximum number children per hearing and speech specialist. With such numbers it should come as no surprise that there is a waiting list.
The early detection program is designed to identify and treat children in infancy, by sending staff out into the field, as well as training doctors to recognize and screen for hearing loss behaviors. A major component of this work is to assist parents in identifying normal childhood development and what to do if they suspect a hearing problem.
Analysis begins as early as two days after birth, with therapy commencing as early as six months old. While therapy generally continues for about two years, there are children who have been treated through the clinic for profound hearing loss for up to nine years, using different therapeutic modalities.
Through the social work component of CORAL, staff travels throughout the City of Oaxaca and into rural communities to identify and serve deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. Once in the home, staff educates on the use of aids, troubleshoots problems, provides resources, and monitors.
Why CORAL Needs Charitable Donations to Help Oaxacans with Hearing-Impairment – Mainly Children of Families of Extremely Modest Means
Every family which participates in CORAL hearing impairment programs must make a financial contribution. But such donations are token or extremely modest. For example, CORAL currently has three designated categories of families whose members receive assistance for hearing loss:
· Families with monthly income of less than 1,000 pesos (about $80 USD)
· Families with monthly income of between 1,000 and 5,500 pesos
· Families with monthly income of over 5,500 pesos.
The clinic assists the hearing impaired in mainly the first two categories. The cost to patients in the third category is lower than the prices for products and services charged elsewhere in Oaxaca. Currently each and every one of the 35 children being treated at the therapy center comes from a family earning less than 1,000 pesos monthly. Consider the donations that such households can possibly make!
While for the past five years CORAL has applied to the Government of Mexico for assistance, and has in fact received financial aid, the lion’s share of resources comes from individual donors and a number of Mexican corporate foundations. The total revenue received from all sources for running the 2009 programs was about 1.8 million pesos, or under $150,000 USD – to pay 15 employees; utility costs; maintenance and taxes on the CORAL facilities; for all equipment (including hearing aid batteries which last only 15 – 20 days); and for two vehicles.
Plans to Enhance the Work of CORAL for Deaf and Hearing Impaired in Oaxaca
CORAL is currently working on several projects it’s confident will bear fruit within the next several months, enabling it to better identify and treat deaf and hearing impaired children in Oaxaca:
· Designating a fourth category of monthly family income is in the works, designed to increase contributions from the “wealthy.” With all 35 children in the school coming from families with monthly incomes of less than 1,000 pesos, revenue from CORAL program participants to date has been negligible;
· February, 2010, marks the beginning of an in-home training program for parents in the outlying indigenous communities. Since many deaf and hearing impaired children reside more than a three-hour bus ride from the CORAL offices and are therefore precluded from attending regular weekly classes, this new program will bring CORAL’s resources into the pueblos by educating parents – for all intents and purposes making them therapists of their own children. Naturally, ongoing professional monitoring will continue;
· A plan is underfoot whereby if all goes as anticipated, a particular Mexican corporation will be donating a fully-equipped vehicle to serve as a mobile clinic, enabling the work of CORAL professionals in the villages to proceed more efficiently;
· Through the auspices of Child-Aid, CORAL is a registered charity in the US. One is therefore able to deduct charitable donations against US income. As a consequence of an agreement between Mexico and the US, American donors are entitled to receive tax deductible receipts by donating directly to CORAL. Now, a new arm to the program is in the planning stages, making contributions even more attractive to generous and caring Americans. With the institution of a child sponsorship program, contributors will have a one-on-one relationship with a particular infant or youth, and be able to monitor a child’s progress and note their contributions at work. The program would be akin to Foster Parents Plan.
What Vacationers Can Do for Deaf and Hearing Impaired Children in Oaxaca
While cash charitable donations constitute the most obvious and easiest means of contributing to the work done by CORAL for the deaf and hearing impaired of Oaxaca, there are other ways of providing aid and assistance:
· The hearing aid batteries brought to Oaxaca by the Cole-Gardner family were actually donated by the Oregon Lion’s Sight and Hearing Foundation. Like organizations in one’s hometown can be tapped. Those with connections to product manufacturers should be able to approach those companies for similar aid;
· Many medical and dental supplies are accessible through dental equipment and pharmaceutical representatives, doctors, nurses, hygienists, and other staff in related fields. The beauty of items such as tooth brushes, dental floss, band-aids, and hearing aid batteries is that they are light, take up very little suitcase room, and do not need special packing to prevent breakage;
· Donations of used clothing are invaluable. If a family in Oaxaca with a child in treatment does not have to purchase clothes, it therefore has more resources to contribute to the child’s therapy as well as to other necessities of life simply not accessible to those “living on the edge;”
· Given that the therapy center serves a dual function of school, small educational toys and games, as well as sports equipment is helpful;
· Visitors to Oaxaca are at times considering a longer-term stay, as part of a sabbatical or when considering more permanent residency in the city. Those with specific training or experience in a field related to teaching, therapy or medical treatment for the deaf and hearing impaired, can provide much-needed volunteer services. Similarly, those with technical skills related to hearing aid components and other tools and equipment used in assessment and treatment can offer support. Finally, the assistance of a graphic designer, artist and / or computer programmer would be useful to CORAL in achieving its goals.
Contact CORAL: Help The Deaf and Hearing Impaired Children of Oaxaca
Contact the staff of CORAL through its website (http://www.coraloaxaca.org), for more information about CORAL and helping the deaf and hearing impaired in Oaxaca through charitable contributions; or this writer to have your used clothing and other items picked up from your hotel or bed & breakfast.
Alvin Starkman has a Masters in anthropology and law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School. Now a resident of Oaxaca, Alvin writes, takes tours to the sights, is a consultant to documentary film companies, and owns Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast (http://www.oaxacadream.com), a unique Oaxaca bed and breakfast experience, providing Oaxaca accommodations which combine the comfort and service of Oaxaca hotels with the personal touch of quaint country inn style lodging.
1/16/2010
Chango Mezcalero: Pottery Mezcal Bottle from Oaxaca
Oaxacan Clay Spirits Container Has a Curious History in San Bartolo Coyotepec
Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B.
Chango Mezcalero has become a very collectible folk art item whose history has been recounted infrequently, if at all. While by all accounts it originated in the State of Oaxaca, home of mezcal – the spirit distilled from the baked, then fermented agave plant – it’s now highly sought after by collectors residing much further abroad.
The story of Chango Mezcalero may provide a link between the grey, functional pottery produced in Oaxaca’s San Bartolo Coyotepec initially during pre-Hispanic times, and the area’s contemporary black pottery or barro negro. Black pottery is stated to have resulted from the 1952/53 innovation of now famous Zapotec native potters, Doña Rosa Real and husband Don Juventino Nieto.
What Exactly is Chango Mezcalero, the Curious Monkey-Shaped Mezcal Bottle?
Chango Mezcalero is a clay receptacle in the shape of a monkey, often painted in brilliant colors, traditionally used for mezcal. In modern times the monkey shape has been manufactured as mainly decorative folk art, sometimes unpainted yet with detailed etching into the grey clay, occasionally bottomless and without a spout since it’s not intended for serving liquid.
The traditional Chango Mezcalero was used to hold, display and / or gift mezcal for imbibing, and hence the name. The clay bottle is just that, usually with a stopper made of cork, or a small piece of corn cob.
Some of the more common poses of the monkey include eating or simply holding a banana, arms across the chest, and one hand in front with the other covering an eye.
Chango Mezcalero served both the tourist and local trade. It’s encountered with Recuerdo de Oaxaca (Souvenir of Oaxaca) written on the back; and sometimes as a pair, with the name of a man painted on the front of one figure and of a woman on the other, suggested local use as personalized gifts – for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and other rites of passage. Sometimes it’s found painted, yet with no inscription, by no means unusual since its original function was as a combined adornment and serving bottle kept on the shelves of cantinas.
Chango Mezcalero´s size is usually between 8” and 9.5” in height. The traditional forms hold between about 700 ml and 1 liter, respectively.
Linking Barro Negro and Chango Mezcalero in an Historical Context
Eighty-year-old Don Valente Nieto, sole surviving progeny of Doña Rosa and Don Juventino, states that anyone else in his hometown of San Bartolo Coyotepec who maintains that they or their deceased relatives were the creator of Chango Mezcalero, is mistaken or misstating fact. He believes that his father, a highly talented sculptor, was the innovator of not only Chango Mezcalero, but other fanciful clay vessels used for holding mezcal.
Don Valente reveals that it all began when cantina operators from Oaxaca – first one, followed by others – started coming to the Nieto-Real homestead, requesting the chango bottle for keeping, displaying and selling mezcal. Eventually other animal forms were requested and produced. While the gifted Don Juventino created those different shapes as well, Chango Mezcalero gained notoriety.
Don Valente notes the clay molds of the chango, mermaid, stylized owl and more, tucked away as mementos of his father’s legacy. He points to vintage photos of his parents alongside such figures waiting to be placed in a rudimentary in-ground oven for baking. Don Juventino died in 1973, at 70 years of age, while Doña Rosa died some seven year later, at 80.
Indeed Don Valente’s parents are the acknowledged innovators of barro negro, the shiny black pottery now providing the livelihood for most townspeople in San Bartolo Coyotepec. In fact Nelson Rockefeller was an admirer of Doña Rosa and her barro negro, and himself had a substantial collection of her work. Before the early 1950s innovation of black pottery, and dating to pre-Hispanic times, villagers were producing only utilitarian grey clay pieces such as San Bartolo’s noted cantaro form.
An alternate version of the origin of Chango Mezcalero comes from the San Bartolo Coyotepec family of Marcelo Simon Galan, deceased. His granddaughter advises that her abuelo used to go on trade routes with his grey clay pieces including water bottles and pitchers. She continues that someone once asked him to make a monkey form, he complied, and then orders began to come in from others. He worked with the clay, while others did the painting.
With further investigation more facts will hopefully emerge which may lead to additional credence being given to this version of the origin of Chango Mezcalero. For what it’s worth, one of Don Marcelo´s changos is on display at the Museo de Arte Popular de Oaxaca in San Bartolo Coyotepec.
Nowithstanding the foregoing, and subject to further information coming to light, if the Nieto-Real family was the creator of barro negro, now coveted by collectors of Mexican crafts across the globe, is it too far a stretch to suggest that perhaps the same family was the innovator of Chango Mezcalero? As to why initially a chango, perhaps there’s a relationship between the black-faced, monkey-feautured Memin Pinguin Mexican comic book character, and the origins of Chango Mezcalero.
Cautionary Notes Concerning the History and Significance of Chango Mezcalero
The foregoing is hypothesis, based on partial oral histories and an examination of various vintage and contemporary pieces. While some would discount the validity of oral histories vis-à-vis Oaxacan studies, they remain an important methodology for piecing together information including chronology; sometimes complementing, while at other times being the only viable research tool yielding results.
When examining the relationship between the development of pre-Hispanic pottery traditions, barro negro and Chango Mezcalero, one must keep at least three points in mind:
The richness, diversity and multitude of pre-Hispanic art-forms developed in the central valleys of Oaxaca, as evidenced in, amongst other places, Oaxaca’s Rufino Tamayo Museum of Pre.Hispanic Art;
Two oral histories exist in San Bartolo Coyotepec regarding the origins of Chango Mezcalero, and more may come to light (or perhaps have already been told), with the distinct possibility that there may never be any definitive answer – and perhaps development began at roughly the same time, at different workshops;
There may indeed be physical evidence disputing the foregoing stories of the origin of Chango Mezcalero, and in fact close examination of bottles suggests that at some point in time it was produced using a different clay than that used for making barro products in San Bartolo Coyotepec.
Despite these and other caveats, the little, often colorful monkey-shaped mezcal bottle known as Chango Mezcalero, provides historians with fruit for further research, and folk art collectors with at least provisional answers to their queries.
Alvin Starkman has a Masters in anthropology and law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School. Now a resident of Oaxaca, Alvin writes, takes tours to the sights, is a consultant to documentary film companies, and owns Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast (http://www.oaxacadream.com ), a unique Oaxaca bed and breakfast experience, providing Oaxaca accommodations which combine the comfort and service of Oaxaca hotels with the personal touch of quaint country inn style lodging.
Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B.
Chango Mezcalero has become a very collectible folk art item whose history has been recounted infrequently, if at all. While by all accounts it originated in the State of Oaxaca, home of mezcal – the spirit distilled from the baked, then fermented agave plant – it’s now highly sought after by collectors residing much further abroad.
The story of Chango Mezcalero may provide a link between the grey, functional pottery produced in Oaxaca’s San Bartolo Coyotepec initially during pre-Hispanic times, and the area’s contemporary black pottery or barro negro. Black pottery is stated to have resulted from the 1952/53 innovation of now famous Zapotec native potters, Doña Rosa Real and husband Don Juventino Nieto.
What Exactly is Chango Mezcalero, the Curious Monkey-Shaped Mezcal Bottle?
Chango Mezcalero is a clay receptacle in the shape of a monkey, often painted in brilliant colors, traditionally used for mezcal. In modern times the monkey shape has been manufactured as mainly decorative folk art, sometimes unpainted yet with detailed etching into the grey clay, occasionally bottomless and without a spout since it’s not intended for serving liquid.
The traditional Chango Mezcalero was used to hold, display and / or gift mezcal for imbibing, and hence the name. The clay bottle is just that, usually with a stopper made of cork, or a small piece of corn cob.
Some of the more common poses of the monkey include eating or simply holding a banana, arms across the chest, and one hand in front with the other covering an eye.
Chango Mezcalero served both the tourist and local trade. It’s encountered with Recuerdo de Oaxaca (Souvenir of Oaxaca) written on the back; and sometimes as a pair, with the name of a man painted on the front of one figure and of a woman on the other, suggested local use as personalized gifts – for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and other rites of passage. Sometimes it’s found painted, yet with no inscription, by no means unusual since its original function was as a combined adornment and serving bottle kept on the shelves of cantinas.
Chango Mezcalero´s size is usually between 8” and 9.5” in height. The traditional forms hold between about 700 ml and 1 liter, respectively.
Linking Barro Negro and Chango Mezcalero in an Historical Context
Eighty-year-old Don Valente Nieto, sole surviving progeny of Doña Rosa and Don Juventino, states that anyone else in his hometown of San Bartolo Coyotepec who maintains that they or their deceased relatives were the creator of Chango Mezcalero, is mistaken or misstating fact. He believes that his father, a highly talented sculptor, was the innovator of not only Chango Mezcalero, but other fanciful clay vessels used for holding mezcal.
Don Valente reveals that it all began when cantina operators from Oaxaca – first one, followed by others – started coming to the Nieto-Real homestead, requesting the chango bottle for keeping, displaying and selling mezcal. Eventually other animal forms were requested and produced. While the gifted Don Juventino created those different shapes as well, Chango Mezcalero gained notoriety.
Don Valente notes the clay molds of the chango, mermaid, stylized owl and more, tucked away as mementos of his father’s legacy. He points to vintage photos of his parents alongside such figures waiting to be placed in a rudimentary in-ground oven for baking. Don Juventino died in 1973, at 70 years of age, while Doña Rosa died some seven year later, at 80.
Indeed Don Valente’s parents are the acknowledged innovators of barro negro, the shiny black pottery now providing the livelihood for most townspeople in San Bartolo Coyotepec. In fact Nelson Rockefeller was an admirer of Doña Rosa and her barro negro, and himself had a substantial collection of her work. Before the early 1950s innovation of black pottery, and dating to pre-Hispanic times, villagers were producing only utilitarian grey clay pieces such as San Bartolo’s noted cantaro form.
An alternate version of the origin of Chango Mezcalero comes from the San Bartolo Coyotepec family of Marcelo Simon Galan, deceased. His granddaughter advises that her abuelo used to go on trade routes with his grey clay pieces including water bottles and pitchers. She continues that someone once asked him to make a monkey form, he complied, and then orders began to come in from others. He worked with the clay, while others did the painting.
With further investigation more facts will hopefully emerge which may lead to additional credence being given to this version of the origin of Chango Mezcalero. For what it’s worth, one of Don Marcelo´s changos is on display at the Museo de Arte Popular de Oaxaca in San Bartolo Coyotepec.
Nowithstanding the foregoing, and subject to further information coming to light, if the Nieto-Real family was the creator of barro negro, now coveted by collectors of Mexican crafts across the globe, is it too far a stretch to suggest that perhaps the same family was the innovator of Chango Mezcalero? As to why initially a chango, perhaps there’s a relationship between the black-faced, monkey-feautured Memin Pinguin Mexican comic book character, and the origins of Chango Mezcalero.
Cautionary Notes Concerning the History and Significance of Chango Mezcalero
The foregoing is hypothesis, based on partial oral histories and an examination of various vintage and contemporary pieces. While some would discount the validity of oral histories vis-à-vis Oaxacan studies, they remain an important methodology for piecing together information including chronology; sometimes complementing, while at other times being the only viable research tool yielding results.
When examining the relationship between the development of pre-Hispanic pottery traditions, barro negro and Chango Mezcalero, one must keep at least three points in mind:
The richness, diversity and multitude of pre-Hispanic art-forms developed in the central valleys of Oaxaca, as evidenced in, amongst other places, Oaxaca’s Rufino Tamayo Museum of Pre.Hispanic Art;
Two oral histories exist in San Bartolo Coyotepec regarding the origins of Chango Mezcalero, and more may come to light (or perhaps have already been told), with the distinct possibility that there may never be any definitive answer – and perhaps development began at roughly the same time, at different workshops;
There may indeed be physical evidence disputing the foregoing stories of the origin of Chango Mezcalero, and in fact close examination of bottles suggests that at some point in time it was produced using a different clay than that used for making barro products in San Bartolo Coyotepec.
Despite these and other caveats, the little, often colorful monkey-shaped mezcal bottle known as Chango Mezcalero, provides historians with fruit for further research, and folk art collectors with at least provisional answers to their queries.
Alvin Starkman has a Masters in anthropology and law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School. Now a resident of Oaxaca, Alvin writes, takes tours to the sights, is a consultant to documentary film companies, and owns Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast (http://www.oaxacadream.com ), a unique Oaxaca bed and breakfast experience, providing Oaxaca accommodations which combine the comfort and service of Oaxaca hotels with the personal touch of quaint country inn style lodging.
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