This handcrafted Frida Kahlo doll wears a the traditional Mexican dress used by folkloric dancers in Jalisco © Alvin Starkman, 2012

Mexico’s Frida Kahlo in Oaxaca Handicrafts

The Mexican state of Oaxaca is renowned for its handicrafts. From black pottery and handloomed Zapotec rugs to silverwork and alebrijes, the collector will find a wealth of beautiful handcrafted work. For some time, the Aguilar sisters of Ocotlan have created colorful terracotta sculptures, including figurines of women in traditional Oaxaca costume. Friduskas are newcomers […]

Continue Reading
Hierve el Agua is stunning, one of Oaxaca's most impressive attractions

Hierve el Agua: Bubbling springs and petrified waterfalls in Oaxaca, Mexico

Hierve el Agua is stunning, one of Oaxaca’s most impressive attractions — and perhaps one of the most spectacular in the entire country. Yet, surprisingly, it is one of the least visited. With its bubbling springs and petrified waterfalls, Hierve el Agua should be considered a “must see” for naturalists, photographers, hikers and anyone else […]

Continue Reading
The tables are set and ready for guests. Custom centerpieces and place settings can be arranged in Oaxaca salones para eventos. © Alvin Starkman 2008

Affordable Oaxaca as a locale for any grand fiesta

If you’re getting married, turning 50, or planning that anniversary bash… consider Oaxaca They say that Mexicans really know how to party. Here in Oaxaca we do it in spades, because it’s part of a longstanding cultural tradition. Also because it’s affordable, certainly relative to what it would cost in the U.S. or Canada. What […]

Continue Reading
Dried chile guajillo, fresh vegetables and yierba santa leaves figure in Oaxaca's regional Mexican cuisine. © Alvin Starkman 2008

Authentic Mexican cuisine at Oaxaca’s La Casa de los Sabores cooking school

If visitors to Oaxacan cooking school La Casa de los Sabores came away with nothing more than great recipes and a wonderful meal, they would leave fully satisfied. Oaxaca’s unique gastronomy is rich in unique herb- and spice-accented flavor combinations that are its hallmark. But a visit with owner and chef extraordinaire Pilar Cabrera also […]

Continue Reading
A young girl dancing in traditional regional dress.

Hey Compadre

Whether you live in Oaxaca or vacation here on a regular basis, if you’ve begun to integrate into the community, eventually you’ll be asked to be a padrino or madrina (godparent) to an ahijado or ahijada (godchild), so you’d better familiarize yourself with “compadrazgo,” or co-godparenthood. In a nutshell, it’s a web of mutual rights and obligations of monumental importance throughout Mexico and […]

Continue Reading