Lawyer Kaireddyn (“Kai”) Orta began fabricating his own, rudimentary tools for making tattoos in 1996, while still in high school here in Oaxaca, Mexico. One day, a neighbor saw him carrying a shoe box, and asked him what was in it. Kai showed him the adapted motor, needles, ink and other paraphernalia. The neighbor was […]
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What better way to begin a series of children’s cooking classes than with pizza and mango smoothies? Chef Pilar Cabrera‘s Casa de los Sabores began their inaugural class with the basics of kitchen safety and hygiene, composting and recycling, and nutrition, all in a three-hour session. And at the same time, lead instructor Ninfa Raigosa infused […]
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The Sunday open air stalls at the Lagunilla in Mexico City, the expansive roadside shops just north of San Miguel de Allende, the stores and weekend marketplace at Los Sapos in Puebla, and good old fashioned picking in the state of Oaxaca. Each provides a fruitful avenue for acquiring antiques and collectibles in Central and […]
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Oaxaca is magical — its history, culture, art, architecture and folklore. The traditional Guelaguetza, celebrated in July, is a quintessential expression of Oaxaca tradition. Now, Noches Magicas de Guelaguetza are a uniquely Oaxacan Christmas festivity. Celebrated on December 22 and 23, 2011, the event invites tourists and residents to participate in a variety of cultural experiences. Beginning at […]
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Erica is sitting in the office of her boss of eight years, Douglas French, owner of Scorpion Mezcal in San Agustín de las Juntas, Oaxaca. French has just informed her that she qualifies to become a purchaser in Infonavit, Mexico’s government-sponsored home ownership program, which provides low interest mortgages in designated housing developments. French then […]
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Tejate is a pre-Hispanic corn and cacao based drink. It is likely the only complex food recipe in all Mexico still enjoyed today just as it was thousands of years ago in Oaxaca. When visiting a Oaxacan marketplace and enjoying a half jícara gourd of tejate, you’re likely treating yourself to the same carefully crafted beverage, made with virtually […]
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Most tourists have no idea that only a couple of hundred yards off the main highway, a minute or two from the black pottery village, is one the most fascinating destinations that the state of Oaxaca has to offer children and adults alike. And yet the majority of travelers have at least heard or read […]
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Jacobo Ángeles’ work is prominently displayed in The Smithsonian, Chicago’s National Museum of Mexican Art, and elsewhere throughout the continent and further abroad, in museums, art colleges and galleries One would be hard-pressed to search the Americas and find creators of folk art with more form, symbolism and importance to the development and sustenance of […]
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“Look at that female warrior over there… notice the belt I made for her, with penises hanging from it, her trophies.” Artist Manuel Reyes aspires to exhibit his work in art galleries in Oaxaca and Mexico City. Give him that exposure over the next couple of years, and there’s little doubt his genius will be […]
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Mexico is a very interesting country. Many things are happening. Nowhere else in the world are people protesting because taxes are going down. The old gringo gets an assortment of questions and requests. This is No. 1 for now. Challenge: Please explain the complaints about the REDUCTION in the tax on soft drinks. Response: Mexicans […]
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