Christmas in Oaxaca Tour

We begin today with two rarely visited archaeological sites. Lambityeco became important around the time of the decline of Monte Alban, about 700 A.D. During excavations of one of the structures in the 1960s, a tomb was discovered that was adorned with large, carved stucco heads of Cocijo, the god of lightning and rain, along with Zapotec rulers. Perched on a hilltop, Yagul is crowned by a fortress with magnificent views of the surrounding countryside. The fortified walls enclose buildings encircling plazas, several Mixtec tombs and the second biggest ball court in Mesoamerica (after the one at Chichén Itzá). Then we move on to Mitla, the second most important archaeological site in Oaxaca. The architecture of the palace is glorious, with spectacular mosaic fretwork covering the interior and exterior walls. Behind the Zapotec structures can be seen the red domes of a church that was built by the Spanish conquerors in 1544 on top of a pre-Hispanic religious platform. From here, depart for Teotitlán del Valle, a Zapotec village that has a 500 year history of weaving, especially rugs. After the conquest, Dominican missionaries introduced sheep to this town and since then it has become distinguished for the manufacture of hand-loomed wool rugs, blankets and serapes. By special arrangement, we meet privately with Faustino Ruiz Lorenzo, an acclaimed thirteenth-generation weaver, where he will demonstrate how each color is hand-dyed using tints from plants, insects, and other pigments. Our welcome dinner will be in Origen, one of Oaxaca’s many fine restaurants where Chef Rodolfo Castellano uses recipes that have been passed down through generations of his family. This evening we may encounter a posada, a reenactment of the search for shelter in Bethlehem of Joseph and his pregnant wife Mary that occurs each evening for the nine nights before Christmas. Carrying candles, these small groups walk through their neighborhood singing carols, frequently with two small children dressed as the Virgin and her husband. (B/L/D)

Our all day walking tour of the UNESCO Historic Center of the city begins with the Rufino Tamayo Museum to see a wonderful collection of pre-Hispanic art, left to the city by one of Mexico’s most famous painters and muralists. Enter the Palace of the Governor. The interior walls are brightly decorated with delightful paintings created by Arturo García Bustos, a Mexican painter from Mexico City who was one of ‘Los Fridos’, students who studied under Frida Kahlo. The murals portray important characters in Mexico’s history. Move on to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption dating back to 1535 and dominating the city’s main plaza. Inside, view a pipe organ constructed in 1690 and a piece of the legendary Holy Huatulco cross. Spend the afternoon in the Santo Domingo Cultural Center, housed in the cloister of the breathtaking Church of Santo Domingo. Until 1992, the ex-convent was used as an army base. Now a museum, it displays an amazing array of stunning artifacts from the valley sites as well as the exceptional Mixtec treasures found at Monte Albán. We will walk within the walls encircling the vast complex and covering one fourth of the grounds, to see an ethno-botanical garden launched by Francisco Toledo, the renowned Oaxacan artist. The large collection show the cultural significance of the plants, both in the present or in antiquity. Dinner is on our own to hunt for the perfect Oaxacan cuisine. (B/L)

Our morning will be spent at magnificent Monte Albán, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, spanning the crest of an artificially flattened mountain. Monte Albán was a major Zapotec ceremonial center where more than 150 tombs have been found containing some of the richest treasures in the Americas. We will walk through the huge plazas and see the famous danzantes, incised figures once thought to be dancers but are now thought to represent mutilated captives. Upon returning to Oaxaca, we will spend time in the Saturday market where merchants from throughout the valley come to lay out a profusion of hand-made crafts, indigenous foods and medicinal herbs. This is one of Mexico’s largest traditional markets and at Christmas the bounty is prodigious. Tonight, Oaxacans celebrate La Noche de Rábanos, or Night of the Radishes, an extraordinary festival combining religion, agriculture and art. Oaxaca’s zócalo is transformed with garlands of flower-studded laurels as families compete for prizes with displays of elaborate and intriguing sculptures, all made from fresh radishes. Dinner is on our own. (B/L)

High on a hilltop perches Atzompa, a Mixtec fortified city and satellite of the great Zapotec capital of Monte Alban. Although only partly excavated, archaeologists have found three ball courts and other important buildings. The silence of the near empty ruins and the breathtaking views of the valley below makes this place very special. In the village of Santa María Atzompa we will meet a great master of pottery, Angélica Delfina Vásquez Cruz. She began to work in clay when she was a child of seven, learning from her parents, and today her creations encompass a wide range of images from lovely angels to majestic female figures reflecting her work for women’s rights in Mexico. In 2009, the past president of Mexico, Felipe Calderón, presented Angélica the National Arts and Sciences Award in the “Arts and Traditions” category. In 2000, the world-renowned artist and native Oaxacan, Francisco Toledo purchased a huge abandoned Mexican textile factory and hacienda built in 1883 in the town of Etla. Respected for both his talent and his activism, Toledo used his resources to create the San Augustin Center for the Arts (CaSa) in order to ensure that the Oaxacan cultural and architectural heritage was preserved. We will visit the complex that incorporates craft workshops using environment-friendly techniques, expeditions, a retail store, and housing for international artists-in-residence. This is the night of the calendas, the celebration that concludes the posadas. The procession includes motorized floats representing different churches of the city, each accompanied by a brass band. Giant paper mâché puppets (monos) with arms that move in any direction, dance and twirl to the brass band, adding to the atmosphere of fun. Dinner is on our own this evening. (B/L)

In the 1990’s Rodolfo Morales, a famed Zapotec artist returned to Oaxaca and created a foundation with the goal of restoring colonial churches in Oaxaca. Together with Rufino Tamayo and Francisco Toledo, he helped make Oaxaca a center for contemporary art. Drive to Ocotlán de Morelos, his hometown, to see the church and ex-convent that has been transformed into a dazzling and exquisitely tasteful compound containing a museum displaying the artwork of local artists and artisans. While in Octolán, we will meet with one of the legendary Aguilar sisters in her home studio, a contemporary folk artist. First “discovered” by Nelson Rockefeller in his visits to Mexico in the 1970’s in search of fine pieces for his collection, the painted clay figures of the Aguilar sisters appear in important collections of Mexican folk art all over the world. In San Bartolo Coyótepec, the valley’s famed black pottery is hand-molded by an age-old technique and fired in pit kilns. Here we will enjoy a private demonstration by Carlomagno Pedro Martinez. In the village of San Tomás Jalieza we visit the home of Abigail Mendoz for a demonstration of the traditional method of back-strap weaving. Then it’s on to the home of the Fuentes family in San Martin Tilcajete to view the whimsical, brightly colored woodcarving style that is now associated with Oaxaca. Finally, travel to Santa Ana Zegaché to see another of the charming 16th-century churches revitalized by Rodolfo Morales. Our Christmas lunch will be as guests in a local Zapotec family home. Dinner is on our own. (B/L)

The Oaxaca valley is one of the richest repositories of historic pipe organs in the New World with seventy-two baroque tubular organs built between 1686 and 1891. Most are richly ornamented and retain elements of ancient Iberia. Our drive today takes us to San Jeronimo Tlacochahuaya’s late 16th century convent, one of the churches housing a pipe organ dating from about 1730. We will see this gorgeous musical instrument along with the ancient sun clock and interior walls enriched with traditional paintings by Native artists. Continue to Santa María del Tule to see El Árbol del Tule, a tree located in the church grounds. This Montezuma cypress, or ahuehuete, is Mexico’s nation tree and has a trunk with the widest girth in the world. On the way back to town, stop to enter the parish church in Santa María de la Asunción Tlacolula. The ornate baroque side-chapel, the Capilla del Mártir, has an eye-catching display of realistic, almost life-size sculptures of the 12 apostles in their various manners of martyrdom, in some cases holding their own severed head. We will then climb to the choir loft where another restored organ stands. By special arrangement, we will meet Cicely Winter, one of the founders of the Institute of Historic Organs of Oaxaca (IOHIO) and author of Oaxacan Regional Music of Yesterday and Today, Transcriptions for Organ and Piano. She will discuss the history of these historic wind instruments and the restoration project, and give us a short recital on this exquisite instrument constructed in 1792. Return to Oaxaca with the afternoon free for last minute shopping! (B/L)

Today begins with a visit to Zaachila. According to the codices (pre-conquest books made of animal hide), after the Zapotec kings abandoned Monte Albán, Zaachila became their capital. The tombs that have been found here are garlanded with relief sculptures of the rulers and the gods they served. We continue to the 16th-century Dominican convent of Cuilapán. This imposing and truly unforgettable church and monastery complex stands alone in the landscape, a timeless remembrance of the influence of the Dominican clergy in Colonial Mexico. Our final lunch together will be in the garden restaurant of Las Quince Letras. The chef’s specialty is mole made with a touch of almonds and olives – yum! (B/L)

Transfer to the Oaxaca City airport for our morning flights home. (B)