The Day We Travel

06/09/2024

So I had the pleasure of doing another interview for another California-based online publication called BoldJourney. I love that they share stories of people living life boldly and motivate others to learn from one another and make changes that inspire growth and success. 🥳

I was honored that they chose to do a feature on me. 🥹

Here’s the article:
https://boldjourney.com/meet-dewi-aldrich/

Happy reading! Cheers! 🤓🙌🏻🥂

05/05/2024

Howdy y’all! Announcing a brand new tour: “Austin & Texas Hill Country”!!!

Dates: April 2-8, 2025

Spend 6 nights in Austin with local sightseeing and day trips to Johnson City, Stonewall, Fredericksburg, Marble Falls, Waco, and San Antonio. The latter two cities are rather Central and South-Central, TX respectively, but the commutes are short!

This tour highlights history with visits to some iconic sites, such as LBJ Ranch, TX State Capitol, and The Alamo. There is also plenty of nature to soak up as we spend time at Ladybird’s botanical garden, Longhorn Cavern State Park, and ride alongside fields of wildflowers, including the famous bluebonnets, Texas’s state flower, which blooms only from late March to May. 🪻🌷🌼

We explore some off the beaten path sites such as Dr Pepper Museum and Waco National Monument in Downtown Waco, a town made famous by HGTV stars Chip & Joanna Gaines of a TV series called ‘Fixer Upper.’

No visit to Texas Hill Country would be complete without time spent in Fredericksburg, aka Fritztown for its German history, and home to Texas Wine Country. Occupying over 9 million acres with more than 50 wineries, vineyards, and tasting rooms, this region makes up the 2nd largest certified Viticultural Area in America. Enjoy a tram tour through one of the local vineyards and sit down for a private tasting led by a wine connoisseur. 🍷

One of the highlights of this trip is one hotel the entire 6 nights we’re down South. That’s right — we’ll call Downtown Austin ‘home’ where we set up just a few blocks away from Congress Ave Bridge aka “Bat Bridge” straddling the Colorado River.

No hauling luggage to different hotels. No lengthy bus rides. Unpack once, kick your feet up, or put on some cowboy boots, and cool down with a Texan margarita at your nearest watering hole. 😎

Never been to the Lone Star State? Or has it been years, but you’ve not explored some of the attractions I mentioned here?

Whatever the case may be, there are no other tour companies that offer such a unique itinerary, let alone small group tours to Texas period.

If you are intrigued and want to join in on the fun, snag your spot today! Yeehaw! 🤠✈️🚌

Register here:
https://www.thedaywetravel.com/new-products/6d6p8dbdh35n9sq1y7kbvcyvis9ke1-b25m8-m4dl8

05/01/2024

Just wanted to update you all that the 2 vacant spots on my Canadian Rockies tour have now been sold! This trip is fully booked again. 🥳

Thank you to two guests on this trip that convinced their long-time friends to go with them. 🥰 Yay for new customers! 🙌🏻

Also, I just made a deposit payment today for Rocky Mountaineer. A trip that I had planned, marketed, and sold out back in July of 2023, is beginning to feel real! 🥲

Speaking of this luxury rail, here’s what will be included onboard:

✅ Panoramic views
✅ Oversized glass dome windows
✅ Outdoor viewing area
✅ Daylight only journey for ideal viewing
✅ Delicious gourmet meals served in our seats
✅ Fresh pastries, snacks, and beverages
✅ 2 dedicated train hosts per coach
✅ Overnight hotel in Kamloops, B.C.
✅ Transportation to/from hotel/rail
✅ Luggage handling onboard to/from hotel
✅ Gratuities to Onboard Hosts & culinary team members
✅ And the most breathtaking scenery!!!!

I am THRILLED to be going on this adventure with all my guests that have chosen my small business to host them in Canada. 🇨🇦🙏🏻🥹

03/28/2024

Hi friends! I have a cancellation and not one, but TWO spots now open on The Day We Travel’s “Autumn in the Canadian Rockies” tour.

The dates: September 22-Oct 2, 2024
Start: Calgary, Canada
End: Vancouver, Canada

Some highlights include Banff, Yoho, and Jasper National Parks, Lake Louise, Peyto Lake, amongst other gorgeous glacial lakes, two lake cruises, Banff Gondola, Athabasca Glacier, many wonderful meals, and a 2-day journey aboard the luxurious Rocky Mountaineer from Jasper to Vancouver with a stop overnight in Kamloops, Canada. 🇨🇦

More information, including a daily itinerary & pricing, can be found here:

https://www.thedaywetravel.com/new-products/autumn-in-the-canadian-rockies-september-2024

If you would like to join this trip, or know someone that may be interested, please pass along the word, and email me at 📧[email protected] for tour registration and payment details.

This is a trip of a lifetime you won’t want to miss!!! 🙋🏻‍♀️

01/10/2024

So I recently did an interview with an LA-based publication that shines a light on mom n pops, small businesses, and independent artists & creatives.

If you’re interested in reading a little bit about my tour biz, the inspo and support behind it, as well as somemof my fav local LA spots, please click on the link below:

https://shoutoutla.com/meet-dewi-aldrich-tour-operator-tour-director/

Thank you! 😊

01/10/2024

It’s been cold these nights in LA, and when I say cold, it’s mid-to-high 40s, so ‘cold’ is relative. 🥶😅 I’ve been enjoying mint tea & honey every night before bed. It’s soothing, relaxing, and has now become my nightly ritual. Is there anything you do that relaxes you before you turn in for the night? 🍵🍯

01/03/2024

Most people dread the idea or hate the act of moving. I get it — when you think about a house or an apartment you’ve made your home for X years and all the memories in it, it’s sometimes hard to let go, and of course, it’s a lot of crap you’ve accumulated 🥴 and now have to decide what to keep, toss, and donate. It sounds overwhelming, and can be exhausting.

But for me, to my surprise, I have found this process of decluttering, cleaning, and boxing 📦 items I want to keep and donate, to be incredibly therapeutic mentally, physically, and emotionally. I feel productive and good knowing I have a lot to give to those in need. It’s also been sentimental in encountering or rediscovering things that I have long forgotten about …

I actually think this whole process is, dare I say, kind of fun 😅, and a truly meditative way to reflect and process where I’ve been in my life and where I’m going …

The end of my chapter here in LA is near, and I’m thrilled and terrified at the same time in buying my very first single family home alone. But I believe in my heart it’s the right path for me, and I’m grateful, hopeful, and feel empowered for what new experiences and opportunities lie ahead in 2024. 🙌🏻🙏🏻

It’s like what they always say, “The end of one story is the beginning of another.” ✨

01/01/2024

The year 2023 was one filled with excitement, playfulness, vulnerability, new experiences, family trips, numerous visits to dad’s grave, many coffee outings with mom, dinners with girlfriends, and a LOT of travel — both mini getaways and trips to far-flung destinations, including countless train rides, both domestic and abroad. ✈️🚊

I clocked in thousands of air miles having gotten on 40+ flights this year, traveled to 13 U.S. states, some of which I visited 3X in this year alone for work, 13 National Parks, 5 state parks, 2 international national parks, ran 4 The Day We Travel tours (PNW, Mid-Coast Maine, Louisiana & Natchez, MS, and Oaxaca, Mexico), and stayed in 50+ hotels.

I traveled to 4 countries — Japan and South Korea, Canada twice (Montreal/Quebec and Alberta/British Columbia), and Mexico. 🌎

Some of my happiest highlights include:

📌Donating a nearly 20-year old car to a dear neighbor in need, and finally purchasing my very first brand new car. I have never bought my own car before, so this was a huge accomplishment for me.

📌Selling out in just 36 hours my Canadian Rockies tour, which is set to run in late Sept 2024. Sincere thanks to all my guests that signed up and many, many thanks to all my customers who trust me to guide them on epic vacations.

📌Watching the most breathtaking sunset sink into the ocean from the 57th floor of a 5-star luxury hotel in Incheon, South Korea 🇰🇷

📌Saw my very first moose 🫎 (3 of them!) in Jasper, Canada 🇨🇦

📌And having my sisters 🥰 join me on my last tour of the year to my fav place in Mexico: Oaxaca 🇲🇽

Even though my year was busy and full of adventures and happy memories, it unfortunately ends with heartbreak 💔 as the man I thought was my life partner, best friend, lover, and travel buddy, abruptly ended our relationship. No matter how far or often I traveled, I had always thought of him as my ‘home, my safe place, my heart.’ He was someone I could be my 💯 authentic self with and that was truly liberating.

And so now when the future you had envisioned has been shattered, you’re left to pick up the pieces. I go through the stages of extreme sadness, anger, confusion, feelings of abandonment, the fear of starting over, and now utter disappointment over a loss I had never anticipated. I’m in the midst of doing the inner work to heal and find myself again, and it will take time …

What’s been helpful lately is cleaning out my home and packing away boxes while binging on Esther Perel’s podcast, “Where Should We Begin.” She is a brilliant light and a soothing voice of reason and compassion. A true problem solver and as articulate as they come. Listening to her and playing her card game has been very therapeutic for me. I highly recommend Esther Perel. She’s my beacon of hope. 🙏🏻✨

Here’s to healing, transition, newfound joy, a new home, a new chapter, new adventures, meeting friends old and new, good health, and more travel adventures in 2024. 🙌🏻

May you all have a safe and wonderful new year, whether or not you’re with loved ones. Always remember YOU are loved and you are enough. ♥️🥂

12/31/2023

Day 6, the final day of our Oaxaca tour took us to the ancient Zapotec ruins known as Monte Albán. Located just 6 miles west of Oaxaca City on a ridge that sits 1,400 ft higher than the 5,000 ft. capital city, we learned about the Zapotec peoples, their culture & rituals, and how this was the socio-polticial and economic center of Oaxaca Valley for 1,500 years beginning around 500 BCE. The Olmecs and Mixtecs also occupied these lands.

We then returned to our hotel for a brief hour-long ‘break’ before reconvening for a late lunch/farewell dinner, which took place during a cooking class that I had organized. I went with a vendor that I had found on Airbnb Experiences, with whom I had booked on two previous visits to Oaxaca. They never disappoint.

Baldo and his wonderful mother Sonia run the cooking class, and it’s not one of the typical cooking classes where the hosts take you to a local market prior to actually cooking the meal. My group has had plenty visits at local markets during the week.

So this was more of an experience where Baldo talked about the different foods we’d have and participating in making some component of the dishes, like making various salsas, grinding the myriad of ingredients for the black mole, and assembling our own memelas, tetelas, and quesadillas with toppings of our choice.

There was also an open bar —a table with a large array of different mezcals to imbibe on, along with all the snacks you could eat.

In total, we had an 8-course meal with offers of more food, drinks, dessert, and mezcal. We were stuffed! Everything was delicious, fun, educational, and lively. Baldo and Sonia were the most excellent hosts who feel like family. It was a great, interactive way of wrapping up our culturally enriching week in Oaxaca. ☺️🥹🇲🇽

12/28/2023

Day 5 of our Oaxaca tour included a visit to a natural attraction, a tour of a mezcal distillery w/ tastings, lunch, and coffee at our local guide Yesi Rojas’ shop.

Just over an hour outside of Oaxaca City, there are mineral springs that run into a series of bathing pools on a cliff with gorgeous panoramic views of the mountains. This place is known as Hierve el Agua. It’s one of the most popular and iconic destinations of Oaxaca, and so happens to also be my favorite ‘escape’ from the city. 😎

Hierve el Agua means, ‘the Water Boils,’ but there’s nothing boiling here. The mineral-laden water is actually cold. Quite cold. But oh so refreshing, especially on a hot day. 💦
You can swim in these pools, or just sit on the ledge and put your feet in. It leaves your skin feeling silky smooth due to the minerals. Then take a walk to the base of the petrified ‘falls.’

Water dripping over the cliff edge for millions of years has created mineral formations that look like frozen waterfalls or even stalactites.

We rose early and left our hotel at 7 AM. Staff was nice enough to hand us hot coffee on our way out. We enjoyed, at a local family’s home, a breakfast of memelas with eggs and cheese quesadillas with tortillas made fresh right off the comal. This was accompanied by coffee and the most delicious hot chocolate. Then we went to Hierve el Agua, which we practically had all to ourselves. The crowds usually trickle in after 10 AM. The attraction is so much more magical without the tourists.

We then went to lunch at a wonderful hidden gem in Tlacolula de Matamoros (home to the largest outdoor market in Oaxaca which takes place every Sunday) where we feasted on grilled meats & mole rojo with a beautiful array of floral & fruity sorbet. We then visited a mezcal distillery.

When in Oaxaca, you will inevitably see mezcal everywhere. It’s tequila’s “smoky” cousin. Every restaurant, bar, and Oaxacan family home is stocked with it, and there is no shortage of variety.

Its flavor will vary based on the type of agave plant, the soil and weather conditions of the land where the agave originates (think terroir, much like wine), and the local traditions that were passed through generations. The complexity of flavor of the mezcal can also be very different between the same agave plant.

I absolutely love it, enjoy sampling it, and comparing flavor profiles. Traditionally, it is drunk neat, but you can have it in mixed cocktails too. But when consumed neat, you sip on it slowly, not taken as shots like tequila. The Oaxacans always say to give your mezcal besitos, or little kisses, and savor the experience.

Here are 5 quick facts on mezcal: ⬇️

👉🏻 The word “mezcal” comes from the Aztec word mexcalli, which combines metl (meaning maguey, aka agave) and ixcalli (meaning cooked). The literal translation of mezcal is “cooked agave.”

👉🏻 Mezcal is the oldest liquor in Latin America, having been around for 3,000 years with the Aztecs.

👉🏻 Mezcal is not tequila, but tequila is mezcal. Confused? Mezcal refers to any alcohol made from agave, whereas tequila is made from a single type of agave, the blue agave from Jalisco, Mexico.

👉🏻 Just as real Champagne can only be made in the Champagne region of France, real mezcal must come from one of eight states in Mexico, the largest of which is Oaxaca known as “the mezcal capital of the world.” 🙌🏻

👉🏻 Mezcal gets its smoky taste and fragrance from the way agave breaks down before fermentation. The piña (agave heart) is placed in a pit dug into the ground and filled with hot coals, where it sits for at least 2 days. The roasted piña is fibrous and its juices taste very similar to that of sugar cane.

We then finished off the day with a visit to our Oaxaca guide’s very own coffee shop, La Leyenda, or legends & stories in Spanish, where we indulged on espresso-based bevs, teas, and her mother-in-law’s delicious homemade strawberry cheesecake. 😋

12/24/2023

12/23/2023

Day 4 of Oaxaca, Mexico tour continued …

One of my fav places to dine with a group on tour in Oaxaca is Almú in San Martín Tilcajete. We come here after our wonderful alebrije lesson and paint-your-own 🎨 workshop.

This unassuming spot has gained popularity in recent years, since it’s owned and operated by Ricardo Ángeles Mendoza, a visual artist and the son of famous alebrije artists Jacobo y María Ángeles, but it still retains its rustic charm. 🇲🇽

From the dirt floors and recycled wooden dining tables and mismatched chairs to the smoky atmosphere due to the wood-burning stoves and comals in the open kitchen and employees in casual streetwear, this establishment has a fun, casual, and lively communal atmosphere.

It’s outdoor dining in a garden 🌺 where you’re surrounded by hanging plants 🪴 and flowers. It’s so pretty, I couldn’t stop snapping photos. 😅

And the food is traditional Oaxacan cuisine, using recipes passed down from Ricardo’s grandparents, made with fresh ingredients that are sourced directly from their gardens. I leave it to my fantastic local guide Yesi Rojas to order what she thinks is best as she knows what I like and what my group can/cannot eat. Everything was delicious. 😋

And the mixologist on-site makes some wonderful mezcal cocktails! 🍹 When your guide tells you the cocktails here are good and that you should order one, you do as she tells you. She was not wrong! 😅🙃

12/22/2023

12/22/2023

Day 4 of Oaxaca brought us to a small town known as San Martín Tilcajete, about 20 miles south of Oaxaca City. It not only is our personal driver Eduardo’s hometown, but it’s home to alebrijes, brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures of fantastical creatures.

The concept of alebrijes is attributed to Mexico City artist Pedro Linares, who said that in 1943 while he was ill, he had dreamt of a strange forest filled with mythical animals that were all yelling and repeating the word, “Alebrijes!”

Upon recovery, he was inspired to create these creatures with papier-mâché and cardboard. He sold his works at a market, when a gallery owner discovered him, and presented his art to Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, who then commissioned him to make more alebrijes. His fame took off and the popularity of alebrijes spread to the rest of Mexico, where places like Oaxaca also began producing them.

The difference in Oaxaca, though, is that the alebrijes there are created by carving copal, a tree native to Central Mexico, and then intricately painted with colors sourced from natural ingredients. Apparently, animal figures had always been carved in the central valleys area of Oaxaca by the Zapotecs since the pre-Hispanic period. Today, the main economy of Tilcajete is driven by alebrijes where hundreds of family-run shops are present.

We went to a shop and gallery that I visited back in Feb 2020 with my parents. It has since undergone an expansion due to their success in selling many commissioned-based large pieces. We not only learned the history of alebrijes and watched paint colors magically transform, but we also discovered our tona y nahual, or spirit animals on the Zapotec calender based on our DOB.

The tona is our protector and guide on earth, and it transitions into our nahual, our protector in death, that guides us through obstacles before reaching the afterlife. It was neat to learn each of our spirit animals and what alebrje design was possible incorporating the two animals.

My tona is an iguana and my nahaul is an owl. Our Zapotec host said I’m a “good leader but bossy,” 😅 and that I possess “emotional intelligence and am a natural healer.” Watch the video below for the rest of his explanations.

We then toured the gallery, met some professionl carvers and painters, studied the different meanings behind various intricate designs.

And then we got to choose a wooden carving and try our hand at painting our very own alebrije, which was so much fun!

It was NOT easy trying to decide what colors and designs to put on our own figurines. And it was certainly challenging to some (myself included) 😅 to paint dots, lines, and flowers, on them. What I saw in my head did not translate very well onto my alebrije. 🤣 This made for some funny entertainment, but it also allowed us to appreciate the hard work and patience it goes into creating so many of these lovely pieces.

12/21/2023

12/21/2023

12/21/2023

12/21/2023

On Day 3 of my Oaxaca, Mexico 🇲🇽 tour, I enlisted the services of my personal favorite local food guide, Betsy Morales. Born and raised in Oaxaca, she runs her own food tour company and specializes in street food from the various food markets within the city. On top of that, she’s chosen to work with and showcase female-owned shops, which I love and highly support. Go women-owned businesses and female empowerment! 👊🏻🙋🏻‍♀️

Betsy’s company, Oaxaca Street Food Tour, has grown since I first met her on my first visit to Oaxaca in 2019, and she has since hired other guides. But I specifically requested her for my group, and I am so grateful she happily obliged. 🥹

The tour consists of walking to several food stops where we ate our hearts out. Unlike food tours in the U.S., and I’ve been on a few, the Oaxacans are very GENEROUS in their offerings. I told my group to enjoy coffee/tea and maybe some fruit & yogurt at our hotel (optional), because I know Betsy always starts off her tours with a bang.

On our first stop, we were treated to a plate full of memelas (Oaxacan open-faced tacos), tlayudas (Oaxacan toasted tortillas slathered with beans, cheese, & meat), garnachitas (Oaxacan mini fried tostadas topped with beans & shredded chicken), quesadillas, and pumpkin tamales.

Everything was delicious, and all this was washed down with more coffee, Oaxacan hot chocolate, green juice, and pozontle, a ceremonial drink from the Sierra Norte region of Oaxaca, made of a lightly sweet blend of cacao, corn, water, and panela (undefined whole cane sugar). It is frothy and refreshing.

Our following stops included sampling cacao, Oaxacan-made fresh chocolate at different sugar levels, Oaxacan chocolate milk, 4 of the 7 different moles that Oaxaca is known for, and delicious meats, grilled to order over blazing charcoal fires, served with salsas, charred veggies, and tortillas.

We also had tejate, an indigenous beverage made of toasted maize, fermented cacao beans, toasted mamey pits, and flor de cacao (a tree native to Mexico). These are finely ground into a paste, and the paste is mixed with water, usually by hand, and when ready, the flor de cacao rises to the top to form a pasty foam. It’s served cold and is also very refreshing.

We went on to indulge on a shot of mezcal, sipped on slowly, like you’re giving it kisses; large ants 🐜 called chicatana; and chapulines, or grasshoppers that are an important source of protein in the rural areas and a delicacy in the city of Oaxaca. They vary from small to large, and are cooked in boiling water seasoned with garlic, lime, and chili. They are crispy and delicious! 😋

I am so proud that my guest Molly Abreu
tried her first and perhaps last ant, and John R Leslie had his first grasshopper and remarked, “Very tasty!” Yay to new experiences and new foods - even if you don’t like something, at least you know you tried it. Pat Jackson said no to both ant and grasshoppers. 🤣 We finished the tour with a round of sorbet, which came in a variety of flavors, like tamarind and tuna, Spanish for prickly pear fruit. 🌵

We must have walked about 1.5 miles in all, and boy were we all stuffed by the end of the tour. I think we all skipped out on dinner. But we sure learned a lot, was immersed in the local culture, and appreciated the labor and passion behind what the locals put out there. I 💯 recommend Oaxacan food 101 with Betsy!! 👏🏻😄

12/20/2023

12/20/2023

12/20/2023

Day 2 in Oaxaca continued … After half the day was spent in Teotitlán del Valle, our local guide brought us back to Oaxaca City for one more art demo and interactive class. 🎨

This was an activity Yesi Rojas and I decided to add to the itinerary as a way to support the local art school in town known as Taller Artístico Comunitario. The organizers have collaborated to run a school that offers free art classes to both children and adults who are interested in learning all forms of art and/or honing in on their craft.

Many of the artists there also create statement pieces inspired by the sociopolitical/economic issues that face the city, Oaxaca state, and Mexico as a whole. They encourage others to express themselves through art.

During our visit, we learned the art of linocut. Also known as lino printing, it’s a printmaking technique, a variant of woodcut in which a sheet of linoleum, in this case mounted on a wooden block, is used for a relief surface. A design is cut into the linoleum surface with a sharp knife or a V-shaped chisel with the raised (uncarved) areas representing a reversal (mirror image) of the parts to show printed. The linoleum sheet is inked with a roller and then impressed onto paper or fabric. The actual printing can be done by hand or with a printing press, which we got to use in class.

Our instructor asked us to think of a theme, so that we could all create something under that same topic, when Molly immediately blurted out, “Sun!” 😂 It was perfect, because we all agreed to it, thinking drawing a sun ☀️ might be relatively easy. Well, it was certainly not that easy sketching, and then tracing over with our chisels, a perfect circle. 🥴

I am by no means “artsy.” I have a hard enough time drawing stick figures, let alone carving through a block of wood. 😅

Despite this, however, I found the session simultaneously mentally stimulating and meditative. It was neat to learn and watch the process from start to finish. And in the end, I think all of our designs turned out fantastic. It was fun to see how we all interpreted the “sun” theme in our own ways. And I am proud of my group for being so open to trying something new! 🙃👏🏻 🇲🇽

12/18/2023

12/18/2023

Day 2 in Teotitlán del Valle continued …

After the beeswax candle 🕯️ workshop, our local Oaxacan guide Yesi Rojas and I took my group to learn about the ancient Zapotec weaving tradition that has been practiced for over 1,000 years. Teotitlán is renowned for its colorful and intricate textiles.

The wool comes from sheep and is dyed by natural ingredients from plants and insects, such as the cochineal, a parasite native to tropical and subtropical South America through North America (Mexico and the Southwest U.S.). The insects are found on the pads of prickly pear cacti 🌵, collected by brushing them off the plants, and then dried.

Once squashed by hand, the cochineal releases carminic acid that is red in color. It’s been used in the Americas for coloring fabrics and became an essential export good for centuries.

Did you know it’s primarily used as a colorant in food and in lipstick? 💄

The rugs and other artisanal items are woven on a large wooden loom, and is a complex process that is done completely by hand and powered by feet pedals. It is astounding to watch them work it. I know I’d screw up the rugs, for sure! 😅

Some of the larger and intricate rugs with multiple Zapotec patterns and Mitla-inspired geometric shapes can take months to produce.

In Teotitlán, there are numerous family-run weaving workshops inside family homes as well as woven goods sold in stores and galleries all throughout Oaxaca City and Oaxaca state.

But we prefer to go to Josefina’s. She is a wonderful host, whom I had visited last year with another group and with my parents in Feb 2020 while on a Oaxaca scouting trip. Josefina has been weaving since she was 9 years old, and it was a pleasure to not only meet but watch her 81 year old mother work her magic this month.

After the demo on the spinning of the wool and the magical transformation of dyes, we got to shop her colorful gallery. Josefina’s great in that she does not push you to buy. There is absolutely no obligation to buy anything, but of course, we all went home with something. 😌 It was difficult to choose because I wanted to buy it all! 😅

I bought my very first Oaxacan rug from a 15 year old boy in Teotitlán in December 2019 and it has since been hanging proud on a wall in the foyer of my home. I came away from Josefina’s with yet another handwoven rug dyed with indigo and can’t wait to hang it in my new home. 🏠🥹

After shopping, we were treated to a delicious homemade multi-course lunch in the family’s home overlooking their open kitchen. Josefina’s home and gallery for me, is always a highlight on tour! ☺️ And I looove to support small! 🙏🏻

12/17/2023

12/16/2023

My group and I kicked off Day 2 on tour with a visit to a small village called Teotitlán del Valle, located 45 minutes east of Oaxaca City 🇲🇽 in the foothills of the Sierra Juárez Mountains.

Founded in 1465, it was one of the first pueblos founded by the indigenous tribe known as Zapotecs and still retains its strong Zapotec culture and language today. The name Teotitlán comes from Nahuatl and means "land of the gods." Its Zapotec name is Xaguixe, which means "at the foot of the mountain,” appropriately named.

It’s known for its textiles, especially rugs, which are woven on hand-operated looms, from wool acquired from local sheep and dyed mainly with local, natural dyes. We’ll get into this in a separate post. But it’s also home to elaborate candles all made by hand from natural beeswax sourced from local beekeepers. 🐝

In the Zapotec culture, candles were placed on altars as offerings to the Gods. For generations to this day, candles are used for a variety of religious and other celebrations such as weddings, confirmations, posadas during Christmas, Day of the Dead, and quinceañeras, the equivalent of Sweet Sixteens that take place when a Mexican girl reaches 15 years of age.

From the shaping of the petals to the coloring of the wax, everything is done by hand using the same methods passed down from families through the years.

Before the wax is colored, it’s molded into discs to be bleached in the sun. The flat disks are then attached to spikes on branches of the Huizache tree and left outdoors for a minimum of two weeks+ until they are bleached white by the sun. And then they are dyed with various colors formed from natural resources.

The most famous and probably the oldest candlemaker in the region is Viviana Alávez, who has been making candles from the age of 8. The woman is in her late 70s today and is still actively working at her namesake shop, Casa Viviana. I got to visit her with my parents in February 2020 and still have in my possession one of the elaborate candles she made herself.

As a group on this trip, we each got to try our hand at making flowers from colored beeswax, which was fun and meditative. I think the hardest part is getting the candle off the mold! We then collectively put the flower candle together. Imagine assembling each of these by hand to make one of the large elaborate floral pieces for special occasions!

See videos in a separate post for the process and for guest accidently blurring out her favorite ‘curse’ word. 😉😝