When Beltran Arenas, a reporter/photographer from Oaxaca City first arrived in Salchi 5 years ago with his friend, Meghan Wood, he couldn’t imagine what a life-changing visit it would be. Beltran wanted to learn English, and he was soon adopted into the Wood family.
Meghan’s mother, Annie, is an artist, and Beltran became fascinated with her projects in Salchi, especially the tile mosaics that she was creating. He worked with Annie to refine his artistic talents and was soon designing and creating his own tile masterpieces. He created the Salchi logo and did several large pieces in homes. Continue reading Salchi’s Artist in Residence→
Parque Nacional Huatulco is one of 67 National Parks in Mexico. Having recognized its value for eco-tourism and conservation, the Mexican government set aside 29,000 acres of land and sea as a protected reserve in 1988 and the area was officially designated as a National Park in July 1998. The establishment of PNH was a major coup for both local and international conservationists since the area hosts several species of plants, birds, amphibians and sea life that are unique to the region. Continue reading Into the Wild→
Art Classes at Frida Kahlo Art Store Saturday mornings from 10am-3pm FREE oil painting art classes are given at the store. Bring your own material or purchase on the spot. Frida Kahlo Armenta Y Lopez 503 Oaxaca Centre, Oaxaca 951.514-5349
Cooking Class with Pilar Cabrera – A delicious way to explore Oaxacan culture. Start off with a shopping excursion in a local market and finish with a family style meal you prepared. http://www.casadelossabores.com/
Streets in Historical Center Closed for Bicycling – With an ever growing bike culture there are lots of places to rent or borrow bicycles. Ask your hosts or hotel for the nearest location. Sunday 9 am to 1 pm – Free Independencia to Reforma to Conzatti Park to García Vigil back to Independencia.
San Pablo Cultural Center – This beautifully open renovated space has a café, an area with children’s books and bean bag chairs for lounging. Stop in and rest. FREE Antiquo calle jonde SanPablo (Independencia 904
Xochimilco Organic Market– Held in the courtyard of the local church this open air market is full of organic delicacies from sopes made with nut butter instead of lard to vegetarian sushi. Come hungry and leave happy. Fridays and Saturday mornings.
Touring villages with Alvin Starkman – If you missed the Mushroom Festival but are interested in exploring the area, Alvin Starkman is the go to guy. With a wealth of knowledge from mezcal to chapulines to barro negro he will give you the inside on the villages around Oaxaca. oaxacadream@hotmail.com
Danzón with the Marimba Band – Although danzón is the official genre and dance of Cuba it is also an active musical form in Mexico. Enjoy this vibrant outdoor music show. Wednesdays 6:30pm – Free Zócalo
.Ethnobotanical Garden – The only way to see this wonderful garden is on a tour, come prepared with water and sunscreen. Arrive ten minutes before the tours to purchase tickets. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday 11am – $100 pesos Entrance Reforma & Constitutión.
Museo Filatelia de Oaxaca (Stamp Museum) – The permanent collection houses letters from Frida Kahlo to her doctor Leo Eloesser. It is fascinating to read about the spinal injuries whose pain had such a huge influence on her art. Museo de Filatelia de Oaxaca, A.C. Reforma 504, Centro Histórico, Oaxaca, www.mufi.org.mx 10am-8pm
Maguey or Agave comes from the Greek word Agavo, which means magnificent, noble, admirable. Other common names are pita, cabuya, fique, mescal, toba (in Zapotec) and ki (Maya). One of the 9 bays of Huatulco is named for this plant. They are abundant in the Mexican landscape and form a dominant portion of the vegetation in many parts of Mexico, especially in semi-arid regions. Distribution is from the Canadian-US border to Bolivia, including the Caribbean. The greatest diversity is in Mexico, home to 76% of the world’s population or 157 species of which 71% (111) are endemic, meaning they occur nowhere else. Fifty-two species occur in the state of Oaxaca. The origin of this group of plants dates to the Miocene or about 15 million years ago. They flower only once, after about 10-12 years and also reproduce vegetatively which is how they are generally cultivated. They have lifespan of about 25 years and are pollinated by bats and hummingbirds. Continue reading Land of the Maguey→
It has been a sizzling hot month on the Oaxacan Riviera and I don’t mean just the weather! Huatulco hosted the Triathlon World Cup, th celebrated the 20 year of the International Sailfish tournament (sadly still not catch and release) and the Vela Xunashi was held at the newly opened Secrets- the biggest hotel on the coast. The organizers of the Sailfish Tournament reported 134 boats in the competition- more than any previous year! And the new International Terminal at HUX is well under way. Continue reading Editor’s Letter→
I got introduced, so to speak, to hormigas barrenderas through my friends and neighbors Doreen and Larry. They had described a somewhat terrifying episode of a home invasion of these carnivorous ‘sweeper’ ants native to the Selva Seca or Selva Baja (dry tropical forest) found along the Oaxacan Riviera. They are a type of army ant and although there are over 400 species and sub species of ants found in the soils of Mexico this species is unique in its social make up and behavior. They are carnivorous predators and consume only live prey. Other common names are legionarias (soldiers) and marabunta (crowd). Continue reading Sweeper Ants of the Selva Seca→
In 2000, land clearing began in what is now the community of Bahia de Salchi, part of the neighboring Cuatunalco. Today there are 39 homes; 2 American and 2 Mexican owned, and the rest are Canadian, giving it the nickname, The Canadian Village. Continue reading Communities Working Together→
A major attraction in this region is El Parque Nacional de Huatulco which encompasses 11,890 hectares (or for those of us who have forgotten our table of measures, 26,750 football fields). About half of the reserve is forest; the other half is under water. This is one of only 10 Marine Parks within Mexico and the only one located on the Pacific coast. Two marine parks are in the Sea of Cortez and the other seven are in the Gulf and Caribbean. The park was founded in 1998 in order to protect both marine and wild life and we hope that this means that most of this coastline, which includes five Bays and 17 beaches, will remain virgin in years to come. Continue reading Huatulco’s National Marine Park→
The Oaxaca Coast can be steaming hot in June. When you’re pricing out the cost of towing an iceberg into your favorite bay, we have a simpler solution, head to the hills – literally – up to the national park Lagos de Montebello.
Located in eastern Chiapas almost on the Guatemala border, the park is one of the most beautiful places in Mexico. Established by the federal government in 1959, the 6,425 hectares of pine and rain forest located at an altitude of 5,000 feet provide refuge for a wide variety of flora and fauna, including 117 species of insects and 35 species of reptiles. Continue reading Lagos de Montebello: A Beautiful Place to Chill→
By Liz Healey
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