Centuries ago the indigenous people of Mexico created a unique and magnificent culture, one which endures to the present day. Nowhere is this more visible than in the incomparable color and excitement of Mexican fiestas and religious observances.

We’ll start off with a visit to Oaxaca, to the creators of the incomparable folk art of Mexico, where we’ll spend five nights in this delightful small Mexican city. Here we’ll visit many of the homes of the most famous artisans in Oaxaca, where we’ll have demonstrations and discussions about the pottery, wood, and wool art they create, while we become familiar with the delicious foods and colorful ambiance of colonial Mexico.

This trip has been planned to allow us to observe Carnival in the state of Chiapas. Our hotel will be in the small city of San Cristobal de las Casas, but much of our time will be in the villages which dot the steep mountainsides of the area. The villages of Tenejapa and San Juan Chamula, the most indigenous villages in Chiapas, hold spectacular Pre-lentan observances, which have their origins in both Prehispanic and Christian religious celebrations. These fiestas will be the highlight of our trip, and will be a wonderful culmination of our Mexican travel program.

Finally, we’ll visit the magnificent archeological site of Palenque, long hidden in the rain forests of lowland Chiapas, where we can study the Prehispanic Maya in a lovely hotel not far from the entire site and new archeological museum. And we’ll end our visit with one day in Villahermosa, in the state of Tabasco.



girl working on woodcarving

Daughter of woodworking artist

Itinerary (B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner)


Day 1 | Saturday, February 14, 2009 (D)

Day 2 | Sunday, February 15, 2009 (B, L)

Day 3 | Monday, February 16, 2009 (B, L)

woodworker in San Martin

Woodworking artist painting her work in San Martin

Day 4 | Tuesday, February 17, 2009 (B, L, D)

Day 5 | Wednesday, February 18, 2009 (B, L, D)

Josefina Aguilar ceramic art

Josefina Aguilar making her ceramic art

Day 6 | Thursday, February 19, 2009 (B, L, D)

Day 7 | Friday, February 20, 2009 (B, L)

Day 8 | Saturday, February 21, 2009 (B, L, D)

Day 9 | Sunday, February 22, 2009 (B, L)

Mayan cemetery in Chiapas

Colorful cemetery in the countryside of Chiapas

Day 10 | Monday, February 23, 2009 (B, L)

Day 11 | Tuesday, February 24, 2009 Shrove Tuesday (B, L, D)

Day 12 | Wednesday, February 25, 2009 Ash Wednesday (B, L, D)

Day 13 | Thursday, February 26, 2009 (B, L, D)

Palenque

Palenque temple

Day 14 | Friday, February 27, 2009 (no meals)

• Note: This itinerary has been prepared months ahead of the actual trip. There may some very slight changes to take advantage of new opportunities.

Note: There will be considerable walking required to see the villages and events included in this tour. The walking is not strenuous, but the streets are cobblestone and uneven.



Coordinators

Nancy Crow
Nancy is an artist. She first traveled to Mexico in the 1960s, and has fallen in love with this most beautiful and fascinating country. Nancy has been creating contemporary quilts for 28 years and maintains a large studio on her farm east of Columbus, Ohio. Her work has appeared on the covers of two of Maya Angelou’s books and is in the collections of the Museum of Arts & Design, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and The Museum of American Folk Art. She teaches worldwide and offers in-depth workshops on her farm in a recently renovated 1884 timber frame barn. Nancy was named a Fellow of the American Craft Council.

Vivian Harvey
The tour leader, Vivian B. Harvey, lived in Mexico for almost 20 years, and has traveled extensively throughout Mexico, Central America, and South America with university students, faculty members, teachers, artists, and groups of adults. Prior to moving to Mexico, she was Assistant Dean in the College of Human Ecology at The Ohio State University for ten years. Vivian is the Educational Programs Coordinator at the Cemanahuac Educational Community in Cuernavaca, Mexico. She works with college faculty members across the United States and Canada to establish cooperative academic programs with Cemanahuac for both graduate and undergraduate credit. Vivian's web site: www.vivianharvey.com

Nathaniel Stitzlein
Nathaniel is an artist who works with Nancy Crow on coordinating art trips to France, Mexico, South Africa, and Guatemala. They also work together to produce art workshops at the Crow Timber Frame Barn. Prior to organizing tours and classes, he was an admissions counselor for The Ohio State University. In addition, he studied ceramics in South Africa for a year and is a free-lance graphic designer.
Nathaniel's web site: www.artgrange.com



Fees

TRAVEL FEE: $3100 (twin) U.S. Funds Only
• Note: Add $450 for single supplement
• Sorry, credit cards are not accepted

This travel fee includes:
• All accommodations
• All breakfasts, all lunches, selected dinners (8)
• Land transportation
• Admission fees
• Tips and Guidance

This travel fee does NOT include:
• Roundtrip airfare from the USA/Canada/Europe to Mexico
• Airfare inside Mexico
• Departure tax and travel insurance
• Meals not included on the itinerary
• Personal expenses


Deadlines

Deadline for reservation and deposit of $600: As soon as possible - only a few spaces left!
• Deposit must be made by check.
• $200 is non-refundable unless trip is cancelled.
• $400 is refundable up to October 1, 2008.
• None of the deposit is refundable after October 1, 2008, unless trip is cancelled.

Deadline for remaining payment of $2500:
November 1, 2008 (add $50 if paid after due date)
(add $450 for single supplement)
• Final payment is non-refundable, unless trip is cancelled.

All payments must be in US FUNDS ONLY! No credit cards


Questions? Please click here to send an e-mail


Please complete the form below & mail with your deposit:

oaxaca & chiapas tour registration



Flight Information

All participants are responsible for making their own flight travel plans. We have made special arrangements with eXito, a company which specializes in offering low-cost airfare to Latin America. Full information will be sent to you at the time of registration.

We are not arranging for a group flight since people are coming from all over the United States/Canada/other countries and many use frequent flyer miles. There are easy and inexpensive taxis to the hotel in Oaxaca City, and we will make arrangements to accommodate various travel schedules.

It is not necessary to use eXito if you have a favorite travel agent or frequent flyer miles or want to make your arrangements on line, so please use a travel plan which fits best with your schedule and budget.

Please wait to make flight arrangements until the trip is confirmed.

Travel insurance is available from eXito or any travel agent.

No special visas are required, but a valid passport is necessary.

Participants should take the least expensive and easiest fights.

Weavers of Dreams - Folk art, textiles and fiestas of Mexico - craft tour
Chiapas Mexico arts and crafts tour

Artists Nancy Crow and Nathaniel Stitzlein and tour leader Vivian Harvey have organized a thirteen-day tour of southern Mexico that will focus on its unique arts, crafts, archeology, and spectacular religious ceremonies. This tour is open to anyone who wants to get away for a sunny exploration of wonderful artifacts in their natural setting.

This is the best of indigenous Mexico!
And we will be a part of it all!



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