M Gravlee asked:


If you have ever visited Cancun Mexico then you surely must have gone to beautiful Akumal. This lovely Mexican city is a mere hour and ten minutes from the bustling Cancun. It is located along the Mexican Caribbean coast on the Yucatan peninsula.

This highly secret location has been considered one of Mexico’s hidden hideaways for many years. Its values were discovered only by visitors who dared to travel along the Mexican coastline in an effort to discover adventure at its finest. However, once this modern day secret had been discovered many tourists and travelers to the Yucatan area have found that they are drawn back year after year to this magical tropical paradise. In Akumal the environment is considered precious and all efforts are expended to maintain this pristine setting.

If you are in search of a virgin landscape then this is the place for you to go. Akumal is the center for the Centro Ecológico de Akumal which is a non-profit group whose purpose is to protect the environment and conduct ecologically friendly marine research and education. They fully support the protection of the sea turtle population within the area. A walk though Akumal is similar to walking within a small eco-friendly community. With its length of sandy white beach, its pathways lined with swaying palm trees, the warm sun as well as the sound of the gently beating surf one tends to feel that they have landed on a tropical paradise.

Within Akumal you can find three beautiful bays. This jewel of the Caribbean boasts the half Moon bay, the greater Akumal bay as well as the Aventuras Akumal bay. All are great locations for snorkeling or scuba diving. All three of Akumal’s bays feature a tropical reef that is begging for the underwater explorer to investigate its charm. Nearby you can find the beautiful Yal-ku Lagoon that proudly displays its calm, clear water and a popular beach front at the Akumal Bay. Within the small confines of Akumal you will discover hidden restaurants which feature an abundance of locally caught seafood, quaint little out-of-the-way gift shops made for the curious visitor, several dive shops with an array of excellent equipment and family centered grocery stores. The nightlife is vivid and produces many fun filled beach bars which can be found at the Lol-ha and La Buena Vida.

Several additional attractions are but a skip and a jump from Akumal. You are in quick access to Jade Beach, Aventuras Akumal and South Akumal. All are merely a few minutes to the south from central Akumal. For a fun filled visit whether it is at night or during the daytime Aural offers the adventurous traveler a new insight into Mexican holidays.

If you would like more information and travel links, visit our Travel Directory at http://vacationsurfer.net/ and add your travel site’s link while you are there.

This article sponsored by our home for rent in Akumal Mexico http://akumalvacation.com/.

M Gravlee asked:


When traveling to Akumal Mexico one nearly passes this small quiet village by without realizing that it is actually one of the Caribbean coast’s best locations for diving and snorkeling on the Yucatan Peninsula. Akumal is located a mere 65 miles to the south of the Cancun resort area and 50 miles from the Mexican airport. It may be small but it is the ideal vacation get away for families or divers who wish to escape the daily rush of Mexico’s often crowded beaches. Located in Akumal are two very tranquil bays as well as the Yalku Lagoon which is perfect for family swimming or snorkeling. The area boasts of 30 beautiful reef sites that are ideal for diving while the beautiful white sandy beaches invite one to enjoy the relaxing Mexican sun.

There is an abundance of accommodations in Akumal, five different restaurants which offer local and European Fare, several grocery stores, a few boutiques or gift shops plus an excellent Dive Shop. Most of these attractions are within a 15 minute walk of one and other. The best part of this small village is that should you be interested in snorkeling, diving, fishing or merely relaxing in the warm Mexican sun you will find you can walk to the various locations although buses and taxis are readily available should you desire them.

The temperatures in Akumal range around 80 degree during September to April and during the rest of the year you can expect 90 degree temperatures. The area receives a gentle sea breeze from the nearby Caribbean and during the winter season you may require a sweater in the evenings.

The local dive shop will setup your equipment and have it ready for your dive when you arrive at the dock. They have all the necessary diving equipment you will need at reasonable rental rates. You will be provided with an 80 cu. Ft aluminum tank which is filled to approximately 3000 psi. You will board one of the 28 foot open panga boats docked nearby. The dives are generally limited to eight people plus the dive master and the ships captain. Should you happen to be part of a larger group you can easily make special arrangements for all members to dive.

Most of the arranged dives are drift dives which take place over very stunning and colorful coral reefs. The typically currents are weak in this area and water temperature hover around 82 degree. The underwater visibility in the area can reach 50 feet up to 150 feet depending upon the weather. A light wet suit is recommended during the winter season.

If you are seeking a pristine location with clear water and an abundance of undersea life to view during your next dive adventure then Akumal Mexico is the place you have been dreaming about.

Jim Scherrer asked:


By: Jim Scherrer

The word “iguana“ is the Spanish derivation of the Carib (Amerindian) word, “iwana“; a name given to a family of lizards that are found throughout the Americas.

Iguanas are one of the five generally recognized infraorders of the lacertilian suborder of reptiles which includes all lizards. The Iguanidae family is only one of about 17 families of the lacertilian suborder; it includes the subfamilies of iguana iguanas (green) and spiny-tailed (black) iguanas which are abundant in the Puerto Vallarta, Mexico area. This entire order of reptiles has been traced back to Tianyusaurus who roamed the Earth during the Late Cretaceous Period, 65-100 million years ago.

Iguanas have been used as a food source in Central and South America for the past 7,000 years and are still used as a source of meat; often referred to as gallina de palo, “bamboo chicken” or “chicken of the tree,” because they are said to taste like chicken. Leather from the iguana hide has also been a prized material for centuries.

Although green iguanas are in peril, they are not considered an endangered species; they are considered to be a threatened species and today they are used mainly as pets with 800,000 imported to the U.S. in 1995 alone. Even though hunting, trapping, or killing iguanas is illegal throughout Mexico, they are nevertheless still sought after as pets. Aside from humans, iguanas have few natural predators; however hawks and owls will attack the smaller ones. Since iguanas are preyed upon by hawks, their fear of hawks is exploited by blowing a hawk’s whistle which makes the iguana freeze and become easier to capture in the wild. Iguanas have claws and powerful tails to fight off most all other land based predators and if caught, they have the ability to shed off a portion of their tail which will later grow back.

Iguanas are commonplace around the Puerto Vallarta area living mainly in trees but also often seen bathing in the sun while on the ground or on large rocks. The tropical climate and lush foliage in PV provide the ideal environment for these ancient reptiles (as well as for us ancient retirees!); a never ending year-round supply of food with an abundance of leaves, fruit, and flowers such as hibiscus and bougainvilleas. As we have witnessed at one of the eight local golf courses, they are pretty fast runners and excellent swimmers!

In Puerto Vallarta, iguanas are often used as company logos, in names of establishments such as restaurants, nightclubs, and cantinas, house names, fiesta names, etc., even in the name of a prestigious neighborhood: Isla Iguana, located in the Marina area. They are often the subject of large sand sculptures on the beach in front of the downtown malecon, molded into pottery items, incorporated into all types of paintings, and included in various other forms of art. Of course, it’s almost impossible to lay on the beach in PV without one of the local boys coming by with his four foot long pet iguana for a photo op! In fact, it was the iguana that put Puerto Vallarta on the international map in 1963 when John Huston filmed “The Night of the Iguana”. Ever since then, the iguana (along with its relative, the gecko) has remained one Vallarta’s most recognized symbols.

Okay, you must be getting impatient wondering what the deal is regarding the three eyed iguanas of Puerto Vallarta; well, it just so happens that all iguanas have three eyes! The third eye, referred to as the parietal or pineal eye, is located on top of the iguana’s head. It is covered by a thin film of skin and therefore does not clearly see color or details but it does detect sun, shade, and movement of overhead predators.

These three eyed reptiles also have a large loose flap of skin under their chin called a dewlap. The dewlap can be moved in or out to show off during mating or warn attackers, but more importantly, it‘s used to regulate the body temperature. It has many blood vessels running through its thin skin and therefore, on a hot day, the iguana can get in the shade and stick out its dewlap to let the body heat escape; on a cold day, it can bathe in the sun and stick out its dewlap to absorb as much of the sun rays as possible. With this handy little built-in heat exchanger, the iguana can enjoy the hot Mexican sun and never sweat! 

Better yet, another very interesting characteristic of the iguanas is that, for the sake of procreation, they possess a hemipenis or two penises (fortunate little critters!). However on the downside, they can only use one at a time.

In summarizing, there are so many incredible sights and novel things to photograph in PV, yet one of the favorite subjects for all tourists has to be catching a snapshot of one of those beautiful (Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!) creatures while sun bathing or snacking on a delicious bougainvillea. So, the next time you have the good fortune of seeing one of these magnificent reptiles up close, check out the third eye. Meanwhile, if you just want to have a little fun, ask your friends what has three eyes, two penises, and never sweats: the iguanas of enchanting Puerto Vallarta, Mexico!

Jim Scherrer has owned property in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for 26 years and resided there for the past twelve years. The mission of his series of 60 articles pertaining to retirement in Puerto Vallarta is to reveal the recent changes that have occurred in Vallarta while dispelling the misconceptions about living conditions in Mexico. For the full series of articles regarding travel to and retirement in Vallarta as well as pertinent Puerto Vallarta links, please visit us at PVREBA.

Terry Edwards asked:


Mexico is home to some of the most fascinating and beautiful beaches in the world. Aside from that, it is also popular for its activities and celebrations that reflect the abundance of Mexican culture. One of the most popular ways to experience this firsthand is with Cancun Mexico vacations. Yes, there are other vacation sites in Mexico such as Acapulco, Huatulco, Isla Mujeres, Ixtapa, Cozumel, etc, but there is something unique and special about Cancun, Mexico.

Cancun is one of the most favorite tourist destinations in Mexico for many different reasons. It is a perfect place for people who are active and fun loving. Thousands of vacationers take Cancun Mexico vacations every year because it is so popular with its nightlife, water adventure sports like scuba diving, snorkeling and parasailing, discos, entertainment bars, shopping malls, and others. The place is almost like a one stop shop as it offers a remarkably wide variety of options to the visitors.

An interesting fact about Cancun is that in the past it used to be just a deserted place. With time, we can’t really tell what happens next.

A vacation to Cancun takes the visitor to some of the most popular places to see. A typical Cancun tour allows you to witness and experience Paradise Island, the well known dancing dolphins in the turquoise blue Caribbean, the Atlantis Submarine, and of course the Mayan ruins. Tours to ecological parks, jungles, or natural reserves are also included to widen the knowledge of the visitors and at the same time to leave them enthralled by these sights and sites.

While it is true that there are thousands of places to go and enjoy some leisure time away from it all, Cancun Mexico vacations are a good idea to give some serious consideration to. With everything the area has to offer you can be assured of a great time.

Terry Edwards asked:


Mexico is home to some of the most fascinating and beautiful beaches in the world. Aside from that, it is also popular for its activities and celebrations that reflect the abundance of Mexican culture. One of the most popular ways to experience this firsthand is with Cancun Mexico vacations. Yes, there are other vacation sites in Mexico such as Acapulco, Huatulco, Isla Mujeres, Ixtapa, Cozumel, etc, but there is something unique and special about Cancun, Mexico.

Cancun is one of the most favorite tourist destinations in Mexico for many different reasons. It is a perfect place for people who are active and fun loving. Thousands of vacationers take Cancun Mexico vacations every year because it is so popular with its nightlife, water adventure sports like scuba diving, snorkeling and parasailing, discos, entertainment bars, shopping malls, and others. The place is almost like a one stop shop as it offers a remarkably wide variety of options to the visitors.

An interesting fact about Cancun is that in the past it used to be just a deserted place. With time, we can’t really tell what happens next.

A vacation to Cancun takes the visitor to some of the most popular places to see. A typical Cancun tour allows you to witness and experience Paradise Island, the well known dancing dolphins in the turquoise blue Caribbean, the Atlantis Submarine, and of course the Mayan ruins. Tours to ecological parks, jungles, or natural reserves are also included to widen the knowledge of the visitors and at the same time to leave them enthralled by these sights and sites.

While it is true that there are thousands of places to go and enjoy some leisure time away from it all, Cancun Mexico vacations are a good idea to give some serious consideration to. With everything the area has to offer you can be assured of a great time.

Alvin Starkman asked:


Alvin Starkman  M.A., LL.B.  

 

Try searching the Americas to find creators of folk art with more form, symbolism and importance to the development and sustenance of their culture, than those of indigenous ancestry in Oaxaca (wa–HAW–ka), one of the southernmost Mexican states.

 

Many so-called experts in folk art have mistakenly written that the origins of Oaxaca’s wood carving tradition date back fifty or sixty years, to a small number of carvers residing in one of the central valleys of Oaxaca, a few miles from the state capital of the same name.  The error has consistently been equating the recent commercialization of the art-form with its origins, and ignoring its pre-Hispanic roots and subsequent development.

 

Jacobo Ángeles lives with his wife María and two children in San Martín Tilcajete, one of three main native Zapotec villages, where most residents earn a living from carving and painting colorful figures, often generically referred to as alebrijes.  The others are Arrazola and La Unión Tejalapan.

 

At age 12 Jacobo began learning to carve from his father.  Later on he was mentored by village elders.  “Over the past few decades our craft has without a doubt changed dramatically,” Jacobo explains, “with the use of more synthetic paints, a tremendous increase in the range of figures being carved, and with domestic and international demand for our carvings growing exponentially and affecting how and what we produce.  But remember, my ancestors were carving animals right here in this region before the Spanish arrived in the 1500’s.  And we were using only natural paint colors which we derived from fruits and vegetables, plants and tree bark, clay, and even insects.  In my family we still use what we find around us to make paint for our figures, and our wood of choice continues to be the branches of the copal tree.”

 

San Martín Tilcajete is located about a 40 minute drive from the city of Oaxaca, along a highway leading to the state’s Pacific resort towns, including one of the oldest ports, Puerto Escondido.  Puerto Escondido was a hub for the export of coffee and other cash crops during colonial times, but is now a popular beach destination for Mexican and international vacationers alike.  Many travelers combine their sun and sand vacation with a visit to Oaxaca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, searching out unique pieces of folk art including dance masks, pottery and clay figures, rugs and tapestries, and antiques from the colonial period forward.  And of course there are the pre-Hispanic ruins, galleries, impressive Dominican churches, museums, and renowned Oaxacan cuisine.

 

“My ancestors used a 20-day calendar,” Jacobo continues, “and each day was represented by a different creature.  So every Zapotec person had an animal with whom he had a connection, and each animal had certain characteristics which carried over to the individual.  For example, the jaguar represents power and ultimate strength, the frog is characterized by honesty and openness, the coyote watchful observation, the turtle always a troublemaker prone to breaking the rules, the eagle technical and strategic power, and so on.  My people used to carve figures of just these 20 animals.  They started out as small whittlings for good luck that people would keep in a revered niche in the home, or wear around the neck as amulets.  They also carved larger figures for their children to use as toys.”

 

After much probing, an almost forgotten story emerges of the use of decoys of wood and other materials.   Jacobo reveals:  “My people used a variety of methods to attract different kinds of game, but for hunting birds of prey, rabbits, and deer, yes they at times used decoys.  A painted wooden snake would be placed on the ground in an area where ants had trampled the grasses so the snake decoy would easily be seen by eagles.  To hunt rabbit, my ancestors would attach a rabbit tail to one end of a straw hat, and at the other end another tail with a face painted on it.  For deer, a crude wooden deer torso with real antlers would be placed in the tall brush.  So carving was historically important to our people for not only totemic and related reasons, but it was directly related to our subsistence.  All the written records from the period of the conquest, and not just local legend, confirm the importance of woodcarving.”

 

“But look at what we now carve.  While in my family we still use natural paints, and still carve our totems, we’ve transformed a simple yet important and symbolic tradition into something very different.  In our villages we now carve many more than those 20 animals because of collector demand.  More importantly, we’re able to make our heritage better understood and appreciated by the world.  In our own workshop, our painting depicts designs and representations of our culture … friezes from the ancient ruin at Mitla, symbols representing waves, mountains and fertility, the totems, and other metaphors for our culture, past and present.”

 

Indeed the world has taken notice.   Jacobo’s work is prominently displayed in The Smithsonian Institute, Chicago’s National Museum of Mexican Art, and elsewhere throughout the continent and further abroad, in museums, art colleges and galleries.  Jacobo regularly traverses the U.S. promoting Oaxacan folk art and his Zapotec heritage, teaching in a diversity of educational venues ranging from junior schools to university departments of fine art, and as honored speaker at art exhibition openings.

 

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A visit to the Ángeles workshop, accessed by a heavily pot-holed narrow dirt road towards one end of the village, affords an opportunity to learn about this extraordinary skill-set, from Jacobo, Maria — an excellent painter in her own right — and some two dozen other members of their family who produce some of the finest quality carvings found anywhere on the continent.

 

The men do most of the carving, while women do most of the painting, but the tasks are definitely not exclusively based on gender lines. Carving is done with non – mechanical hand-tools such as machetes, chisels and knives.  The only time a more sophisticated tool is used is when a chain saw is employed to cut off a branch and level a base for a proposed figure.

 

Except when a special order is received, the woodworkers in the family are given artistic license to carve whatever figure they wish.  A piece of tree trunk will “speak” to one of these specialists, and be the inspiration for creating a particular animal: the shape, thickness, and bends and twists in the piece come alive.  After the bark is removed, a detailed outline is drawn, defining the image with greater clarity and detail.  The sculpting in earnest then begins.   

 

“From the female copal tree we are able to make figures out of one piece of wood, often very large and intricate.  This wood is soft and easy to work with.  The male tree is harder, and branches tend to be smaller and somewhat delicate, so we use it to make animals which we assemble in the process.”

 

The carving alone takes up to a month, at times longer.  The figure is then left to dry for up to 10 months, depending on its overall size and thickness.  Because of the properties of copal, and Oaxaca’s semi-tropical climate, the wood is susceptible to termite infestation.  Accordingly, during the drying process the piece is soaked in a gasoline / insecticide mixture for several hours.  As an added assurance, it’s then placed in an oven, just in case eggs have evaded extermination.  “All of our pieces are guaranteed to never have a termite problem,” Jacobo assures.

 

Since the figures are fashioned while the wood is green and more easily workable, the wood separates while drying. “There are a couple of members of my family whose main job is to fill the cracks before the painting begins.”  For this remedial work they use wood shims as well as a sawdust-glue mixture.  But even these slivers of wood and the sawdust have been cured.  “We’re proud of our work, and never want to have any problems with any of our buyers, whether someone is spending $20 or $2,000.”

 

In almost all cases in the Ángeles workshop, one person carves and another paints.  Once a figure has left the hands of the carver, all proprietary rights are released, and another member of the family is entrusted with the painting.  Nephew Magdaleno explains:  “Occasionally one of my cousins will come up to me and say ‘what do you think about these colors or this kind of design concept for this coyote,’ and I’ll give my feedback, but it doesn’t happen very often, and I’m invariably pleased with the result.  For me it’s the form that’s most important, and for whoever’s painting, it’s the imagery it captures.”

 

One cannot help but gasp at the sculpting genius which goes into each piece:  A starving dog scratching fleas, a bear with its paw in a honey pot, a snake constricting a wincing jaguar, a winged horse on its hinds, a woman with long braided locks and the body of an armadillo, or a deer, life-size by Mexican standards.  There’s something particularly arresting about each creation: the ever-so-flowing and realistic movement, a fanciful stance, or a familiar pose striking a chord with our popular characterization.  However the painting is anything but familiar.  No color goes untested and the intricacy of and variation in design is remarkable.

 

Theories abound regarding the beginning of the modern-day manifestation of the tradition.  Some say that because hallucinogenic mushrooms are native to this part of Mexico, drug induced revelations caused the imaginations of some to wander, ultimately becoming expressed in their carvings.  The better explanation is that knowledge of colorful, large, papier maché alebrijes or dragon-like forms which originated in the State of Mexico, eventually filtered down to Oaxaca, and were the inspiration for the fathers of contemporary painted wooden carvings.  “You know, it’s not accurate to refer to what we create as alebrijes, because to the older generation of Mexicans, and to true folk art collectors, alebrijes were developed near D.F. (Distrito Federal, or Mexico City, the nation’s capital), and what we do is completely different.”

 

Jacobo demonstrates how his ancestors created natural paints, historically utilized for dying clothing, painting buildings, and ceremonially as face and body decoration used for rites of passage, fiestas, prayer and other important occasions.  Today their primary use, at least in Jacobo’s family, is for painting the carvings.  He explains with the assistance of his machete and a tree trunk how he cuts away the reddish inside part of the bark of the male copal, allows it to dry, then toasts and grinds it:  “This is a primary base that we use, which allows us to create a range of colors, tones and shades. Just watch.”

 

Using his hands as palettes, Jacobo begins by placing a small amount of the powdered bark in one hand, squeezes juice from a lime, creating a brown, which he then places on an unpainted wooden owl.  “Yes the owl is also one of our sacred creatures, the great healer, quiet and humble.”  He reveals:  “Now over time, and in the sun, this color will change or fade and be absorbed into the wood.  So what our ancestors learned to do was take the dried sap from the copal tree and heat it up with honey.  The resulting liquid is then mixed with the paint, changing the color a little; see, it becomes a deep orange … but most importantly it acts as a mordent making the color permanent, and a little shiny.” He adds powdered limestone, and the color changes to black.  With the addition of baking soda and more lime juice it becomes a deep yellow, and with more chemical it miraculously becomes magenta.  A new base is then started, with crushed pomegranate seeds.  Magically the pulverized pink is transformed into green with the addition of limestone powder. Mixed with the magenta, it becomes navy blue. With the addition of zinc it becomes grey, and with more zinc, white.  Blue from the añil tree, indigo, is altered with the addition of bicarbonate, zinc, lime juice or the powdered lime mineral.  Corn mold, a black gooey culinary delicacy known as huitlacoche, when fermented and then powdered, yields ochre.  The red of the dried and then crushed minute insect, the cochineal, which feeds off its host nopal cactus, becomes orange with the addition of the juice of any of a number of acidic fruits. 

 

The demonstration terminates with Jacobo asking, “what´s your favorite animal,” following which he finger paints a rabbit from the rainbow of colors on his palms, as only Alice could have imagined. 

 

                                      ******************

 

With approximately 150 families now producing painted wooden figures in these and a couple of other smaller villages, the questions left unanswered remain:  What facilitated and drove more carvers to adopt the papier maché style of using brilliant color combinations, and how can everyone in these villages make a living from this solitary art-form?

 

As with other crafts in the central valleys of Oaxaca, their production wasn’t always the primary means of sustenance for the populace.  Traditionally, handicrafts were a hobby or part-time trade, beginning with very few items being sold to the odd passerby, adventurer or traveler.  In the case of rugs from nearby Teotitlán del Valle, there were trade routes that producers followed in order to effect more sales in other regions of the state, and in some cases beyond.  But the primary means of family survival was working the land and small-scale ranching.  And in the case of the carving villages, there never was a broader market, although in San Martín Tilcajete embroidered shirts, blouses and dresses were an extremely well-received craft throughout the 1960’s and into the 80’s.  

 

Dramatic change in production and marketing of wooden carvings had its genesis in the 1940’s.  The pan-American highway cut through the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains, reaching Oaxaca, opening up the region to the north, in particular Mexico City and the border states.  Until then Oaxaca was relatively isolated notwithstanding a rail connection. By the 1950’s and early 60’s Americans and Canadians were prospering from the post-war boom, credit cards had been mailed to virtually everyone, and word spread of a new kind of vacation, in a third world country, Mexico.  Jet air travel facilitated the transformation.  The women’s movement meant more two income families, resulting in more disposable income for traveling.  Mexicana Airlines and Oaxacan travel agents partnered to begin offering tour packages, which further facilitated tourism to the region.

 

The hippie movement of the 1960’s and early 70’s brought Oaxaca to the forefront of the alternative lifestyle, with throngs of youth and their pop idols traveling to Huautla de Jiménez, then a tiny Oaxacan village, to eat hallucinogenic mushrooms with the now infamous healer María Sabina.  North American youth saw and purchased the first generation of contemporary wood carvings. 

 

By the 1980’s, as a consequence of multiple factors, Oaxacan alebrijes had become well-established as folk art, with the market continuing to grow. The economic implication was that farmers and ranchers were able to spend more time carving and painting, and less time in the countryside and in marketplaces vending their produce and animals.   With a new toll-road opening from Mexico City to Oaxaca in 1995, access to the southern state became even quicker and easier, and safe. In good conscience, travel writers were no longer able to warn tourists about driving the switchbacks, back-road banditos, or cars overheating on secondary roads without service stations.

 

The future market for the artistry?   While the odd visitor to a Oaxacan coastal resort such as Puerto Escondido, or the more popular Huatulco, does visit the state capital and the workshops of carvers like Jacobo, most do not.  Within the next four years a new highway to the coast will open, cutting road travel time by at least a third.  Even more sun worshipers will visit Oaxaca, and marvel at the art of Jacobo and María Ángeles. 

 

Since opening their family workshop in 1996, without a doubt Jacobo and María have singularly raised the quality bar for other villagers who aspire to mirror their success.  With Oaxacan wood carvings of superior quality now well established on the world stage, and access no longer an impediment, the challenge for others in San Martín Tilcajete will be to achieve the success of the Ángeles family through production of like quality, until now eluding most.

 

A challenge for all carvers in the region is to ensure a continuous supply of copal to meet demand.  A reforestation project spear-headed about 15 years ago by the late master of contemporary Mexican art, Rodolfo Morales, continues through his Foundation.  The Ángeles family with friends and other villagers spend the last Sunday of each July, in the midst of the rainy season, planting, a part of their sustainable living effort:  ensuring an ongoing supply of raw product, cutting only branches for making figures so that the tree continues to grow, reducing waste by utilizing the slivers and sawdust in repair work and any remaining twigs and branches as firewood for cooking, and using the sap and bark in paint production.  “And you know,” Jacobo reminds, “for generations we’ve been using the hardened sap as incense, mainly at religious cememonies.  There are even knifemakers down the road in Ocotlán, who engrave their hand-forged blades using a special ink made with the sap.  Have you visited the cuchillería of Ángel Aguilar?”

 

For high end collectors, we can only encourage the success of all efforts aimed at maintaining the growth and development of the Oaxacan woodcarving tradition, since it satisfies and advances our penchant for and obsession with quality hand-fashioned craftsmanship.  For the artisans in the region, aside from the obvious economic importance, it’s part of maintaining their Zapotec heritage and illustrating the richness of the culture to the broader world.  

 

The workshop of Jacobo and María Ángeles is located at Calle Olvido #9, San Martín Tilcajete, Ocotlán, Oaxaca  ( t:   951-524-9047 ;  w:  http://www.tilcajete.org  ;  e:  angeles@tilcajete.org ).

 

Michael Rosenmund asked:


There are few things as enticing and exciting as vacationing in a beautiful region where your heart’s pleasures are not just met but exceeded. When it comes to vacationing, Mexico vacations tend to offer something for everyone regardless of gender, intent, or age. Having fun means something different for everyone, but this is one place where there is something for everyone.

Championship golf courses, rainforest adventures, and hiking is awaiting the outdoorsy type person; scuba diving, swimming with dolphins, whale watching, and simply lunging under the hot sun on a secluded beach awaits those that love good beaches. There is something for everyone. Take a look at what else you may appreciate when planning one of many Mexico vacations!

Unspoiled, virgin sands coat the many beaches of Cancun, Cabo San Lucas, and more of the beach front cities, but there is more than just sand to fill your days and nights. The nightlife is amazing. Party with friends drinking authentic Mexican tequila or watch the Superbowl on the wide screen television while appreciating authentic salsa and nachos. What could be better?

For the connoisseur of Mexican cuisine, consider visiting Oaxaca. This is the culinary dream come true. Celebrations filled with delicacies of the region, dancing, and romance fill the air while you appreciate the artistic scenery that will leave you breathless.

Spicing up your marriage or starting your marriage out right with an elegant honeymoon will leave you with the memories of a lifetime.

For something special, why not try renting a villa on the beach or a villa on the outskirt of the rainforest. Many people enjoy this country and its ethics so much that they choose to stay. What are you missing out on by not broadening your horizons? Consider the possibility of having your own cottage on the beach with your very own boat dock. Take the morning by the horns when you take off before dawn for some of the best deep-sea fishing in the world.

Once upon a time, when it came to Mexico, vacations were all that one would consider. However, the politics have stabilized and living in the beautiful home of your dreams is not only possible, it is downright cheap. Homes that would go for millions go for considerably less. But let’s not just think money, you will be amazed at the hospitality.

Residents of this beautifully unique country are extremely friendly and hospitable. The infrastructure has never been so stable, and the healthcare is amazing!

Whether you choose to vacation or live in this beautifully exotic region, you will find that you have more of the good things you need from life. Retiring in this land of beauty and history has never been easier, and whether you are an investor or just a vacationer looking for a part time rental, homes come in all shapes and sizes allowing you to appreciate the best of your time and effort.

For a getaway come true, relish the opportunities for relaxation and fun associated with the perfect in Mexico vacations. Come for the fun; stay for the perfection.