What's New For 2013!

• New for 2013! Based on traveler feedback for more Art Tours, we are excited to announce, in addition to our Signature Artistic Heritage of Mexico City and our Art & Revolution: Mexican Muralism educational travel programs, we will soon be adding a unique program on the Art & Artists of Oaxaca. Dating back to pre-Hispanic times, but more recently expressed by renowned artists such as Rufino Tamayo, Rodolfo Morales and Francisco Toledo, Oaxaca's Art Galleries and Artist Studios are teaming with this vibrant expression that can only emanate from a region such as Oaxaca. Stay tuned, as we will be publishing this new program soon!
• Art and Revolution: The Mexican Muralists. On this journey, we explore the historical and artistic antecedents to this movement, such as the "Porfiriato Era" and the accompanying easel art of European heritage. We learn about the primary influencers of this movement, such as Jose Guadalupe Posada, Dr. Atl, and the visionary Jose Vasconcelos, then Minister of Education. We view the very first murals at the Antiguo Colegio San Idelfonso, later murals in the Palace of Fine Arts, The National Palace, Secretary of Public Education (SEP), Chapingo and other important sites. From this travel program we can learn about differences in artistic expression and content between the "Big Three", Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros.

Our Culture and Cuisine of Mexico Tours are Expanding! In addition to our Signature Journey: The Culture & Cuisine of Mexico: Traditional to Contemporary, we are proud to announce: Mayan Culture & Cuisine: Yucatan & Campeche. This program will introduce travelers to the singular Yucatecan Maya culture & culinary heritage. We will also explore the fishing & seashore communities of Campeche. These tours are offered as "set departures", but can also be booked as private excursions with 4-6 minimum. These journeys explore the early & regional foods of Mesoamerica. Following a regional and historic trajectory we trace the food and culture of Mexico; in Oaxaca, Puebla, Mexico City and now Yucatan & Campeche. We begin with a focus on the traditional and end with innovative, world renowned chefs of Mexico!

• The Textile Traditions of Oaxaca: Coast, Isthmus & Valley. Travel to remote weaving and dyeing communities on Oaxaca's Pacific Coast region where we meet extraordinary artisans in communities such as Xochistlahuaca, Pinotepa de Don Luis and San Juan Colorado. We travel by boat to witness the "caracol purpura pansa" Mixtec dyers who dye cotton purple while climbing on ocean rocks. In the Isthmus we learn about the iconic "traje", dress from the region, before heading into Oaxaca's Central Valley for more explorations! The Mexican Rebozo: Heritage and Techniques! This trip takes us to the rebozo making centers of Mexico, including Santa Maria del Rio, where we learn of the silk jaspe (ikat) rebozo raditions, La Piedad, Michoacan, where we see how "artisela" is used in the production of jaspe rebozos, to the Purepecha Plateau of Michoacan where we visit master weavers in the communities of Ahuiran and Aranza. Finally, we travel to one of the finest rebozo production centers of Mexico, Tenancingo, where we meet the master resist dyers and weavers of these fine "jaspeado" cotton rebozos. If you love textile traditions, dye resist techniques and colonial cities, you will love this trip.

• We offer tours to Tabasco and Chiapas to learn of the Olmec and the Classic Maya era. By visiting Palenque, Bonampak, Yaxchilan, Tonina and Chiapa de Corzo we better understand the social/political organization of the Maya during the Classic era.
• We visit the Pre-Classic to Post-Classic sites of Campeche and Yucatan. Here we see the fascinating differences in era, region and architecture between the Peten, Rio Bec, Chenes, Puuc and Late Post Classic era of Chichen-Itza and Mayapan. We visit the great empire of Calakmul and surrounding sites of Balamku, Hormiguero, Chicanna, Becan, Xpujil, Edzna of Campeche and the Puuc region of Yucatan.
• We are currently developing educational tours to Oaxaca to learn about the Zapotec: Past and Present, and to Michoacan and Western Mexico to learn of the great civilizations that inhabited this region of Mexico, such as the Purepecha. Stay tuned for these trips!

Join us to witness one of the true marvels of nature, the winter home of the migrating monarchs! They travel over 3,000 miles each year to the very same location in the high forests of Michoacan. It was not until 1974 that scientists learned of their destination. The local people knew this for years, but now that the word is out, they are protecting these forests for the butterflies. Members of the local community lead tourists into the mountains to see this spectacle of nature; millions of butterflies clustered in trees or flying about, depending on the temperatures and time of your visit. We are going in early March!