Day 17 and 18 in Guadalajara and Tlaquepaque

Monday and Tuesday, August 17 - 18: The Chiripa 2009 Summer Buying Trip to Mexico

The agenda for these days duplicates some of the visits made on other trips. I'll lead you to those posts.

On Monday Beth and JM visited the D'Casa Stoneware workshop. See the Aug 18, 2008 post for more information about Enrique Castro Compos and his family. Their products continue to be popular at Chiripa.

The next stop was the glass workshop in Tlaquepaque. See the March 12, 2008 post.

Perhaps we'll get more information about how the day went. Both of those workshops require much time and decision-making.

Tuesday is the first day of Enart, the trade show of handcrafted Mexican gifts. See the April 16, 2009 post. Beth will make stops at Citlali for jewelry and a couple other "regular" stops. Perhaps there will be a Chiripa (a happy accident) and she'll discover a new vendor who's workshop we'll visit on another trip.

This is the last shopping day of the trip. The travelers head for home on Wednesday flying out of Guadalajara at 8 a.m. and arriving in Chicago at 12:10 p.m. A bus to Madison should put them here by late afternoon.

It's been a full trip. Details and new contacts will be added in future posts. However, there will be a break in posting as I share information with Beth and then take a few days off from working the shop.

Day 12 and 13: Final Buys and Moving On

Saturday and Sunday, August 15 - 16: The Chiripa 2009 Summer Buying Trip to Mexico

Saturday was another trip out to Tzintzuntzan. JM walked the ruins while Beth did the market.


Beth is in search of cornhusk flowers. They are sold by the piece or in bunches of a dozen. We have never found them in other markets. We like to buy from the source, but, the "source" in this case is the market booth that distributes the flowers that are made in the homes of people in the area.

Back in Patzcuaro a total of four trips to Adame were required to get the textiles we needed. Although their storefront is conveniently located just off the Zocalo in Patzcuaro, it is small and carries much more than the table linens we buy. Enrique will go back to the workshop to get more of what we need. Stripes are the best sellers right now.


At some point, either Saturday evening or Sunday morning everythings is delivered to the Barro Sin Plomo/Echery Pottery office. Mitchell at Echery will carefully pack not only the pottery we've purchased and ordered from their local potters, he will pack the cornhusk flowers, the table linens, the baskets, the _____________ (fill in the blank). Each item will be marked "Made in Mexico/Hech en Mexico" along with the material in the product. The boxes will then wait at Echery to be picked up by our shipper in Guadalajara, Space Logistics. SL makes a weekly or more frequent trip to Patzcuaro.

Sunday noon Beth and JM leave Patzcuaro for a 4 hour bus ride to Guadalajara. Shopping begins bright and early Monday morning.





Michell Aguila Sanchez, Mr. Ship.

Day 11: The Lake Patzcuaro Loop

Friday, August 14: The Chiripa 2009 Summer Buying Trip to Mexico

Friday starts with a trip to the local market Patzcuaro. We find fun magnets here, but pass on the piles of pottery because we can't verify that it is Lead-Free. It's a very local market with things you'll find in typical Mexican homes.

A report on the day's activities included a tour guided by Dirceau and Beto of Echery Pottery. Places and people on the list:

The Juan Rosas Family in Capula

The Fernando Arroyo Family in Capula

The Nicolas Fabian Family in Santa Fe de la Laguna

A new potter [I wonder what he or she makes]

Isidro Lopez Saldivar, the stone carver in Tzintzuntzan [and I'm sure they didn't drive through this city without stopping for the cornhusk flowers that are a staple of the shop.]

And I wonder if they stopped at El Tirgre for lunch.

And then when back in Patzcuaro a trip to Once (11) Patios to look for delicately painted jewelry and barrettes. A very full day.

No time for photos on this post. You can search by any of the names above and see previous posts about the families and the art they produce. You can also search on our website for products we sell by these artisans.

Day 10: Back to Santa Clara del Cobre

Thursday, August 13: The Chiripa 2009 Summer Buying Trip to Mexico

Today's plan is to hop on a bus back out to Santa Clara del Cobre to meet with Lulu and Alfredo and to take in more of the copper fair. I'm confident that the day started with breakfast at I Turbe, a nice hotel with a restaurant serving a great breakfast and the best coffee we can find in Patzcuaro.

Starters: fruit plate, coffee, and little powder sugar cookies in the little basket.

This refreshing start is followed by a large plate of traditional Michoacan food . . . or pancakes.

Then it's a hike to the intersection where buses to Santa Clara pass frequently. The ride up the mountain (maybe "mountain" is exaggerated, but the elevation increases significantly) passes the daily life of Patzcuaro.

A flowering vine jumps out of it's humble surroundings.

Last February's trip to Santa Clara included a breakfast with Lulu Paz and her husband, Alfredo. Alfredo operates the furniture business that makes sinks and wood pieces with beautiful copper panels. Lulu operates a traditional copper storefront with a great copper-making demonstration area (not pictured here). The shop is called Casa Felicitas at Pino Suarez #88.

Lulu and Alfredo with February's travelers.

All over the city you can hear the "ping-ping" of hammer on copper and the whoosh of a bellows fire. The travelers are sure to have a full day of decision making. I'm hoping for some copper fair photos to share at a later date.

Day 9: Bus to Patzcuaro

Wednesday, August 12: The Chiripa 2009 Summer Buying Trip to Mexico

The travelers arrived in Patzcuaro and in the evening sent this email describing their bus trip and the subsequent trip up to Santa Clara del Cobre:

"We left SMA this morning on the 7:45 am bus and got here around 12:30 pm. We immediately left for Sta Clara where the copper fair is in full swing. Devils and dancers, Purepecha bands on stage, the square was full of folks. And there was a parade of sorts down the main drag -- a couple of toddlers in costume sitting on the hoods of cars. Yikes!

"Tonight we had a great meal at Primer Piso, sitting on the balcony overlooking the square [in Patzcuaro]." Beth

Copper judging and awards in Santa Clara del Cobre, Michoacan, Mexico 2008

No word on competition purchases this year. It's fun to put the photos with the winning pots that we can purchase. We try to encourage the young artists to continue their craft.

A winner in the 8-13 year-old division 2008

Days 7 and 8: San Miguel de Allende

Monday and Tuesday, August 10 and 11: The Chiripa 2009 Summer Buying Trip to Mexico

I have not received any communication about this leg of the trip, so, I'll go by the original plans for inventory buys and share what seems like an impossible list for two days.

The San Miguel de Allende Artisan Market. This is a strip of booths on both sides of a pedestrian walkway, maybe 3 or 4 "blocks" long. Besides local artisans, one can find rugs from Oaxaca and Huichol bead work from Nayarit.

It is at this market where we met Hector Bustamante.

Hector with his wife and daughter at the marketplace booth

His workshop called Luciano creates whimsical figures out of metal. We carry his catrinas and catrins, cats and dogs and angels. Perhaps the most loved piece he sells is the Tree of Life. It brings joy to people.

Other treasures at the market:

Inexpensive and popular blue painted clay figures, suns and boxes.
Coconut masks and coconut heads with bodies.
Tin star and angel ornaments for the coming holiday season.
Jewelry, milagros, Lotteria games . . . and the list goes on.

But there are other stops besides the market for these two short days:

Felix Bautista Ramirez was our first mirror maker.

Our first trip to Felix's was in the back of a pickup truck.

He lives outside the city and is often not reachable by phone. This requires resourcefulness and patience as we track him down to place an order. This time we'll be looking for more mirrors, his painted tin cacti, tin stars, and tin luminaries.

Felix with his wife and a pile of stars for Chiripa.

A second mirror maker, Ricardo Banda who, along with his family create differently styled mirrors that have proven popular in Wisconsin: mirrors with doors, oval highly decorated painted mirrors, as well as more traditional tile mirrors.


Ricardo also manufactures our metal switchplate covers. Maybe there will be something new from this visit.

A short distance from San Miguel de Allende is the city of Dolores Hidalgo. It is home to some colorful talavera pottery workshops.

We shop regularly at Liceagui right on the main drag i.e. bus route. Our supplies are not depleted from our trip here in February, but there are some special requests (a fish sink!) and some holes to fill in inventory.

Beth will make a new stop in Dolores Hidaldo at Chiles y Chiles the factory that makes the chili peppers we found last year at the trade show. It will be fun to see the operations and meet the people who make the colorful peppers that hang from the ceiling at the shop.

I'm hoping Beth and JM have time to stop in the Zocalo for some of the homemade ice cream. It's a special treat to pick out a flavor that we'd never find in the U.S.

With so many stops--not to mention a trip to the bank or money exchange to change travellers checks--those of us back in the US worry that meals are being missed. Rest will come on the bus ride tomorrow!

Day 6: In search of Etla

Sunday, August 9: The Chiripa 2009 Summer Buying Trip to Mexico

Eric Chavez (see Day 2) has offered to take the travelers to Etla, the paper city. We had made one attempt a couple years ago, but, either had the wrong city or the wrong day because we didn't find any paper products. What will they find: papel picado (cut paper banners) or pinatas, or????? We will have to wait for followup news on this adventure.

Plans then call for Beth and JM to bid farewell to Oaxaca and get back on a bus heading north to San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato.

KZ will enjoy a couple days of leisure in Oaxaca before heading for home in Wisconsin.

Day 5: Shopping for Alebrijes

Saturday, August 8: The Chiripa 2009 Summer Buying Trip to Mexico

Arrazola, Oaxaca, Mexico is today's destination. The shoppers are in search of mid-price alebrijes, the colorful painted figures that are carved of wood.

The lizards at Chiripa come from the Arrazola workshop of Oscar Carillo and his wife Josefina. Oscar is the carver and Josefina the painter.







The lizards have become a trademark for our shop and adorn the walls and shelving ends. I've heard from Beth that the expedition was a success. I'll have to wait for the shipment to see the beautiful creatures.

Saturday night's activity is packing. This will be a marathon event. Every item that has been purchased to date will get two labels: "Made in Mexico" and "wood (or whatever it is)." Each piece will be carefully wrapped and packed in a box. (At some point boxes and bubblewrap and packing tape will have been procured.) Then each box will get a packing list detailing the contents, the source, and the material along with an address label for Madison, Wisconsin. These boxes will be picked up by Bulmaro who will see that they get sent to our shipper in Guadalajra along with the rugs we purchased from him.

Now that's a Saturday night!

Day 4: Around Oaxaca

Friday, August 7: The Chiripa 2009 Summer Buying Trip to Mexico

Friday was to be the trip on the road between Oaxaca and Ocotlan with stops at Santo Thomas Jalietze, San Bartolo Coyotepec, San Martin Tilcajete, and of course a stop to see the famous Tule tree. Just writing the places wears me out!

Ocotolan is the farthest out and is the home of the Aguilar sisters and their workshops. The delightful figures have become collectors items for many customers and we try to restock our supply when in the area.

A women's collective of backstrap loom weavers can be found in the center of Santo Thomas Jalietze. Colorful cotton table runners and placemats as well as handbags are presented for sale in small booths staffed by the woman who made the items. We shop from many vendors to spread the money throughout the group.

San Bartolo Coyotepec is home to the famous black pottery. After a very successful shipment two years ago, we no longer worry that the fragile pottery won't arrive. But this is a place where we rely on a larger producer (Dona Rosa) with experience crating their work. We don't want to be the amatures boxing up precious pieces to find them shattered when they arrive in Madison.

Of course San Martin Tilcajete is the place with the highest expectations. It is the home of Jacobo and Maria Angeles, masters of Mexican alebrijes. To our travellers' dismay, they would miss seeing Jacobo and Maria by one day. The special piece we ordered was ready. Further purchase details will wait until Beth returns.

A quick stop in Santa Maria del Tule to see the world's largest trees is a must.

I'll try to add photos of some of these places and workshops as time allows (and there hasn't been much of that!).

Day 3: Teotitlan del Valle

Thursday, August6: The Chiripa 2009 Summer Buying Trip to Mexico

The plan for this day is to visit master weaver Bulmaro Perez Mendoza of Father and Sons Rugs in Teotitlan del Valle, a short bus ride from Oaxaca city. But, first there will be a brisk walk to the local bus station near the Abastos Market. Then one waits along a busy street and flags down the bus heading out of the city in the direction of Teotitlan. Imagine horns honking, people hawking, and general chaos as life goes on.

Bulmaro provides a valuable service to Chiripa. He coordinates the shipping to Guadalajara for all of our Oaxaca purchases. I don't know if this is a common practice for this savy businessman, or, if he is doing us a huge favor. We consider it a Chiripa (a happy accident) that we found this kind man.


When the travellers get back to Las Golondrinas in Oaxaca they may find swans on their bed.

Day 2: Bus to Oaxaca

Wednesday, Aug 5: The Chiripa 2009 Summer Buying Trip to Mexico

Today is a travel day for Beth and crew. They will bus from Puebla to Oaxaca. The trip is about a 4 to 5 hour bus ride. I'm sure they'll be riding in comfort on this leg. The bus station in Oaxaca is in the heart of the city and within walking distance of the hotel, Las Golondrinas.


I have a soft spot for this hotel. They have a restaurant in the inner courtyard and they serve eggs in the shape of a swallow (la golondrina). The pictures from my first trip are on slides and I haven't managed to get them digitized. You'll just have it imagine it!

After a short rest the gang will meet up with Eric Chavez.


We first met Eric in Teotitlan del Valle, the rug weaving village. (This photo is 3 years old.) Eric now has a position at the new textile museum in Oaxaca.

I'm sure Beth will hit either the Women's Coop or the Artisan Market if there's even a brief bit of time. There is much to do/purchase and precious little time.

A "Free" Trip to Mexico

We laugh when people wink and say we get to travel for free. It's true, Chiripa buying trips to Mexico are a business expense. In order to help you, the reader, understand what happens on these trips I'm going to follow the itinerary of my partner Beth who is traveling with JM and KZ right now.

The goal of these trips is to find great Mexican crafts that we can import and share with our customers, both in our brick and mortar shop and online. The beauty of the transactions is in the relationships we build with the artisans. In the next few days I will follow their trip and explain where they are and who they might be visiting on any given day. Real communication from them, as it relates to artisan crafts, will be shared. They aren't traveling with a computer, so, contact will be sporadic, at best.

Today is Tuesday, Aug. 4. I'm writing from Madison, Wisconsin.

I got up at 1:35 a.m. to be able to pick up Beth and crew at her house at 2 a.m. so that they could meet the 2:20 a.m. VanGalder bus at the UW Memorial union. This would put them at O'Hare around 6 a.m. for their flight to Mexico City at 7:45 a.m. They would arrive in Mexico around 11:45 a.m. and catch an airport bus to Puebla. (I think that's about a two hour ride.)

They will stay in downtown Puebla (I'm not sure which hotel) and hit the Artisan Market where they will visit with Miguel at Casa de las Artesanias.


Miguel Parades, his wife Lilia Cruz Ruiz, and their son Daniel have a workshop that makes skeleton figures and nichos with little skeleton scenes. These are very popular at Chiripa. We have requests for larger figures. We're also hoping that Miguel has some Chirstmas ornaments in the works. Whatever Chiripa purchases will probably be neatly boxed and will be carried on to Oaxaca where it will be consolidated with the Oaxacan purchases. (More on that later.)

B, JM, and KZ will have a nice dinner and turn in early, I'm sure. It's been a long travel day! And it's only day 1.