Zapotec Weavers

From the log kept by JM on the Chiripa buying trip in February and March of 2010.

March 1, 2010. Today we made our regular pilgrimage to the Zapotec Village of Teotitlan del Valle--epicenter of Mexican weaving. You can buy Zapotec rugs in Oaxaca, but you really must got to Teotitlan to get to the heart of the amtter. We normally take the bus from the Abastos Market, but today we got a ride from our good friend Bulmaro Perez (one of the most famous of the current generation of Mexican weavers). On our way out of Oaxaca we stopped at one of Bulmaro's favorite restaurants for a tasty blue-collar breakfast of enchiladas stuffed with barbecued beef.

Bulmaro Perez Mendoza with some of his beautiful tapestries.

When we got to Bulmaro's workshop, we were overwhelmed (as always) by the fine texture, elegant design, and rich natural colors of his rugs. (Bulmaro uses cochineal, indigo, marigold and other natural dyes.) Before long we had dozens of rugs scattered on the floor, and were lost in indecision. Bulmaro, the consummate and congenial salesman, padded around on his bare feet, smiled and pulled out more rugs for our consideration. At last we are down to a few select beauties (more than we had badgeted for, but far fewer than we wanted to take home). Some were woven by Bulmaro's father, an undisputed grand maestro. We are sure that you will love them (when they get to Madison).

Which rugs to choose . . .

In Teotitlan, we also visited other old friends including the Chavez and Santiago families. From them, we acquired a fine selection of finely woven wool rugs, table runners, purses and place mats.

Federico Chavez ("el veterano"), shown here with his wife Dolores (and dyed wool ready for weaving), has had rugs displayed in museums throughout the world. The Chavez family dyes its own wool with natural dyes, and in the family workshop there is a loom for each of the five family members.


Federico's son Eric (in the photo above) has fallen behind on his weaving, because he works long hours as education director of the new (and already world-renowned) Oaxaca Textile Museum. (You should visit the museum at 917 Hldalgo, just east of the zocalo in Oaxaca.)

An exhibition of Huichol garments was the featured show when we visited the museum in March.

Daughter Janet has opened a sweet retail shop in Oaxaca, where you can buy one of the family's fine rugs and talk to Janet in English, French, Spanish or Zapotec. The shop, called Galeria Fe y Lola is tucked into a courtyard on Cinco de Mayo, just down from Santo Domingo and next door to the little Gecko Coffee shop. Son Omar is still in school, but helps in the shop and is already an accomplished weaver.

Dolores, Omar, Federico and Janet at the entrance to the shop.

Streets and Markets

From JM's log on the Feb/March 2010 Chiripa buying trip.

February 28, 2010. We wandered through the labyrinthine Sunday market that sprawls along the streets of Tlacolula, a Zapotec village in the Oaxaca Valley:


Spectacular offerings of papayas, plantains, peppers, roasted peanuts and spices. Molcahetes, lime for tortillas, flour, machetes, chisels and hardware of every kind.


Morose turkeys with legs bound. Flowers, hanging beef haunches, and strings of spicy chorizo sausage.


Sweet, smoky smells of roast chicken, onions and charred peppers rising from do-it-yourself charcoal grills.


Beautiful young women and tough old great-grandmothers in decorative dresses and aprons.

Back in the City of Oaxaca, we took an evening paseo around the zocalo, the site of violent political protests a few years ago. Tonight, the battleground is occupied by scores of balloon vendors holding gigantic bouquets of floating color.


Children are chasing everywhere, batting each other with big balloons, and filling the night air with their joyous chatter. Prosperous and desperately chic young people are clutching their cell phones and heading for bars and clubs that throb with noise. Tourists drik cervezas and fend off mariachis and street vendors int he cafes under the arched porticos. A few blocks away, in the working class market, tired workers stuff unsold goods into plastic bags and huddle around dimly lighted food stands--chatting and eating tortillas. Beggars wrap their shawls around them, and count the day's few pesos.

Cholula and a Slow Bus South

From the log JM kept on the Chiripa buying trip in Feb/March 2010.

February 28, 2010. Before continuing our journey from Puebla to Oaxaca, we took a short side trip to the town of Cholula. Cholula is the site of an enrmous but unexcavated pre-Columbian pyramid. They claim that the total volume of the pyramid exceeds that of the Great Pyramid in Egypt.


A colonial church now sits atop the pre-Columbian ruins, and from the church there are fine views of snow-capped volcanoes:

The smoking Popocatepetl (17,802 ft.) and its dormant companion Itzaccihuatl (17,342 ft.).

Local artist Jesus Garcia demonstrating his popotillo (Mexican Straw Art) at the base of the pyramid.

They say that there are 365 churches in Cholula--one for each day of the year--including this sweet little church designed and decorated entirely by indigenous artists.


A more elaborate church was preparing for a wedding with lots of fresh flowers.


The fast first-class bus had already left, so we booked on a slower second-class bus to Oaxaca. It offered no movies, so we were free to enjoy the spectacular scenery along the way. The sun was setting, and a big pale moon rose over the wild landscape. White mist floated over themountains. Far away, a luninous white church stood alone in the vast and somber land.

Late in the evening, after several stops, the bus finally dropped us at an unfamiliar station near the gritty Abastos Market in a poor area of Oaxaca. We collected our baggage and tried to get our bearings. A friendly shopkeeper gave us directions, and we walked through dark streets to our hotel near the Zocalo (not our usual hotel choice).

We arrived at the hotel just as a busload of Mexican tourists pulled in, and we were engulfed in the chaos (five young women complained of being assigned to a room with 2 beds). But, at last, the harried desk clerk got things sorted out, and we were shown to our modest lodgings. We had a good supper at Los Cuiles, and managed to get a little sleep despite the noise resonating in the stairwell for much of the night.

Packing Tape and Treasures

The doors are famous in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico

From the log the JM kept on the Feb/March Chiripa buying trip to Mexico:

We spent the morning packing and labeling our delicate San Miguel treasures for shipment. It was the usual desperate struggle with boxes, tape, stickers, bubble wrap and packing lists, but finally we had everything packed and ready for delivery to the familiar little freight office of the estimable Sr Victor Manuel Torres y Osuna. Sr. Torres will ship the items to our export shipper in Guadalajara.


We made a final stop at the Rocio craft workshop, which makes hand-painted nichos and etchings that you will treasure. Then we started our long bus trip to Oaxaca in southern Mexico. We changed buses in Queretaro and Mexico City, and made an overnight stop in Pureble--two hours east of Mexico City over the mountain pass traveled by Cortes at the time of the Spanish conquest. Puebla is a large industrial city, but the old city center is a well-preserved colonial treasure that features Talavera tile facades.

The Hotel Colonial entrace in downtown Purebla

When we are in Puebla, we always shop for a few skeleton nichos and other small treasures at the shop of our friends Miguel and Lilia. Their creations always make us smile, and you will smile, too.

Skelton Skier, $20 available online or call 866-244-9510