Immerse yourself in the traditional Zapotec way of life. Join our workshops: rug weaving, natural dyes, Temazcal (sauna), cooking or learning our native Zapotec language. Explore the countryside and surrounding landscape on horseback riding or hiking. You'll stay in the shrine room with an altar, flowers, family portraits and decorations. Join us for the numerous festivals and authentic traditions all year round in our village!
The space
OUR HOME:
A family of four: Mario is my Dad, my mom is Leonor, and Celestino also has access to manage this account when I am traveling to showcase our rugs abroad.
Our house is only 3 small blocks from the center of town. There is a Farmers Market every morning 8:30 to 11:00am which is a great place to get a traditional Zapotec breakfast. Get your favorite freshly made juice, buy some tamales made with native corn and local herbs, tamal de mole negro or tamal amarillo en hoja de milpa. There are several food stands where you can byu food to go or sit there and enjoy breakfast in the market.
There are several restaurants and places to eat. From award winning restaurants where famous chefs have come to learn about Prehispanic foods to a small front shop restaurants run families. (Read more at the bottom).
You'll be staying in our newest rooms specially conditioned to host airbnb guest. The room has large windows, ceiling fan and mosquito screens. We also put a nice hammock in there. We have a big house with a large patio where we keep some livestock (goats, sheep, horses, cows and free range chickens) you are welcome to help feeding them ;-) we are just happy to share our culture and meet people from all over the world, you'll get a chance to live the Zapotec culture, enjoy listening to our native language, going shopping to the local farmers market and joining many of the village festivals and traditions.
Zapotec architecture is centered around the household activities, the house is huge and spread around a central patio. There is a separate room for everyone. You are welcome to use the kitchen, we will make a hot drink and offer sweet bread for breakfast. The bathroom (for some) is inconveniently located at the back of the house (blue room) so expect to walk around the patio a lot (good exercise).
THINGS TO DO:
As part of your stay we will show you how we make our rugs; we grind some cochineal to show you how we get different colours from the bugs, my mom is very good at spinning wool and very patient if you would like to try it, we even teach you the very basics of weaving on the looms if you are up for it. In one of the rooms we have a large gallery with a varied collection of rugs, bags, textiles and other small crafts that my family makes. Feel free to take as much time as you like to do your shopping while you stay with us ;-)
You are welcome to join us at parties or festivals in the village if there are any during your stay. My aunts run a shop in front of the local market and every morning ladies meet for shots of Mezcal and other spirits before going to the market for grocery shopping; you are welcome to join in and learn about the many varieties of Mezcal and the way in which it can be drank for fun, healing or spiritual purposes.
HIKING:
There is a trail that goes to the sacred peak in front of my house (picacho) this is where legend has it that our ancestors first arrived to. The great spirit manifested itself in the great sky in the form of a huge beautiful bird accompanied by the seven pleyades. At the top of this mountain, the great spirit gave all the land that the eye could see to the Zapotec people for them to care and live. This why private property was and it is still not entirely part of the view of life in Zapotec communities. We recommend doing this hike early in the morning or in the afternoon, it takes 1 hour to reach the top on a steady phase.
WORKSHOPS:
Workshops are not included in the airbnb price, this are sold separately. We run them everyday when we have guests.
NATURAL DYES. Learn how to dye using cochineal (Dactylopius Coccus) a bug that growns on nopal cacti and that changed the way Europeans saw color and did business in the 16th century. We would also dye with another local and seasonal plant to explain how to achieve color variation and fix the dye. All materials are provided and you get a skein of yarn of every color died. The workshop lasts around 4 hours and the next day we take out the died yarn. It costs 1,000 pesos per person.
WEAVING. You get access to a warped loom and materials to weave your very own rug with our coaching. You get 6 hours of coaching per day and all the materials and tools you need to weave. Depending on your weaving skills and the pattern you would like to learn you can make a simple pattern rug in a day or a more detailed pattern in 3 days. The cost is $1200 pesos per day. $2000 pesos for two days or 2,800 pesos for three days. Message us for longer and more advanced weaving classes so we can discuss the details and make the arrangements.
COOKING. Let us know if you would like to cook a prehispanic Zapotec dish with us. Cook mole from scratch, learn how to make hand made tortillas, sopa de guias (tender squash leaves soup), segueza (prehispanic mole), atole or champurrado. We will discuss the recipes according to the season and dietary requirements. The cost is 1000 pesos, all inclusive (ingredients and teaching).
HORSEBACK RIDING.
My brother Celestino could arrange horse riding sessions for one or more people to explore the country side, ride on the foothills, enjoy the landscape of agave fields or stop at the local damn where migratory birds arrive. You can tailor your ride according to your interest.
1 to 2 hours ride: $600 pesos per person.
2 to 4 hours ride: $1,000 pesos per person
4 to 6 hours ride: $2,000 pesos per person
TEMAZCAL. We can also arrange the traditional Zapotec Temazcal with an experienced lady healer; she has been healing people for over 20 years and is well renowned in the area. The temazcal is a small adobe room which is layered with healing herbs and then steamed from the hot rocks on the fire pit. You entern the temazcal naked (optional) and lay down on the floor. The healer will use a bouquet of herbs and plants to bring the steam on your body, then you will start to get hot and to sweat. You tell her to stop any time and take a break inside or outside of the temazcal. You can go in and out as many times as it pleases you during the session. The idea is that when you crawl out of the Temazcal you are being born again, this time from the womb of mother earth. The family prepares a hot drink made with toasted corn kernels for you to drink after the experience.
The temazcal session lasts up to two hours and it costs $350 pesos per person, payable up front. Check availability in advance.
We accept credit cards for all your purchases during your stay. There are no ATMs in the village, the nearest one is 20 minutes drive away in Tlacolula or el Tule.
Where to eat:
If you go out of my house and walk two blocks you get to Av. Juarez where most of the restaurants are. Turn right and you will find Restaurant Guelaguetza, a medium sized family owned restaurant offering local dishes at affordable prices. Two blocks down on Av Juarez is Restaurant El Descanso, very clean and beautifully decorated, the food is tasty and the price range is medium. Once and a half blocks from el Descanso is Restaurant Tlamanalli, run by Abigail Mendoza and her sisters. Abigail has been traveling the world to promote Zapotec food and has hosted famous Chefs like Anthony Burdain, Tomasina Miers and Alejandro Ruiz. The food is well made respecting the traditional Zapotec tradition with no short cuts; abigail uses the Metate to grind all her ingredients. A three course meal with drinks would cost around $1000 pesos, no credit cards are accepted. El Jaguar is a nice and small restaurant down the road from Tlamanalli, it is run by my Cousing Isabel. Just like every other woman in town, she cooks very tasty traditional Zapotec food at affordable prices using local ingredients and ancient recipes. Right next door to Jaguar is Conchita, a small Comedor that serves typical Mexican "street food" and local dishes, she opens until late 10:00pm. Restaurant Tierra Antigua is another well decorated and nice restaurant of the medium scale serving Authentic and delicious Zapotec food at the entrance of town on Av Juarez.
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