Itinerary
Day 1: “Hola y Bienvenidos”- Welcome to Oaxaca!
“Bienvenidos” means welcome in Spanish, the local language in Oaxaca. Today, we arrive in the colorful city of Oaxaca! You'll notice the city is particularly lively due to its preparations for the vibrant festival of Guelaguetza- the Zapotec annual tradition starting mid-July that brings together the communities from the eight regions of Oaxaca to share and celebrate their varying traditions of music, dance, art, and food. It is a very special time to be here indeed!
Our retreat begins with an authentic Oaxacan welcome dinner at 6:00 pm to meet and greet your fellow travelers and share in some seriously delicious local food specialties! I still dream about our appetizer to this day, and it's the dish that makes this restaurant so famous as an example of the complexity of Oaxacan cuisine. After dinner, take some time to exploring the city and get into the Guelaguetza spirit, or tuck in to your hotel bedroom decorated with locally handcrafted tiles and decor ahead of your first full day tomorrow!
Day 2: Meet and Greet
Today we get acquainted with the city of Oaxaca including the people, food, and customs! We begin with an amazingly curated food tour by our Oaxacan guide for the week, Betsy. Betsy is a proud member of the Zapotec community, and her family has owned a food stall in the most famous local market for decades. Her small women-run business, Oaxaca Street Food Tours, supports local business owners that are the lifeblood of Oaxaca. Betsy's passion and fun take center stage as she shows us around her hometown on a delicious culinary adventure! This tour was one of my most favorite experiences in Oaxaca, and led to Betsy and I becoming fast friends!
After the food tour, enjoy some down time to relax or explore the city ahead of our meeting with a local female psychologist this evening! We will get to learn all about mental health in Oaxaca and the country of Mexico, and it will be an amazing opportunity to really get to know the psychology of the region. Tonight, you’ll have the evening on your own to explore the city and try your hand at some local specialties for dinner as you like!
Day 3: Mole y Mezcal
Today is about two local food specialties of Oaxaca as we get to know them intimately with people who have been making them from family recipes for generations! Oaxacans infuse mindfulness and soul into their cooking, and we will study the connection between mental health and food on our adventures today!
First, we begin our day with a market visit to buy ingredients for the making of mole (mo-lay)- the ubiquitous and complex sauce that Oaxaca is famous for! There are several kinds of mole from Oaxaca, and today's cooking class will teach us to prepare mole negro (black mole, my personal favorite!). When I had this mole in 2022, I knew I'd be coming back for more!! After an afternoon break, we have a very special invitation to a mother-daughter run palenque (distillery) to learn all about the process of making mezcal, the smoky tequila that hails from Oaxaca. Mezcal is deeply intertwined with Oaxacan culture and in addition to being enjoyed as a drink it is also part of several Zapotec rituals as well. We have been invited to see the gorgeous campos (fields) where the maguey plants are farmed and harvested, as well as several mezcal tastings with snack pairings while we sit around a fire and enjoy a Zapoteco (cultural learnings on the Zapotec traditions) from this women empowered family.
Day 4: Ancient Traditions
Today we will embark on a short trip to the town of San Martín Tilcajete where we will have the honor of hearing our very own alebrijes, Zapotec readings made up of our tona (protector animal) and náhual (spirit animal). We will also get the opportunity to paint figuras de madera, souvenirs of art customized just for you! Following this Zapotec tradition is a special lunch at a cocina de humo (smoke restaurant)- a kitchen that uses only cultural fire techniques to cook their food. This gorgeous open-air restaurant sticks to the roots of traditional cooking methods and encourages guests to mindfully connect back to the cooking process. It is also surrounded by a beautiful garden and a grove of reforested copal trees to help protect the environment.
After an afternoon break, we will get to speak with a local female grower of psilocybin mushrooms (hongos). Psilocybin grows indigenous to the region of Oaxaca, and has been part of the healing process and mental health here for generations. We will get the chance to learn about it's origins and current uses, and then the night is yours to explore the town and dig into some new foods on your own!
Day 5: Sacred Sweat
Today we have been invited to a traditional Temazcal (sweatlodge) ceremony ritual led by a Zapotec shaman. This unique sweatlodge experience uses local herbs and mezcal for physical and spiritual cleansing, detox, and healing, and is accompanied by drums and song. This experience was unforgettable for me, and absolutely one of my most favorite experiences abroad. In addition to the Temazcal experience, we will get to see how the lovely owner, Blanca, and her family live in their gorgeous home in the mountain valleys just outside Oaxaca. The rest of the afternoon and evening will be on your own to relax, eat, and integrate our experience from today!
Day 6: Good Mood Food
This morning we embark to a unique food market guided by Betsy, who will introduce us to the owners and their family recipes over breakfast. This organic market is truly one of a kind, and contains several recipes unique to Oaxacan cuisine that you won't find elsewhere in Mexico! Following an afternoon break, we will reconvene to have a truly special Oaxacan experience- a Gastronomic Meditation which "creates sensory experiences for the expansion of consciousness through food." This meditation helps connect us to the roots and origins of the foods we eat, and will guide us through a sampling of ingredients and dishes native to Oaxaca as well as the stories of the people who prepared them. Your evening is yours for the rest of the night to relax, explore, or gather some final souvenirs ahead of our last day tomorrow!
Day 7: Closing Time
Today is our final day, and a good day to integrate all that we have learned over the course of the week. This morning we will experience a closing ceremony specifically curated for our group, designed to help us relax and process our Oaxacan adventure together. We will end our time sharing our experiences over a nurturing Oaxacan lunch to celebrate our journey across this week, and then it’s time to say adios as we make our way home with Oaxacan memories, friendships, and treasures in tow. Our retreat ends after lunch around 3:00, so make sure to note this for your departure plans!