Alvin Starkman

Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera Fabric Dolls Add New Dimension to Oaxaca Mexico Crafts

Alvin Starkman, M.A., J.D. The competitive crafts industry in Oaxaca, Mexico, has a new art form to compete with barro negro and alebrijes, and perhaps more significantly the handcrafted colorfully painted clay sculptures of the Aguilar sisters of Ocotlán. Las hermanas Aguilar have a longstanding tradition of fashioning figures representing women in Oaxacan... (posted by Alvin 24 days ago.)

Sociedad de Mezcaleros Tours Oaxaca Mezcal Palenques, Mezcalerias, Restaurants

The reclusive US based Sociedad de Mezcaleros began and ended its insatiable exploration in the city of Oaxaca de Juárez, as should any tour focused on an in depth education of the manufacture of mezcal (aka mescal), its use as a cooking ingredient, and of course flavor nuances and tasting notes – based on varietal of agave, means of production, terra firma... (posted by Alvin 24 days 7 hours ago.)

How to Dress for a Church Service in Mexico

Almost any type of clothing is acceptable when attending a church service in Mexico, be it for a wedding, funeral, baptism, quince a ~ os, or any other mass. One key, however, is knowing the tradition of the city, town or village in the interior of the country, and being sensitive to the cultural class of the Mexican individual or family extending the invitation. The Tourist or Expatriot as Invited Guest to... (posted by Alvin 28 days 21 hours ago.)

Visiting the Zapotec Ruin at Mitla, Oaxaca, with a Federally Licensed Tour Guide

Gilberto Arreortua Jimenez has been a federally licensed tour guide working at the Mitla archaeological zone in Oaxaca, since 1997. Being able to guide tourists in English, French, Italian, and of course in Spanish, is quite a feat for anyone, let alone a Zapotec native who grew up in the village of Capulalpam de Mendez (now designated a pueblo magico or “magical... (posted by Alvin 1 year 76 days ago.)

Flying to Oaxaca is Exciting: Seeing Hierve el Agua from a Piper Cockpit is Plain Exhilarating

Alvin Starkman, M.A., LL.B. When Tom Penick emailed me and indicated that he would be flying to Oaxaca in his own airplane (actually co-owned with others), and that he wanted to see Hierve el Agua from the plane, I knew that if I could swing a ride with him it would be an experience I would not likely have during the balance of my lifetime. Hierve el Agua... (posted by Alvin 1 year 86 days ago.)

In The Fields with a Pulque Producing Family in Oaxaca, Mexico

Juana and her husband Andrés can always be found selling pulque in the Sunday market at Tlacolula and in the Friday market at Ocotlán, both popular destinations for locals and tourists alike in Oaxaca. Often they’re accompanied by one of their children. Juana can’t recall precisely for how many generations her family has been going out to the fields twice a day and... (posted by Alvin 1 year 125 days ago.)