Day 1.- ARRIVAL FIRST VISITS
We will arrive at Oaxaca airport and have transportation to our hotel, where we will be free to rest and freshen up before we have our welcome and orientation dinner.
Overnight in hotel.
Day 2.- THE VILLAGES
We’ll start off our tour by hitting the ground running; it’s off to the villages at first light to see how the tiny towns in this area are preparing their homes, plazas, and graveyards for the celebrations. Also, as life is relatively unchanged here from other more urban places, we’ll have the opportunity to see the celebrants in action with nothing forced or staged.
First up is El Tule, which above everything else boasts a tree which is over 2,000 years old. Then, we’re off to the tiny hamlet of Teotitlan de Valle, which has what are fabled as the finest rugs and carpets in all of Mexico for sale. After a bit of lunch we’ll continue to Tlacolula which is a mix of traditional fare, but some colonial aspects as well, including its 16th century church. Then it’s on to Yagul which by contrast has ancient Zapotec ruins which are just as imposing and serene as the colonial churches. Lastly, we’ll end up in Mitla where both colonial church and Zapotec ruins stand side by side, and we’ll photograph them just as the last light of day fills the sky.
Overnight in Oaxaca.
Day 3.- THE MARKET AND SANTO DOMINGO
Just after breakfast we’ll take an organized trip to another small hamlet to see the local market, as it is market day. Here we’ll have some unstructured time for off the cuff shots and taking in the busy kaleidoscope of buying and selling. Then, after a spot of lunch we’ll visit the church of Santo Domingo, which is hailed as one of the most structurally and artistically beautiful in all of Mexico for a shoot inside and out of the building.
Across from it is the Convent that shares the same name but that also houses a museum of the Oaxacan cultures that predated the Spanish conquest. Then, it’s dinner and free time in the city.
Overnight in Oaxaca.
Day 4.- THE TRADITIONS
Finally the time is nigh! We’ll get a city tour today to orient ourselves which will include Oaxaca’s picturesque central park, the myriad of gorgeous colonial churches, and several of the bustling marketplaces which at this time of the year will be packed with people from all over bartering, talking, eating, sharing, and preparing for the most important holiday of their calendar year. It’s here that you’ll be introduced to all the staples and traditions, from the elaborate process of making sugar skulls and sweet breads, to artisans who have been making their artifacts for generations.
Dinner will be at a restaurant with a view, and not just any view: it overlooks the plaza and the great cathedral, so we will have plenty of time for twilight shots from a good vantage point, as this excited, buzzing city gears on towards the big day…
Overnight in Oaxaca.
Day 5.- THE PARADES. THE GRAVEYARDS
Up before dawn to see the first of many parades, which will be the children’s parades that go around the main plazas. Then, we’ll be off to the graveyards where families set up special altars to their long passed ancestors that bear colorful sprays of flowers and special food that is only made at this time of year. We’ll have time to photograph this powerful ritual, the families gathering, many stories and many generations all brought together to the same place where their roots go into the earth together. And in the background, Mariachis will stroll, the smell of sweetbread will permeate everything.
Today will be spent in the graveyards, taking advantage of the changes in people and also in light, including into the twilight when candles are lit and the purple dusk falls as vigils of night begin.
Overnight in Oaxaca.
Day 6: MORE PARADES. MORE GRAVEYARDS
This morning will be somewhat of a repeat of the day before, as there will be more children’s parades and also time spent by the locals at the grave altars – so this will be the time for us to get any shots we couldn’t get the day before, or finish up stories, find missing images we want in our photographic tale.
Then, in the afternoon we’ll travel out to some of the local villages to see and photograph the rituals there, before ending up at a specially selected restaurant where we’ll be treated to traditional tamales, hot chocolate and mezcal. We’ll have some time with the chefs, learning about how each of these traditional dishes are made, and then we’ll have some time learning about the mescal, which is a unique tequila like drink made only in this area. After dinner we’ll have a night time shoot of more of the village and the altars, before heading back home.
Overnight in Oaxaca.
Day 7.- EL DIA DE LOS MUERTOS
The big day finally arrives – El Día de los Muertos. The atmosphere changes slightly in the general cemetery, which is where we will be spending most of our day. Now that the vigils have past, it’s finally a time of celebration for the life that was once lived. The music brightens, the colors too, and people flock in the hundreds and thousands to the grave sites of their ancestors. We’ll spend the better part of the day here, and then the afternoon and evening in the smaller towns to see and capture the differences between city and rural life, but also the connecting threads in the same story of this culture and its people.
Overnight in Oaxaca.
Day 8: LAST ASHES
Taking it a little easy this morning after such a long few days before, today we’ll be focused on the local artisans and craftmakers, and we have a few photo shoots set up with several individuals who will display how they create their wares, generally using traditional methods. After a leisurely lunch, however, we have one more surprise – there’s a little known village near Oaxaca where the Day of the Dead celebrations actually happen on the 3rd instead of the day before, so we’ll head out there for our last chance to shoot the festivities.
Overnight in Oaxaca.
Day 9: THE AZTECAS
This morning for our last day in country we have a photo shoot set up with a professional model who will dress in traditional skirts and clothing for us, and we will have a variety of backgrounds to choose from including monolith wooden church doors, the corridors of a monastery, and the last of the crowds in the market place.
Finally, we’ll head to the ruins of Monte Alban at sunset to photograph the impressive Zapotec ruins as the last long rays of the sun spill over the beautiful countryside.
We’ll end our tour on a high note, a celebration dinner in the city.
Overnight in Oaxaca.
Day 10: LAST DAY
Time to say goodbye! We’ll have transportation to the airports for all flights. End of services.
