The first message came into my WhatsApp feed yesterday morning from a telephone number I did not recognize. It said, “Hello, Norma. Are you the Oaxaca Cultural Navigator?” I was tempted to delete it without...

Hello friends,We have been working behind the scenes to improve Oaxaca Cultural Navigator and have a few big updates to share. First, after we go live on or around April 15, notices will be coming...

Where: Fiber Arts on 4th, 6463 4th Street, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM 87107When: 10 am to 7 pm — Opening Reception from 5 pm to 7 pmAt 1 p.m., I am talking about Craft...

Come with us to Mexico, 9-nights, 10-days, February 11-20, 2026Back by popular demand! I never knew that visiting the Monarch butterflies in Mexico should have been on my bucket list until I got there. Tucked...

   SPECIAL EVENT! EXPO-VENTA SALE!April 3-5, 2025 — Albuquerque, New Mexico  Oaxaca Cultural Navigator Textiles-Folk Art-Jewelry ANDHoon Arts Uzbek Silk Ikat + Baskets of AfricaNorma is Participating One Day ONLY — Thursday, April 3, 10 a.m....

Arrive on Tuesday, December 2, and depart on Wednesday, December 10, 2025 — 8 nights, 9 days in textile heaven! Home in time for winter holiday preparations. Please send us an email to tell us...

Registration is now open: January 22-February 2, 2026, 11 nights and 12 days. A $750 non-refundable deposit will reserve your space.We begin first in Guatemala City, with an overnight stay at one of the best...

Dates are set and registration is now open — March 3-11, 2026At Oaxaca Cultural Navigator, we aim to give you an unparalleled and in-depth travel experience to participate and delve deeply into indigenous culture, folk...

Come to Oaxaca for a two-week vacation and leave with excellent reconstructive dentisty.And, if it isn’t, it should be! Two years ago while in Taos, I had a front tooth break off. It wasn’t pretty...

This Oklahoma-based band tells it like it is through music. You will love the lyrics and the music! At least, I hope you do. During DT1, ex-pats gathered to hold a rally in downtown Oaxaca...

We call native corn here CRIOLLO. This term refers to landrace varieties of plants that have adapted to local conditions over generations. Maiz (corn) criollo is a traditional, non-hybrid corn variety grown by indigenous and...

When: Saturday, February 22, 2025Time: 11:00 am to 3:00 pmWhere: Norma’s Casita, Teotitlan del Valle, OaxacaRSVP: WhatsApp or text +1 919-274-6194. Send an RSVP and I’ll send directions. Payments: We accept pesos, dollars, Zelle transfers....

We are with our dear friend Olga Reiche who uses natural dyes on cotton thread and works with indigenous weavers in Coban, Guatemala. They weave very fine gauze cotton blusas in indigo, cochineal, wild marigold,...

It’s a miracle for me to visit Amalia and her family of weavers in a remote area of Coban, which is seven hours by van from Antigua. I first met Amalia years ago at an...

Well, what’s to say but nothing less than spectacular, a treasure trove of textiles, art, vintage jewelry, and a cultural immersion experience. THIS is the famed Chichicastenango market, a warren of stalls almost as complex...

We are doing a walking tour with Olga and I’m straggling because of the treacherous ancient cobblestones on the streets, using my two hiking poles for balance. An indigenous woman and her sister come up...

It’s a short 30 minute drive from Posada de Don Rodrigo in the historic center of Antigua to San Antonio Aguas Calientes to visit famous weaver Lidia López López. I met her several years ago...

Zona 1 is about a twenty minute taxi ride from the more upscale Zona 10 where we are staying at the Hyatt Centric, which has been very accommodating. (I’m still trying to figure out the...

Guatemala City is a big surprise! It is clean, filled with great restaurants, excellent hotels, and glass buildings. It is definitely an international enclave. In the elevator of the Hyatt Centric where we are staying...

Passing the two Mexican volcanoes this morning on the flight from Oaxaca to Mexico City was spectacular. PopocatépetlThe name Popocatépetl means “smoking mountain” in Aztec. It’s a massive volcano that has been erupting intermittently since 1994....

This post is not for tourist advice, travel, textile experiences, or day-to-day life in Oaxaca. Oh, wait. The day-to-day in Oaxaca is seeing the impact of the newly elected dictator of the United States of...

This January 8-15, 2026 program is more than a tour. It includes weaving and natural dyeing for workshops, a visit to artisan markets, and studio visits to meet makers. Immerse yourself in all that Oaxaca...

In the last two weeks, I stumbled across three amazing textile makers/shops in Oaxaca. I want to share these with you. Hilos Flojos. This is located on the south side of the Zocalo near the...

It’s not for the faint of heart.Driving in Oaxaca can be daunting, especially if you are a foreigner who doesn’t live here. It is for me, and I’ve lived here for twenty years and driven...

Twelve years ago, when I moved into my casita in the campo, I was the only one out here except for a few wild dogs, discarded by owners because they were either no longer cute...

Oh, goodness. Where to start? Since Thursday evening, January 2, I have participated in a women’s creative writing workshop retreat in the Oaxaca village of Teotitlan del Valle. I have produced this workshop (or something...

Sending you warmest greetings from sunny, sparkly Taos, New Mexico, where we are basking in high desert winter sunshine and 50 degrees (20 degrees above average). Perfect walking weather. Global warming? Definitely!I’m getting ready to...

Still time! Brighten your holiday season with a stunning selection of handmade clothing from Oaxaca and Chiapas — to wear or to gift. We offer 11 pieces today. Get it before 12/24 (depending on the...

Brighten your holiday season with a stunning selection of handmade clothing from Oaxaca and Chiapas — to wear or to gift. We offer 11 pieces today. Get it before 12/24 (depending on the post office)...

December 12 is recognized throughout Mexico as a Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, when she appeared as an apparition and miraculously changed the course of history in Latin America. In Oaxaca today, there...